The Solid Grounds Coffeehouse is a musical Saturday night on the town at Saint Steven’s Methodist Church in Albuquerque. The music is free, coffee and doughnuts are free, the spiritual tune up after the first set is free, and good friendly spirits are welcome.
Featured tonight is the Watermelon Mountain Jug Band, a local group who has performed in Albuquerque thirty years, more or less.
Their bio’s show them to be retired educators,their music to be more eclectic than jug band. their performing schedule expansive. They have a jug that sings when you blow across its lips, a washtub bass, spoons and a washboard, kazoo’s, and a New Mexico champion banjo player. They play Bob Dylan tunes, original compositions, country, folk, rock and roll, blues, Bill Monroe bluegrass, Bob Wills country swing, and even do Happy Birthday requests if they know about the birthday.
Two steppers are on the dance floor twirling tonight and the Watermelon jug band serves them a healthy plate of country swing in their first of two sets.
Southwest deserts and Southeast ” hollers ” both have experiences with poverty and making do.
Jug bands, like this one, say you don’t need fancy instruments or conservatory training to make people tap their feet, dance, sing along, and have a good time.
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