Big moose came down from the mountain this past weekend as The Viper and His Famous Orchestra played 5 sets over 3 days of shows in Champaign-Urbana, with two sets by Edward Burch (with Nick Hennies and the rest of us) thrown in for good measure. (I should also note the charming set by C-U’s own The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra on Friday night as part of the whole The-Jivey-Name-and-Possessive-Adjective-Orchestra orgy.)

If you missed our kid-friendly Sunday afternoon show, you missed out on our Presidential Coloring Contest. But it’s not too late: you can still download and print out the PDF of the coloring sheet, complete it (as you complete me) and mail it to Ryan Jerving / 2171 N. Hi-Mount Blvd. / Milwaukee, WI 53208. When I get a chance, I’ll upload any entries I receive to this space and to our new Facebook fan page.

My personal thanks to those who played with the Viper on these and our other summer shows: myself, Edward Burch, Riley Broach, Rob Henn, Kenneth P.W. Rainey, and Victor Cortez — with a special shout out to Jerald Shelato who joined us the rest of us Wildcats on Sousaphone and jug for the Sunday show. And a big thanks to those who gave us an excuse to spend the weekend in our old stomping ground: Matt Mitchell and Elizabeth Majerus for staying married for 10 years, and Mike Murphy of Mike N’ Molly’s for not forgetting about us for almost as long.

Below, I’ve reconstructed the set lists, as best as I can in the dim, receding light of the angel of history’s rear view mirror, the reflection a large catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage as the debris grows skyward. This, is what we call progress?

August 7
Mike N’ Molly’s, Champaign, Illinois

SET #1

• I Left My Liver in Libertyville
• Pretty Is as Pretty Does (as perf. by Angie Heaton)
• Das Kapital
• Winnebago Bay
• Good Morning Irene
• Drunk Bus (Tre-P)
• Are You Now, or Have You Ever Been…Blue?
• Fillmore & Buchanan March
• Heyse Latke Kalte Latke
• My Seafaring Lassie
• Wanna Be Startin’ Something (Michael Jackson)

SET #2

• First Round Polka
• Randolph St.
• El Ultimo en Saber / The Last to Know (Viper/Kennett Brothers)
• Let’s Pretend We’re Married (Prince)
• And Sometimes Dmytryk
• Out Along Upon the Prairie
• Hey! Rounders
• Ukulele Rhythm
• Love Song of Kalua (Marty Robbins)
• Benny Lava (Prabhu Deva / Buffalax)

ENCORE

• Protest Song (Neil Innes)
• Flower (Liz Phair)
• Last Call Waltz (Viper/Tangleweed)

August 8
Anniversary party for Elizabeth Majerus and Matt Mitchell, Urbana, Illinois

• Ich Bin Berlin (The Sundown Song)
• Fillmore & Buchanan March
• Let’s Pretend We’re Married (Prince)
• First Round Polka
• The Pirate Song (?)
• Dance Any Way You Want To (?)
• My Little Grass Shack (hapa haole standard)
• Good Morning Irene
• What Time Is It? (Summertime) (High School Musical 2)
• DMSR (Prince)
• Winnebago Bay
• Drunk Bus (Tre-P)

August 9
Mike N’ Molly’s, Champaign, Illinois

SET #1

• What Time Is It? (Summertime) (High School Musical 2)
• Winnebago Bay
• Das Kapital
• The Pirate Song (?)
• The Huki-Lau (hapa haole standard)
• Fillmore & Buchanan March
• I Love a Girl in Moscow
• Wanna Be Startin’ Something (Michael Jackson)

SET #2

• First Round Polka
• Randolph St.
• Good Morning Irene
• Dance Any Way You Want To (?)
• Watching Junior Drive (Jay Bennett and Edward Burch)
• My Seafaring Lassie
• Tavern in the Town (trad)
• My Little Grass Shack (hapa haole standard)
• Benny Lava (Prabhu Deva/Buffalax)
• Last Call Waltz (Viper/Tangleweed)