JUGBUSTERS 2000-2006

Remembering my bandmates with pride: Thanks for the memories guys!

Brien Fein, Bill Richardson and John Hylton the core Jugbusters during a good chunk of my time playing oldtime music have all passed away. I learned so much from them. They taught me so much about old time music and life. I miss you guys!

Musicians say goodbye to Bill Richardson with 'Sick No More' jam 

Musicians gathered with beloved mentor Bill Richardson to play music and fill his hospital room with joy during his final days. 

By Mike Gangloff mike.gangloff@roanoke.com 

Sep 11, 2014

Saying goodbye to Bill Richardson 

By DOUG THOMPSON 
September 12, 2014 
10:02 am 

Bill Richardson 

We lost Bill Richardson, fiddle player and a founding member of The Jugbusters, a Bluegrass and traditional music band that was an area favorite and a regular at The Friday Night Jamboree. 

Fiddler and Roanoke Times reporter Mike Gangloff wrote a an incredible sendoff to Bill for The Roanoke Times this week, telling the touching story of the “Sick, No More” jam for Bill at Lewis Gale Montgomery Hospital.  Many area musicians came by to play, day and night, in a tribute to Bill, who joined in when he could. 

Gangloff’s story touched the hearts, souls and musical parts of all of us. 

Bill, your music lives on along with the parts of the lives you touched.  We miss you. 

I’ve shot a lot of film and video of Bill and the Jugbusters over the past decade.  He was a fine musician, entertainer and friend.

THE JUGBUSTERS

 

The Jugbusters were an old time band from the Blacksburg, VA area led by Bill Richardson. I think that they were a band for over 20 years. I joined in 2000 and played from 2000-2006. In my time with the band we had many changes. The only consistency in band members throughout my tenure was me on upright bass and Bill on Fiddle. There were 3 main and amazing clawhammer banjo players, Seth Boyd, Brien Fein, and Russ Boyd (no relation). We had 2 main guitar players for the latter part of the journey, Nicholas Polys and John Hylton. Honestly, I can't remember the last names of the other guitar players, they were all incredible though, Jeremy, Jessie, Rory and a few others. We also had 3 different mandolin players, Christian Hern, Bob Browder, and Liam Kelly. We played hundreds of shows, events, weddings and square dances. Political claim to fame, Senator Kane played with us at the Floyd Country Store, Floyd, VA. Biggest gig for me was when we played at Floydfest, Floyd, VA. We played on the same stage as Del McCoury, David Grisman and Larry Keel (not at the same time:>) We played before them. 

jugbusters play blacksburg square dance - perfect example of how much fun it was to play with these guys

Jugbusters music

Keep the Crows Out

Jugbusters

Traditional tunes - Jugbusters third album - Live at Floyd Country store, Floyd, VA

Houghton - recorded, co-mixed and mastered, co-produced, upright bass

Bill Richardson - Fiddle and vocals, Russ Boyd - clawhammer banjo. Nicholas Polys - Acoustic guitar and vocals, Bob Browder - mandolin and vocals, John Hylton - acoustic guitar and vocals

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Warm Hearth

Jugbusters

Traditional old time tunes, recorded with 2 mics around the Hearth by Bill Richardson.

Houghton - Upright bass, Bill Richardson - Fiddle and vocals, Brian Fein - clawhammer banjo and vocals, Nicholas Polys - Acoustic guitar, Christian Hern - mandolin, John Hylton - acoustic guitar and vocals

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"If the Jugbusters have their way, old-time country and bluegrass music will never fade from the Blacksburg music scene. 

The band has been a fixture in Blacksburg for over a decade, playing to audiences made up of college students and locals alike. It is currently a permanent feature at The Cellar Restaurant every Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. 

From the earliest days of the group, the Jugbusters were committed to playing in the traditional old-time country style and getting audiences on their feet. 

“We started off with a lot of that traditional background,” said Bill Richardson, the band’s fiddler and a founding member, “but the best thing now is to have people out there dancing to songs we wrote. Watch people play their own music, but not very many people play their own music and have people out there dancing to it.” 

The formation of the band occurred naturally, Richardson said. The local musicians were familiar with each other from playing around town, and eventually Richardson, banjo player Russ Boyd and others became the Jugbusters. 

The line-up has changed several times since, but the band’s popularity in the area remains |strong. 

The band is careful to tailor set lists to the audience. Thursday night shows at The Cellar tend to feature a rowdier selection of tunes than other shows, thanks to the party attitude of downtown Blacksburg. 

Kevin Long, owner and manager of The Cellar, has invited the band weekly to jam in the bar. 

“We tried it, and it was a popular event,” Long said. “It just kind of grew from that first time, and now it’s our most popular event.” 

The Thursday night concert is the staple of the band’s schedules, but it can be found around the New River Valley and parts beyond. 

The band has met success with its blend of traditional country and original songs. About half the songs audiences hear on a given night are original tunes, Richardson said. 

The Jugbusters all agree that no matter what venue they play, getting people up and dancing is their goal. Normally, some of the dancing seen at a Jugbusters’ show is known as flat-footing and two-stepping. 

Flat-footing is a folk dance similar to tape and the slower two-step allows for couples to move onto the floor together. Regardless of the speed or style, the band aims to put on an engaging show. 

“People are going to have a good time,” Richardson said. “Good times for all, fiddling and flat-footing and two-stepping.”"

Radio Show

Jugbusters

Traditional tunes recorded over the radio onto a cassette, then transferred to a digital device. Jugbusters 1st album - Live from Radio Show

Houghton - upright bass, mastered

Houghton - Upright bass, Bill Richardson - Fiddle and vocals, Brian Fein - clawhammer banjo and vocals, Nicholas Polys - Acoustic guitar, John Hylton - acoustic guitar and

Traditional tunes recorded over the radio onto a cassette, then transferred to a digital device. Jugbusters 1st album - Live from Radio Show

Houghton - upright bass, mastered

Houghton - Upright bass, Bill Richardson - Fiddle and vocals, Brian Fein - clawhammer banjo and vocals, Nicholas Polys - Acoustic guitar, John Hylton - acoustic guitar and vocals

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NEW RIVER TRAIN POOR FARM FARMERS MARKET