VOICES MAGAZINE
CAESER PINK RETURNS FROM NEW YORK
- by Kelly Kilmer
On Saturday January 12, Penn State alumnus
Caeser Pink brought his theatrical music
production Caeser Pink & The Imperial Orgy
back to Central Pennsylvania for their annual
performance at Cafe 210 West in State College.
Caeser Pink was born and
raised in Lewistown, and attended Penn State
where he studied filmmaking, a talent he continues
to utilize in creating the band's musical
performances. After college he formed Caeser
Pink & The Imperial Orgy in State College
with a group of local artists and musicians.
For the next six months the group performed
in Happy Valley, becoming a rage with fans
and causing controversy among those who were
not prepared for the group's powerful social/political
message and provocative live performances.
When asked if he was expecting any controversy
this year, Pink stated, "To be honest, I hope
not. It's been a rough year and I just want
to have a good time. We...have some new songs
that deal with strong issues that might set
people off. One on my mind is a song called
'All God's Children' that deals with religious
intolerance." Although hoping for no controversy,
there was a little, as one man didn't appreciate
Pink dancing with his girlfriend, and threw
his beer in Pink's face. Other than that,
it was a fun performance.
Pink believes that it is the group's inability
to be pigeonholed that creates most of the
furor. "We upset conservative people because
they think we are evil, and we upset liberals
because we aren't politically correct enough.
I believe in many of the ideals of the sixties,
but most of those ideals have been distorted
and have caused as much harm as good.
"Our sexual message seems to freak everyone
out. It's another area where most liberals
turn out to be just as Victorian as conservatives
when it comes down to it. I do believe that
our message is a positive one if people take
time to really think about what we are saying."
In the fall of 1996 the group moved to New
York City and have since gained worldwide
attention. The band now produces their own
cable TV series and their unique web sites
have brought together fans from around the
world that meet for online chats each Sunday
night.
As a resident of New York City, Caesar Pink
said, "As an artist the events of September
11 have changed the meaning of everything
you do. We always had a heavily social/political
message to our music, and I really had to
reconsider all the material anew. Our upcoming
show will reflect that in a variety of ways.
"Even before September 11 we had planned that
the male musicians in the band would begin
the show costumed as a militaristic street
gang wearing leather boots and coats, helmets,
and gas masks. This costume now has a much
deeper meaning.
The band also made use of other attention-getting
costumes, such as a superman outfit, complete
with cape, diapers, and even a strap-on dildo
for the guitar player's head.
"Another theme which runs through our music
is religious, racial, and cultural tolerance...this
is a prime example of how we present these
ideas in a way that is fun."
When asked about the difference in reaction
to their art from urbane New Yorkers versus
State College residents, Pink says, "Most
people in New York City are very conservative.
One of my mottos is that 'art is either revolution
or conformity'. There is a lot of pretension
up here and very few new ideas.
"Having said that; if you look hard enough
there are a lot of different people up here
and you can find some extraordinary ones.
The most interesting people I find come from
the ghettos. Many of our fans come from the
black arts community."
Despite State College's conservatism, the
show was well attended and received lots of
applause. The gig ended with a large percentage
of the audience up on stage, dancing and singing
along with the Imperial Orgy.
For information, fans may visit the band's
website at www.theimperialorgy.com.
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