What Would You Name Your Orgy?
What Would You Name Your Orgy?
Imperial Orgy's frontman/leader Caesar Pink found his to be colonial. Though, nothing about the Civil War comes to my mind when I hear their new song "Oak King Blues." But the way they perform Pink looks neo-colonial. The Orgy is made up of over 100 performing artists, poets, and visual artists. This is not what is interesting about these guys & girls. Their music, performances, poetry, films, books, etc. not geared toward the normal advertising for band; are not celebrating themselves, they celebrate everything else. What exactly is everything else? Caesar Pink's vision.
After having a powerful religious vision he spent two years in the Appalachian foothills as a hermit. In New York, as The Orgy was gaining local success Pink underwent, what he calls, a "spiritual death." R.D Lang's "Politics of Experience", literally fell into his lap offering eastern oriented advice; some times mentally breaking down is a spiritual passage in consciousness.
The Imperial Orgy formed in 1994 at Penn State. In November of '98, sick of corporate America's dehumanizing affects Caesar & Co. dressed up in costumes and put loaves of bread on the street with notes from Satan offering to buy their souls in exchange for all the material objects one attains at a corporate job. What is being misunderstood is that people believe The Imperial Orgy is a Satanist group, or Anti-God. They're neither; their motive with the loaves of bread was to make people question something. Pink described the people as, "removed from introspection or their on spirituality." Controversy began over the release of 'Gospel Hymns for Agnostics and Atheists'. "Shows have been canceled due to terrorist threats from Christian organizations, their posters have been banned from college campuses, radio stations have banned their recordings and their Web site, theimperialorgy.com, was banned from its Web hosting company for being "an insult to God." (Myspace.com).
Musically, The Orgy is an amazing blend of 70's rock with 80's punk wrapped up in an Eastern/hippie tortilla. Their live shows are based on open sexuality. In the crowd, heavy petting with Pink and other Orgies mingling with the crowd, film clips, and psychedelic lights combine form an experience that will blow your mind.
Now, it's obvious that The Imperial Orgy is not just a band, performing artists, or a spiritual organization. There is no one title I can give these guys, unless it's revolutionaries. Their website (theimperialorgy.com) claims, "An open celebration of life, love, sexuality, and rebellion." Which, sounds better definition "free love". The music is 70's, and the way they play is reminiscent of the punk days of CBGB. "The intensity of [Pink's] stage presence lends an unpredictable edge to The Imperial Orgy's live performances." (CaesarPink.com)
For loves of theology, the 60's, 70's rock, or 80's punk definitely check out The Imperial Orgy, "[They] respectfully request that people who do not have an open mind do not enter The Imperial Orgy website.