Must be the season of the Famous Orchestra

November 28, 2013 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

O dutiful and faithful followers of this space, ’tis the season for a whole slew of upcoming shows with The Viper and His Famous Orchestra in Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and — just to throw a curveball in there — Jacksonville, Illinois. Here’s the rundown, so mark your calendars now.

Friday, December 13, 2013 (8:00-10:30 p.m.)
The Underground Wonder Bar
710 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654 | (312) 266-7761

This will be our first show in Chicago since we played at LeRoy Bach’s place in July, 2010. It’s a early show, and we only collect a cover charge from those who specifically say they are there to see us at the door. So be sure to mention us by name, early and often.

Saturday, January 11, 2013
Sousaphenia 3 @ Martyrs’
3855 N. Lincoln, Chicago, IL | (773) 404-9494

We’ll be one of four brass-intensive bands playing at this now-legendary festival in its third year. The other bands are Environmental Encroachment, Bassel & The Supernaturals, and the 4 Star Brass Band.

Joining the Famous Orchestra will be our brother-in-brass Jerry Shelato on a Sousaphone that wraps ALL the way around!

Saturday, January 25, 2013 (10:00 p.m. – Midnight, after which we let it all hang down)
Uncommon Ground on Devon
1401 West Devon Ave., Chicago, IL, 60660 | (773) 465-9801

Opening will be Jack & Ace (featuring Braid’s own Bob Nanna, who I think is Jack. Or maybe Ace. Or Steve, or Gary.)

Friday, January 31, 2013
Sugar Maple
441 E Lincoln Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207 | (414) 481-2393

You hear that, y’all? Mil-wau-KEE.

Sunday, Feburary 16, 2014 (4:00-5:00 p.m.)
Music Under the Dome — Jacksonville Public Library
201 W. College Ave. | Jacksonville, IL 62650 | 217-243-5435

The Viper and His Famous Orchestra have got a fever hotter than a pepper sprout. And the only cure is… more Jacksonville!

Bonus points will be awarded to anyone who comes to each and every one of these shows.

embalmed ones

Another Birthday Song

October 28, 2013 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

Another Birthday Songright click to download mp3

Well, we all love to sing “Happy Birthday to You,” don’t we? (Don’t we?) I know I’ve sung more “Happy Birthdays” at the drop of a hat than you can shake a stick at, if that’s your idea of good time (and if your hat can take it).

But Warner/Chappell Music doesn’t like it so much when we sing along, less’n they can get a cut of that copyright cake. The music publishing company is famously aggressive in seeking royalties anytime that the song is used in a movie, a TV show, on the radio, on record, or in public performance among strangers — think restaurants. (If you’re looking for something to do this evening, you could do worse than to make a quick read of Robert Brauneis’s 69-page law review article on the subject, “Copyright and the World’s Most Popular Song,” published on October 14, 2010 as GWU Legal Studies Research Paper No. 392, 56 Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. 335 (2009). You can download it for free!)

A lawsuit currently in progress is challenging the publishing company’s ownership claims to the song. In fact, the plaintiffs are seeking to have the suit certified as a class action, arguing that millions of dollars over the years have wrongfully been lining the pockets of those claiming rights to a piece of music/lyrics that is “neither copyrighted nor copyrightable.”

But while we wait, you can listen above to another birthday song, titled: “Another Birthday Song.” It’s a freshly-minted concoction of pure Viperific confection, best listened to in the wee small hours of the morning. And it’s available to learn and sing — sez me — to anyone, at anytime, for any purpose, royalty-free and with no expectation of compensation other than the knowing that I’ve played a part in burning someone’s midnight birthday candles just a little brighter.

If you’re having trouble learning it by ear from the mp3 scratch track above, you can also find a PDF of the lyrics/chord sheet right here: Another Birthday Song (PDF)

From an obscure folder I just found on my hard drive called "2010 - Birthday for Cats." Not sure why, since none of the photos feature anything that would suggest a party or anything else celebratory. — From an obscure folder I just found on my hard drive called “2010 – Birthday for Cats.” Not sure why, since none of the photos feature anything that would suggest a party or anything else celebrating le bon anniversaire des these chats.

