- by Anthony Miccio - January 16, 1998 Since the band's exodus in 1995, The Imperial Orgy has continued to expand it's boundries. While most groups have a membership of five or less, the Orgy is actually a community of 50-plus artists centered around ringleader Caeser Pink and his band. Few groups contain stylists, ceramicists, and photographers, as well as the musicians. "We work with people on many different projects," said Pink. Actor friends are being used to help create a radio drama for New York's WBAI Radio. "We worked with Grandpa Munster recently (Al Lewis). He's 85 and totally wired. He had a big 10-gallon cowboy hat and a stogie; he had more energy than anyone else in the room." The year 1997 has been a big one for Caeser and The Orgy. The have released a CD of demo recordings called "The NY Demo Tapes," accompanied by an undeniably unique web site that's not for the timid. The Orgy also performed a protest piece on Wall Street that caught more than a little bit of attention from alledgedly seen-it-all cynical Manhattanites. "The non-musical piece involved laying loaves of Wonder Bread on Wall Street containing letters from Satan asking people to exchange their souls for materials possessions," Pink said. The band's demo tapes CD is an odd perplexing work that will likely get more attention for the oganization. Obvious musical influences are James Brown meets a 60's counterculture atmosphere on tracks like "Sex Salvation" and "Mamma Down." The highlight of the CD is "The Daily Grind," a spoken word piece satirizing the bit-too-pretentious State College scene. In a style similar to mid-70's Lou Reed, Pink frankly describes the more naive sections of our downtown artists. Sample lyric: (State College) is filled with thousands of middle-class college kids living off their parent's money. The coffeeshop is where they come to play the part of sophisticated bohemians. Controversy seems to follow the band wherever they perform, thanks to their noncomformist stance and the use of shock tactics to inspire audiences to react. From flag burning to epithet painting to pagan sensuality, The Orgy has not been afraid to stretch the minds of it's observers. Said Pink, "people tend to get uninhibited (during our set). People get taken in by the visuals and by the end of the show there's just this pile of bodies on the floor. It's just stunning." But don't think this is just another shock-rock group. Caeser Pink and The Imperial Orgy's message is one of artistic freedom and activism. "So much music out there is without content and is such a bore," Pink said. "We just say, let's tear it open and break free." |