The Dish on "JUGDISH" By Chris Hludzik

jugdish is a 4-piece rock band from Northeastern Pennsylvania, playing covers and original material. Their motto: "We're Loud and We Don't Suck". I could stop right there, because that basically says it all. But for those who want to know more...

jugdish was formed in 1993 by Joe Wegleski (Lead and Rhythm Guitars), Lenny Mecca (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals), Jo Santos (Lead Vocals) and Gary Samony (Drums/Percussion). Each member had been in several bands with years of live experience behind them, prior to coming together to form jugdish. They attacked the music scene of Northeast PA with their unique blend of covers and original material, amazing stage presence, and brilliant musicianship.

jugdish paid their dues in the bars and clubs of Northeast PA for years, building a strong following and further developing their already tight sound, quickly becoming one of the area’s favorite live bands. During this period, they also worked on material for what would become their debut release.

In 1998, jugdish independently released their self-produced, full-length debut album, "KNOWLEDGE IS GOOD". An eclectic blend of classic and modern rock, funk, as well as their own unique sounds and styles, the 12 song release of all original material quickly became a favorite among fans and fellow musicians alike.

jugdish continued to take the local music scene by storm, with their unique sound and unforgettable performances. With brilliant original material, and covers spanning the 60's to the present, a jugdish show is THE place to be when you want to hear good music, dance, hang out, rock out, and have an all around good time.

A line-up change came in 2007 when original frontman Jo Santos decided to step down from the group after 14 years, but not before completing the recording of 4 new jugdish songs (3 originals - "Blinded", "Direction", and "Summersong", as well as an inspired re-working of the Bill Withers classic, "Use Me"), which are available for download purchase from the band’s myspace page.

These new songs marked the end of an era in the band‘s history, but also showed the band further evolving and maturing as musicians and songwriters, taking the original jugdish sound and style to a whole new level.

After the release of these songs, it would have been easy for the remaining members to walk away from jugdish, knowing they left behind a legacy of great music and performances, but instead, the band soldiered on, and searched for a new singer. That new singer came in the form of Craig Fischer, who had previously been with other local outfits, including “The Quake”. Craig’s tenure with the band was short-lived, however, and the search was on yet again.

Enter Jimmy Mancus, a singer/songwriter and solo acoustic performer from the local music scene of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Jimmy had been a big supporter of jugdish as well as a fan of their music and live performances. That, coupled with his own singing and performing experience, made him a natural choice to step into the frontman position. Jimmy’s different vocal stylings and tastes in music have enabled jugdish to add more and varied songs to their already broad setlist, in addition to adding his own flavor to the group’s already unique original material.

jugdish have been going strong for 15 years, in a music scene where most bands would be lucky to last 15 months. They continue to pack houses wherever they go with their own brand of rock ‘n’ roll, without the aid of a record label, management team, roadies, or promotions or sponsorships. In their own words, jugdish is a "Do-It-Yourself rock band", possibly the last of it's kind in the Northeast PA area.

So 15 years on, what’s new for jugdish? In 2007 members of the group formed a side project, “THE POND MONSTERS”, who are currently working on an album. Singer Jimmy Mancus is finishing work on a follow-up to his 2006 debut album, “Time To Shed Some Light On Me”. After the completion of these projects, there is a possibility jugdish may begin work on a new album. In the meantime, you can catch them live, all across Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Now that you know about jugdish, make sure you go out and tell everyone. And don't worry, no lengthy explanation is needed. Just tell them, "They're Loud and They Don't Suck". Unless they want to know more...

(REVISED 11/08)