As of this writing, I have three of the Paint Branch Ramblers confirmed for my set at the Songwriters Association of Washington (SAW) open mic at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, MD, on August 28 (some time between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.). This will include fiddlin’ Peter Jensen, flatpickin’ Bob Smith, and our newest Rambler, Susan Johnson, on the washboard and autoharp. This pocket-sized version of the Ramblers will sing and play on at least two songs and will guarantee me an audience of at least three for my solo numbers as I go head-to-head with Barack Obama.
I’d been trying to figure out how exactly to fill my 15 minutes of New Deal fame. And all I’m going to say at this point is that we’ll be doing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.
The Viper will be playing Thursday evening, August 28, at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, MD. I’ll be doing a 15-minute slot at some point between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. as part of an open mic sponsored by the Songwriters Association of Washington and run by Lynn Hollyfield and David Weaver.
The trick now is figuring out how many songs to try and cram into 15 minutes, and what kind of balance I should make between my standard baritone ukulele crooners and some of the newer old-time marches, polkas, and freylakhs I’ve been writing on my recently acquired cumbus (actually, cümbüş, if you want to get authentically Turkish about it). I guess some of this will depend upon how many Ramblers I can round up for the occasion.
Be sure this summer to stop by the Riverdale Park Farmer’s Market on Thursday afternoons — sure, for the fresh produce and the fresh-made crepes, but also for the music. You’ll be able to see my old time band, the Paint Branch Ramblers, at least 4 times there this summer.
Some times we’ll be busking, unplugged. But other times, as on July 31, we’ll be all plugged in and loud-like.
the kind of music your great-great-great-grandparents warned your great-great-grandparents about
The Viper & His Famous Orchestra 