And finally, after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 nights of Viper-style gelt, let’s close out the 8th night of Hanukkah with the freshest of all the latkes I have to offer. This is a recording of just the vocal section of “Heyse Latke Kalte Latke” so you can really sing along with the lyrics (and see the posting from December 22 for those).
What you’re hearing is me with my five-dollar nylon string guitar, bought at the same estate sale in Riverdale, Maryland at which my wife and I found a Lyndon B. Johnson dart board (well pock-marked with use) and a oil-painted self-portrait of someone named Bertha Myrna in a jester’s outfit who we assume was at one time the owner of both the aforementioned items.
I’m recording this on a single mic through the Line 6 TonePort UX2, with the Gear Box on one of the guitar amp settings (I like the effect of that, as you can also hear here).
And thus ends 8 pre-programmed nights of Hanukkah. As it turns out, I wrote all of these posts on the weekend of December 20-21 right before I left Maryland. In fact, packing up this computer will be the last thing I do after I get back from closing out our bank accounts and dropping some clothing off at Value Village. I like the thought of these posts lining up and jumping out at their pre-arranged time as I’m driving through or by Frederick, Breezewood, Akron, Toledo, South Bend, Hammond, Waukegan, and Kenosha before I finally get to Milwaukee where I’ll give my wife and daughter a big hug and kiss and unpack the car for good after this ridiculous semester of living 792 miles away from them. So happy Hanukkah, and wherever this may find you, give someone you love a smooch from me.
The Viper & His Famous Orchestra 