Set list for open mic show at New Deal Cafe, August 28

September 1, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

The Viper (Ryan Jerving) played the first two songs solo, and was joined by Peter Jensen, Bob Smith, and Susan Johnson for the second two. We had a lot of fun and got to celebrate both Labor Day and Hanukkah nice and early. I was exceedingly proud of the less experienced Ramblers’ ability to hold the show together – including our washboardist/autoharpist Susan Johnson, whose been playing the latter for less than one week and the former for less than two.

We played:

Viper’s Blue Yodel no. 6.02 x 10 to the 23rd
Das Kapital
Heyse Latke Kalte Latke / Jerusalem Ridge
Good Morning Irene

On the “Blue Yodel” (which is, of course, a mole of the blues) I made what is probably always an ill-advised attempt to play both jug and harmonica at the same time, a gesture sure to alienate (in the Brechtian sense) just about any crowd, but especially at a show peopled by singer/songwriters. “Capital” went over big, as usual, and gave me a chance to get in a dig at switchgrass. “Heyse Latke / Jerusalem” (which takes us from the diaspora to the homeland in one key change) marked the performance debut of the lyrics of this song, which we usually play as an instrumental.

If you want ’em, here they are:

Heyse latke, kalte latke
Bekelech mit royzn
Der vos trogt kayn shleykes nit
Der farlirt di hoyzn (oy!)

Which translates as:

Hot latke, cold latke
Cheeks so rosy red
He who wears no suspenders
Will surely lose his pants (uff da!)

And we got the whole crowd singing along with “Good Morning Irene,” loud enough (I hope) for my kid to hear it in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where she’s been staying with her grandparents.

suckling pigs

Viper at the New Deal, August 28: UPDATE

August 27, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

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.

suckling pigs

The Viper to play at the New Deal Cafe, Thursday, August 28

August 13, 2008 Ryan Jerving 2 Comments

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.

suckling pigs

Stone cold dead in the market

July 28, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

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.

embalmed ones, those included in the present classification

A song for this season

July 11, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

So the original 5-song live EP by the Viper and His Famous Orchestra, A Song for All Seasons, is now available for sale through CD Baby, and should show up soon on iTunes and other digital sale sites as well. And below, I’m trying out CD Baby’s html code that’s supposed to let you buy the CD directly from this page.

Let’s see if it works:

OK. Not the most subtle thing in the world. But there you have it. May it serve you well.

In any case, here’s the info on the CD that you’ll find on CD Baby, and I hope to type in and upload the original liner notes from it at some point as well:

A Song for All Seasons was recorded live at two Champaign, Illinois watering holes: Mike & Molly’s (April 29, 1999) and The Highdive (February 20 & 24, 2000). The musicians of the Orchestra are The Viper (baritone ukulele, tiple, lead vocals), Riley Broach (double bass, trumpet kazoo, and vocals), Edward Burch (suitcase, other percussion, straight-but-not-narrow kazoo, and vocals), Rob Henn (trombone, trombone kazoo, egg, and vocals), and guest violinist/sawist Colin McKoy on “Limehouse Blues” and “Whispering.” The cover art is by Edward Burch, with photographs by Rachel Leibowitz, modeled on a 1960s LP of the same title by harpist Robert Maxwell (Decca DL-74609).

Meanwhile, you can also read this earlier post that describes how and why Edward Burch designed the great cover art for the CD.