News you can use

August 6, 2009 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

Two previews of this weekend’s upcoming shows at Mike N’ Molly’s in Champaign-Urbana, the first preview courtesy of Rob McColley for Smile Politely, Champaign-Urbana’s Online Magazine, and the second courtesy of Melissa Merli for the News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana’s print paper of record.

The shows are Friday night, August 7, 8:00-12:00, with opening sets by the Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra, then Edward Burch and friends. On Sunday afternoon, August 9, 4:00-7:00, we’ll be doing a family-friendly show in the same location with a Viper sandwich of Edward Burch in the middle.

If you are lucky enough to call Elizabeth Majerus and Matt Mitchell friends, you might also be able to catch us playing at their 10-year anniversary party on Saturday evening…with a surprise guest suitcase player.

stray dogs

Love Song of Kalua

July 24, 2009 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

Here’s a newly digitized live recording of the Viper and His Famous Orchestra performing the “Love Song of Kalua” at the ~~Red Herring~~ Channing-Murray Foundation in Urbana, Illinois, in July 2000, shortly before I moved to Turkey.

click here to download the mp3

This is a much-recorded Hawaiian “standard” written by Ken Darby in 1954. Our version is based on the Marty Robbins version. Listen for my lapse into the Dick Van Dyke Show theme during my whistling solo.

The recording was made by our friend Brad Allen on a tiny little portable tape recorder, the kind you use to record lectures. Not bad quality, considering.

stray dogs

Seaside Rendezvous

July 15, 2009 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

What the title of this post says: a dig back into the archives for this recording of The Viper and His Famous Orchestra from the Highdive in Champaign, IL in the year 2000.

(click here to download the mp3)

The song is by Queen and I’m pretty certain that May, Mercury et. al. must have had the Viper in mind when they were writing it for their Night at the Opera album. A Night at the Opera is actually a pretty Viper-friendly album all around, with Brian May even playing a ukulele for the George-Formby-styled “Good Company.” I remember “Seaside Rendezvous” being me and my sisters’ favorite song on the record as kids, and dancing around and playing it over and over (along with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” of course) when one of our babysitters would bring it over.

The Viper and His Famous Orchestra recording above is from the same show at which the bulk of our Song for All Seasons material was recorded. “Seaside Rendezvous” didn’t make the cut, and I remember it sounding a lot rougher when we were choosing what songs we wanted to include on that EP. But if you can overlook the lack of mastering the mix, I think the performance has worn pretty well with age. There’s a LOT of arranging going on here, with a LOT for a bar band near the end of an evening to remember.

But remember it we do, and that’s a jollification, as a matter of fact.

those that tremble as if they were mad

The eggplant that ate Chicago…

July 14, 2009 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

…looked a lot like The Viper and His Famous Orchestra. See for yourself. Here are a number of photographs from our recent rehearsals in Palatine, July 10 show at the Hotel SnS, and July 12 show at the Great Performers of Illinois 2009 festival in Millennium Park.

BY OTHERS

Nice high quality and well-shot photos of Edward Burch and The Viper and His Famous Orchestra by Robert Loerzel from his Underground Bee blog at http://www.undergroundbee.com/2009/07/12viper/index.htm

BY THE ORCHESTRA

The Viper & His Famous Orchestra – Great Performers of Illinois
Posted by The Viper – includes shots from onstage I took while I probably should have been tuning my jug.

Viper Shows
Posted by Victor Cortez

Music Making
Posted by Riley Broach

Videos from The Viper and His Famous Orchestra: Drunk Bus
Posted by Victor Cortez

The Viper and His Famous Orchestra / Edward Burch
Posted by Rachel Leibowitz

Unfortunately, you can’t view these unless you’re on Facebook. And some require that you are a friend or a friend of a friend of the photographer. But I’m looking to put the best of them in a more permanent place on this site soon.