The Viper and His Famous Orchestra played two shows this past weekend in Chicago, our first shows with the full band since 2002, and our first shows to feature a significant amount of new material since 2000, when the Viper up and left for Ankara, Turkey.

Thanks to all who came, or told others to come, expressed an interest in coming, expressed regrets about their inability to come, expressed regrets about their ability to come, expressed no interest in coming, told others not to come, or walk-ran quickly away the moment we started playing. We had a great time playing and catching up with a lot of our favorite people this weekend. That includes each other: Ryan Jerving, Edward Burch, Victor Cortez, Rob Henn, Kenneth Rainey, Riley Broach, and Bill Whitmer (who leaves for Scotland on Tuesday).

Both shows were a welcome challenge and a lot of fun, not least for the wide-ranging and moving sets that Edward Burch played at each of them with various stellar collaborators (LeRoy Bach, Steve Frisbie, Kenneth Rainey, John Peacock, and Riley Broach).

We hope to see you August 7 and/or 9 in Champaign-Urbana at Mike ‘n’ Molly’s. Meanwhile, here’s what you would have heard this past weekend, and the keys in which you would have heard it:

Friday, July 10, Hotel SnS (house show)

• Ich Bin Berlin – C
• Hey! Rounders / Superbowl Shuffle – C
• Das Kapital – A
• Good Morning Irene – G
• Whispering – C
• Think about Your Troubles – Db
• Drunk Bus – Am
• They’re Knocking Down Our Home – E
• Neapolitan – A/Bb
• Ballad of the Henry 55 – F
• My Seafaring Lassie – C
• Pretty Is as Pretty Does – C
• Benny Lava – Cm
• Wanna Be Startin’ Something – B
• Winnebago Bay – G
• Last Call Waltz – F

July 12, Great Performers of Illinois 2009 festival, Millennium Park

SET #1

• The Viper’s Blue Yodel no. 6.02 x 10 to the 23rd -G
• I Left My Liver in Libertyville – Bb
• There Is a Tavern in the Town – Eb
• Das Kapital – A
• Are You Now, or Have You Ever Been…Blue? – F
• Fillmore & Buchanan March – C/G
• Winnebago Bay – G
• Good Morning Irene – G
• Whispering – C
• Think about Your Troubles – Db
• Pitfall – F
• Let’s Go Fishing – F
• Heyse Latke Kalte Latke – D
• Drunk Bus – Am

SET #2

• First Round Polka – F/C
• Randolph St. – D
• Hey! Rounders / Superbowl Shuffle – C
• Benny Lava – Cm
• Next Time I Drink – E
• Surplus Labor – E
• Neapolitan – A/Bb
• Ballad of the Henry 55 – F
• My Seafaring Lassie – C
• Ich Bin Berlin – C
• Wanna Be Startin’ Something – B