Orange Hat
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| Orange Hat | |
|---|---|
 Orange Hat during the Pufferfish period. L-R: Zeus Henderson, Kenny Howes, Christo Harris, Jason NeSmith
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Gainesville, GA, United States |
| Genre(s) | Psychedelic Pop, Power pop |
| Years active | 1983- |
| Label(s) | Cringe |
| Associated acts | What The...? Casper & the Cookies |
| Members | |
| Christo Harris David "Zeus" Henderson Lee Flier Eskil Wetterqvist |
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| Former members | |
| Kenny Howes Jason NeSmith John Henry Anissa Mickey King John "Beaver" Myers Amy Henderson Keli Mercadante Nathaniel Parker Chris Collins Ron Pickle |
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| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Vox Continental | |
Orange Hat is an American rock and psychedelic pop band from Atlanta, GA.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early Years
Guitarist Christo Harris started Orange Hat while in high school in 1983 and was joined by David "Zeus" Henderson several years later. The pair, with constantly changing lineups, took advantage of the '80s DIY cassette culture and released a half dozen independent albums on cassette between 1985 and 1995, including Pork! and Pterodactyl Universe. (A long running inside joke demands all Orange Hat album titles begin with the letter P.) [1] The band also released a full length independent documentary "Pork Rinds" on video in 1992. Orange Hat took a three year hiatus starting in 1992 following the death of drummer "Beaver" Myers. During that time, Henderson recorded and toured with Shawn Mullins. [2]
[edit] 1995-2001
Orange Hat reformed in 1995 and Harris and Henderson were joined by keyboardist John Henry and drummer/producer/engineer Jason NeSmith (also known as Casper, from Casper & the Cookies). With the release of the 7" vinyl single "Humpty Dumpty / Entropy" in early 1997, the band began to receive college radio airplay and national press. Keyboardist Kenny Howes joined in 1997, and contributed the distinctive sound of the Vox Continental organ. Howes was already well known for his power pop solo work before joining Orange Hat.[3] The quartet released the CD "Pufferfish" in 1999, the single "13th Floor" in 2000, and a full length film "Psychedelic Elevator" in 2001. This lineup of the band was often noted for wild psychedelic clothing [4] and Squeeze-like pop sound. [5]
[edit] Orange Hat Hour television show
From 2001 to 2003, Orange Hat produced over 50 episodes of a weekly, half-hour cable television show called The Orange Hat Hour. (Guitarist Christo Harris is also a professional video editor.) The program featured music videos and surreal comedy and was similar in style to The Monkees and SCTV (Second City Television).[6]
[edit] Current Lineup
Kenny Howes and Jason NeSmith left the band to concentrate on solo projects and were replaced by guitarist Lee Flier and drummer Eskil Wetterqvist. Both are also members of the Atlanta band What The...? This incarnation released an EP Ponytail in 2005. [7]
[edit] Selected Discography
[edit] Albums
Pork! (independent 1990)
Pterodactyl Universe (independent 1995)
Pufferfish (Cringe Records 1999)
[edit] EPs
Paisley Thrash (independent 1989)
Ponytail - with 3-D, Scratch and sniff cover -(Cringe Records 2005)
[edit] Singles
Humpty Dumpty / Entropy - 7" red vinyl single (1997)
On The 13th Floor - CD-R - (Cringe Records 2001)
[edit] Videos
Pork Rinds - 70 minutes, VHS (1992)
Psychedelic Elevator - 60 minutes, VHS (2001)
Orange Hat Hour, Volume One - 120 minutes, DVD (2002)
[edit] Compilation Appearances
Love in Song: An Atlanta Tribute to Sir Paul McCartney - Demagogue Records - CD (2000)
[edit] References
- ^ Ear Candy interview with Orange Hat, Jan. 2004
- ^ Shawn Mullins interview, Nov. 1992
- ^ Pop Matters review of Pufferfish
- ^ "Best Of Atlanta" Creative Loafing October 22, 2000
- ^ Ink19 live review of Orange Hat, Feb. 2000
- ^ "Orange Hat Tune In" Creative Loafing March 6, 2002
- ^ Ear Candy reviews, December 2005
