Cincinnati Dancing Pigs to perform
in Schomburg Series

The Cincinnati Dancing Pigs, labeled “Cincinnati’s premier jug band,” pays a visit to Defiance on Thursday, Oct. 25, as part of the Defiance College Schomburg Series. The band will perform at 7 p.m. in Schomburg Auditorium.

The popular band has played at every Cincinnati Tall Stacks, at the city’s bicentennial celebration, for the runners in the Flying Pig Marathon, many times in the summer concert series in Eden Park, for the Cincinnati Art Museum, and in many local establishments, back yards and living rooms.

The jug band features Defiance native Eric Buhrer on the jug, slide whistle, kazoo, bird calls, train whistle, boat whistle and various other sound-producing devices as well as his singing talents. Sharing the vocals with Buhrer is Keith Baker, who also covers the band’s percussion needs with his gloved hands majestically flailing at the genuine Columbus Washboard Company washboard, which is accessorized with cymbal, teak blocks, and cow bells. With Ed horning in, the band ensemble is enhanced with his abilities on the banjo ukulele, harmonica, and vocals. John Marlowe lends a hand with his guitar playing and vocals, and Tom Beck ties it all together with fine work on the bass and additional vocals.

Together this band performs songs ranging from turn of the 20th century ballads to songs that barely made it in time for the 20th century. Many are humorous, some are rendered funny simply by being performed by a jug band, and others are done for no apparent reason other than the fact that someone in the band was able to remember all the words.

Support for this year’s Schomburg Series has been provided by the Hubbard Company, Time Warner Cable, the National Endowment for the Arts, and numerous individuals. Tickets at $10 each are available at the door.