Biography

Yid Vicious was formed in 1995 in Madison, WI in order to ameliorate the woeful dearth of klezmer in America’s otherwise pleasant heartland. Klezmer is Yiddish folk music, music for dancing and celebrating, and no band has caused more dancing and celebrating than Yid Vicious.

Although its repertoire is drawn mainly from traditional secular Yiddish music, they strive to infuse the music with their collective aesthetic and experience. Rather than replicate a particular time and place, they celebrate the long-standing tradition of klezmorim incorporating new musical ideas into an organic and ever-evolving art form.

All told, there are seven members of Yid Vicious, our musical arsenal consisting of clarinets, saxophones, fiddle, horn, vocals, guitar, accordion, tuba, drums and sometimes theremin. Yid Vicious, ever hungry for attention, plays in weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, anarchist picnics, seances, boat shows, clam bakes, lumberjack competitions, corporate downsizings, highland games and other events.