| Caeser Pink Returns from New York By Kelly Kilmer On Saturday January 12, Penn State alumnus John Whiteman brought his theatrical music production Caeser Pink & The Imperial Orgy back to Central Pennsylvania for their annual performance at Café 210 West in State College. John Whiteman (a.k.a. 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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