Rocky Road to Utopia
Noise and nature collide at Athens benefit
Orange Twin Preservation Community, Oct. 21-22 — Unlike the many small towns that hosted early fall festivals this past weekend, the Orange Twin community isn’t an actual city. It exists as a heavily wooded 150-acre tract of land located five miles from downtown Athens — and in the minds of a small but determined group of artists and dreamers.
Keyboardist and guitarist Laura Carter of Elf Power, along with several like-minded friends, purchased the land a couple of years ago, intending to create a utopian village and eco-conservation area. The massive spread, once home to a Girl Scout camp, features natural springs, wetlands, wildlife and two creeks.
It takes money to build a village, so, like dewy-eyed dreamers in a Judy Garland movie, Carter and her musical friends said, “Hey gang, let’s put on a show.”
Saturday afternoon, as thunderstorms pounded Atlanta and pigskin-loving UGA fans cheered the game, a trickle of interested folks paid the modest donation fee and then trekked the long and winding path that leads through the Orange Twin lot. To some Athens music fans, the idea of a hike involves crossing Washington Street from the 40 Watt to the Manhattan for another beer. For them, the muddy trail seemed to go on forever. The narrow road finally led to the only structure on the entire property, the Orange Twin pavilion.
By late afternoon, around 50 music and nature lovers were on hand as music historian Art Rosenbaum cranked out some charming old-time folk tunes under the tin-roof-covered presentation area. After the communal pasta dinner, Carter performed with Dixie Blood Moustache, her acrobatic-art troupe, kicking off a fun night under a hazy full moon. The chaotic lunacy of Garbage Island concluded the evening with a junky tribal roar. As the experimental noise-makers plunked, Carter and her trusty Ford Fiesta were busy shuttling instruments and musicians to the parking area.
Camping was encouraged, and a few rustic souls stayed the night. By Sunday afternoon, the pavilion was alive again with an impressive array of talent. The near-idyllic compound buzzed with a couple hundred polite and peaceful partiers who ate, drank, hiked, played with Frisbees and chased laughing children.
The biggest surprise of the mid-afternoon’s entertainment was an all-request set from Masters of the Hemisphere. The Masters’ shambling, stream-of-consciousness set was a delightful sampler of their Kindercore-released canon of crafty rock. Thankfully ignoring their occasionally too-precious concept leanings, the Athens quartet came across like the rowdy children of NRBQ in a short and highly enjoyable set of harmonic and angular pop.
The sound was very basic, but better than in most clubs. The atmosphere was so relaxed that the sound man was seen making a sandwich while sitting at the board.
After a languid and plodding set from Summer Hymns that seemed to make the steamy humidity even more unbearable, Carter was again in the spotlight as Elf Power walked on the stage. After Carter thanked all the guests and volunteers, Elf Power leader Andrew Rieger invited everyone to gather closer and the pavilion filled with sweaty, happy campers.
“Who’s this guy?” joked Rieger as he jabbed a thumb toward Ballard Lesemann, music editor of Athens weekly Flagpole. Making his debut as Elf Power’s temporary bassist, Lesemann kicked off the set with a powerfully throbbing pulse from his Fender. Lesemann, who also plays drums in Hayride and the Rock*A*Teens, oozed equally copious amounts of charisma and sweat as he effortlessly navigated the songs. Former Elf Power bassist Bryan Poole, aka The Late B.P. Helium, watched paternally from the side of the stage.
Recalling the raw crunch of Every Dog Has His Day-period Let’s Active, Elf Power was in fine form, offering raw and rocking readings of many of its best-known songs. Elf Power’s show — and the whole festival — climaxed with a cover of Bad Brains’ “Pay to Cum,” from the group’s forthcoming album of cover songs.
As a substantial number of visitors folded their tents and made their way back to the trail toward their cars, Je Suis France, Jack Logan and the Possibilities and festival closer Zumm Zumm played to increasingly dwindling crowds.
The Orange Twin community — available for virtual visits at www.orangetwin.com — definitely has a long way to go. But if Carter and company can keep the momentum going with more shows like this one, proceeds from the OT record label and art sales, perhaps her planned paradise will someday emerge as a new place to live. For now, at least, the compound is definitely a great place to play.