IOW: From “Believe” to Big Easy
Below you will find yet another music video with Champaign-Urbana performers we intended to play at the New Art Film Festival in April. It fell victim to technical issues, unfortunately, so we instead fan its mystical flames right here and now! This sophomore clip promoting the album April’s Empire from The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra is for a lovely mid-tempo rag with soaring choruses, “Something to Believe,” directed and edited by bandmates Lorene Anderson and Claire Cannon. (They also concocted last fall’s “Jump Back” video, which kicked off the NAFF to thunderous applause.) In it, the Fool (ring leader Dave King, the Duke of Uke) filters in and out of a battle between the Queen of Swords (drummer Rebecca Rury Burlingame) and Death (guest star Erik Anderson) leading to – what else? – a costume party, staged in Urbana’s Channing-Murray Foundation. Alysa Haas and Cannon photographed the colorful affair, featuring two dozen bizarrely-dressed townies cutting some creative rug.
Other than in recordings such as this band-made opus and various fan-taped souvenirs floating ‘round the Interwebs, opportunities for the C-U faithful to enjoy the Novelty Orchestra in concert are running out as the group – currently made up of King, Burlingame, Anderson, Cannon, Anna Hochhalter, David Garcia, and Sarah Cramer – will relocate to New Orleans, Louisiana, at summer’s end. Therefore, do yourself a big groovy favor and catch their infectious dynamism live while you can! Their next local gig takes place later today, Saturday, June 15, starting at 6 p.m. at the Iron Post, 120 S. Race St., Urbana.
~ Jason Pankoke