I produce concerts at The Challah Fame. These concerts are big productions, and mine to dole out. \u00a0I favor Steven Greenman<\/a>, for instance, because he has a cute bulldog and lives in Cleveland.\u00a0 My band, Yiddishe Cup, naturally gets heavy rotation.\u00a0 I also hire Harmonia <\/a>and a handful of other bands that treat me right.<\/p>\n I pick musicians who, first off, like the Midwest (no putdowns of Cleveland, please), who play masterfully, who do the obligatory educational workshop, and who get drunk with me after the show. I like performers who tell me who is sleeping with whom on the scene, who is getting gigs in Poland, and who is on Sapoznik’s most-favored list today.\u00a0 (<\/a>Sapoznik <\/a>is the klez Mafia don<\/em> and a co-founder of KlezKamp<\/a>.)<\/p>\n If you’re a\u00a0fresh, new klez musician and\u00a0want to be really popular — \u201csell out\u201d — that\u2019s fine with me.\u00a0 I respect any player who wants to eat.<\/em>\u00a0 If you can wrangle a gig with Perlman, go for it.\u00a0 To me, Hustler<\/em> is not just an Ohio-based porn magazine, it’s a badge of honor. Circle the wagons and promote yourself.<\/p>\n The perks <\/strong>—<\/span> the ones I dispense — go to musicians who respect The Challah Fame and its mission.\u00a0 The Challah Fame, and the klezmer world in general, is a network, a mini-establishment.\u00a0<\/em> When you mess with The Challah, you are messing not only me, but with everybody who buys into The Challah Fame, and that\u2019s a lot of yehudim <\/em>(plus three gentiles in Germany).<\/p>\n The Challah receives grant money from the county, state, NEA and foundations.\u00a0 And a lot of individual philanthropic donations.\u00a0 Enemies of The Challah are doomed,\u00a0 on the outside looking in, like Pete Rose, forever.<\/p>\n I won’t print my enemies’ names.\u00a0 So many people detest me, and they would love recognition — any<\/em> recognition.<\/p>\n On second thought, haters, sign in here.\u00a0 I\u00a0 need to update my data base:__________, ___________, ___________, ___________, _____________, _____________.<\/p>\n Friends?\u00a0 I have a few.\u00a0 Wex<\/a>, he’s tr\u00e8s<\/em> <\/em>kosher. If you don\u2019t know Wex, pick up a <\/em>copy of the Klezmer News<\/em> today at your newsstand and read up, man!\u00a0 Wex is the poet laureate of klezmer.\u00a0 He talked to me back when I was nobody,\u00a0 before The Challah opened. I still enjoy getting drunk with Wex.<\/p>\n I like<\/strong><\/span> Byron<\/a> too.\u00a0 Lord Don Byron.\u00a0 Thanks, Don, we’re\u00a0 tired of just klez cats (kitties) on FB.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/home\/yiddis6\/public_html\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/my-scene-bone-yard2-300x194.png\" "\\"my")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/home\/yiddis6\/public_html\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/hypno-klez-300x258.jpg\" "\\"hypno")
<\/a>I <\/strong><\/span><\/strong>try to<\/strong><\/span> hire young klezmer musicians because I was one once.\u00a0 I remember when I lived near Coventry Road with a couple of babies.\u00a0 The babies\u2019 bedroom had obscene paintings on the wall and toys strewn about.\u00a0 It was a typical starving musician’s pad, and I was the boss.\u00a0 I thought so.\u00a0 My wife didn’t. I got up every morning at 5 a.m. and watched the speed freaks feed the pigeons at Turtle Park. I\u2019m looking for young Challah Fame talent like that.<\/p>\n