5:51 p.m. - 2008-11-22
Klezmer and Kapitalism
The Yid Vicious cd turned out okay. Tonight we're going to officially foist it on the world, with a blow-out cd release-stravaganza at the Magnus. We're hoping a couple people will show up. Creating a buzz in the local media has proven difficult. Perhaps the arbiters of taste no longer consider klezmer "cool" or "happening". Maybe the trends and mores of the day have passed us by. And yet, Yid Vicious soldiers on. Sure, we don't play music that's "smooth" or "funky". You won't see Yid Vicious on the television set promoting scandalous youth dance crazes like "the twist" or "the monkey" or "the monkey twist" or "the twistey monkey". No, you won't see that anytime soon. Instead, you'll see us in your community: on the bike path, at a local restaurant, establishment or coffee house. Even in your very HOME, should you purchase a cd (the cd being Yid Vicious' proxy). Yes, Yid Vicious is all of these places and more, unlike hot acts like Janet Jackson and Xavier Cugat, acts who look at you and all they see is a dollar sign. Because Yid Vicious cares! And that's why the title of the new cd is Yid Vicious Cares.
Actually, the title is Dollars to Doinas. I found out last week that the title is doubly confusing to some, because 1) most people don't know what a doina is and 2) some people have never heard the term "dollars to donuts" and therefore can't even guess at the wordplay we're trying to acheive. Land of bafflement. Mitigating this somewhat, the cover features a colorful and delicious-looking donut (rendered painstakingly by Gordon from the Gomers). Perhaps this alone will insure that we sell a lot. On the other hand, it may serve merely to boost local donut sales. It's just too soon to tell.
Rest assured, though, even if we never sell a single cd, Yid Vicious will prevail. All we have to do is go before Congress and convince them that Yid Vicious is too big to fail. With seven members and another sixty-five former and ancillary members, we can make a pretty good case. With our multi-billion dollar taxpayer-funded bail-out we'll increase our lavish salaries, pay outstanding dividends to our wealthy shareholders, cease all U.S. klezmer production and move the whole thing to Dubai. We think that's how this whole free-market deal works.
OR, you can buy a cd AND a donut and you still come out ahead. It's your choice, taxpayers. Also, don't forget, Yid Vicious cares!