Uncategorized

The Viper likes to play

October 11, 2013 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

Some upcoming opportunities to see The Viper and His Famous Orchestra ply their trade: an all-day series of events in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; and a five-song spot at a benefit concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On Saturday, November 2, we’ll be playing at the 5th Annual C-U Folk & Roots Festival in Urbana, Illinois. Four different events between 2:30 p.m. and 12:35 a.m., all within about a one-block radius of one another.

From 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., we’re doing a Build-a-Band workshop at the Common Ground Food Co-op (300 S. Broadway Ave. #166 | Urbana, IL 61802 | (217) 352-3347). As we’re telling them, this is “The ultimate ‘green’ musical experience, you’ll learn how to make fully-functioning instruments out of recycled & re-purposed household materials (boxes, jugs, superballs, etc.). Practice playing along with others as we learn a song to lead the Festival’s ‘Musical Mayhem Parade’ around the block and to the site of our kids’ show at the Landmark Hotel Ballroom. One lucky kid will go home with a freshly put-together bucket bass.
Then from 3:30 – 4:00 p.m., it’s the aforementioned Musical Mayhem Parade through Urbana’s mean street, starting at the Common Ground Food Co-op (see info above) and leading to the Landmark Hotel Ballroom, where we’ll be playing our family-friendly set. Jump in the line and rock your body in time.
At 4:00 – 4:45 p.m., we’re playing a Kids + Adults show at the Landmark Hotel Ballroom (210 S. Race St. | Urbana, IL 61801 | (217) 384-8800). This show is sponsored by the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music.
And, finally, from 11:15 p.m. – 12:35 a.m., we play an Adults show at the Iron Post (120 S. Race St. | Urbana, IL 61801 | (217) 337-7678). We get to do all the things we can’t do/say at the earlier kids show, and we get to finish at a really specific time.

On Saturday, November 9 we’ll be taking part in the 9th Annual Kneel to Neil concert At Linneman’s River West Inn (1001 E. Locust St. | Milwaukee, WI 53212 | (414) 263-9844 ). The show is a celebration of Neil Young’s birthday, with his music being covered by a whole host of Milwaukee-area musicians. Proceeds benefit the Bridge School and WMSE. The whole show goes from 8:00 p.m – 12:00 a.m., and we’ll be playing a four-or-five-song set at a time in the evening yet to be determined.

Rob Henn and Edward Burch with The Viper & His Famous Orchestra, Kneel to Neil (Young) benefit for The Bridge School and WMSE, Linneman's Riverwest Inn, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photograph by Sue Peacock. — Rob Henn and Edward Burch with The Viper & His Famous Orchestra, Kneel to Neil (Young) benefit for The Bridge School and WMSE, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2011. Photograph by Sue Peacock.

suckling pigs

For those about to plan really far ahead… we salute you!

August 16, 2013 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

The Viper and His Famous Orchestra have got a fever hotter than a pepper sprout. And the only cure is… Jacksonville!

If you’re going to be in Morgan County, Illinois (west of Springfield) in February 2014, mark your calendar now. We just set up a show for Sunday Feb. 16, 2014 at the Jacksonville Public Library as part of their “Music Under the Dome” series. (Check out the series brochure here.)

Showtime is at 4:00 p.m. and seating is limited, if free: so get there early. Well, not too early, because the library is only open on Sundays for these shows. So get there right on time. Please?

Jacksonville Public Library
201 W. College Ave.
Jacksonville, IL 62650
217-243-5435

those included in the present classification

People take pictures of each other…

July 17, 2013 Ryan Jerving 1 Comment

Famous Orchestra trombonist Rob Henn and I have been working in fits and starts to make theviper.org web site a little less hostage to that particular brand of Viper obsurantism in which I tend to traffic and a little more user-friendly for, oh, say, people who might want to listen to our music some time or even maybe book us for shows.

As a part of this effort, the newly streamlined “About/Contact Us” page of this site has, along with our contact info and a description of our sound/approach that’s as transparent as I can stomach, also a fun little gallery of candid, posed, and performance photos taken over the years…just to prove that we really exist!

The picture above is just a taste: for the full gallery, go here.