 Lewistown Native Will Bring Controversial Performance to State College - January 2002 On Saturday, Jan. 12, Lewistown born Multimedia artist Caeser Pink will bring his theatrical music group known as Caeser Pink and The Imperial Orgy to central Pennsylvania for its annual performance at Cafe 210 West in State College. Pink was born and raised in Lewistown and graduated from Chief Logan High School and attended the Penn State University where he studied filmmaking. After college he formed The Imperial Orgy with a group of local artists and musicians, which in their original line-up included Lewistown resident Ron Aurand on bass and Lori Miller on backing vocals. The group rehearsed in the basement of a Water Street home and gave their first performance at the Bierhaus in Lewistown. Group members presently live in New York City and have been heavily affected by the events of September 11. Pink was working a day job one block from where the World Trade Towers stood. In an interview for the group's website he spoke of the experience of working at ground zero, "I don't think people can imagine what it's like being there on a daily basis. Every day you smell the smoke of the fires that still burn. Many people wear gas masks on the streets and it's like a military zone with army and police everywhere." "I used to go into the Trade Towers every day for lunch. Now there is nothing but ruins there, and the knowledge that thousands of your neighbors have been murdered a few hundred feet away," said Pink. Pink felt that as an artist, the events of September 11 have changed the meaning of everything he does. "We always had a heavily social/political message to our music, and I really had to reconsider all the material anew. Our upcoming shows will reflect that in a variety of ways. Not only with new songs reflecting the changes in the world, but in the way we use existing material," he explained. Caeser gave a bit of verbal preview of the Orgy's show, and mentioned the male musicians in the band costumed as a militaristic street gang wearing leather boots and coats, helmets and gas masks, "This costume now has a much deeper meaning." Pink mentioned another song in the show which looks at what he termed "the good and bad in American culture." He said the words were written years before and were meant to be performed for the first time in State College. "After September 11, I spent a lot of time debating whether or not I should pull it from the show because it uses strong images to express the frustration I felt with American culture. At first I thought I had to pull it, but as I looked at it closer I thought the fans could handle the criticisms because the true theme of the piece is a longing for all the things America stands for and idealizes. Caeser Pink & The Imperial Orgy have many times been a point of controversy, said a news release. Within a year of its inception and performances in Central, PA. local venues began canceling The Imperial Orgy's productions due to threats of "rioting" from Christian groups. Penn State University officials banned the group's posters from public display. Women's studies classes argued over over the band's message. There was also an incident with the local police being called to a bar when the group was performing when the club's bouncers caused an onstage melee because they were offended by Pink's interaction with female audience members. While taking the audience on a musical journey through Controversial Performance, funk, trip-hop, alt rock, jazz-fusion, ambient beat poetry, ska, and electronica, the show is a surreal multimedia presentation with themes such as liberation, pagan spirituality, social/political awareness. The Imperial Orgy requests that people who do not have an open mind do not attend the performance. |