Even at a time when the questionable economics of recording are making musicians renew their commitment to playing live, a trio of studio aces are the last bunch you’d expect to pen a salute to the in-concert experience. But groove-obsessed Minneapolis alt/indie outfit The Orange Goodness haven’t just dedicated their new single, “Pitter Patter,” to “all the live performers of the world”; they’ve imbued every note and drumstroke with the invigorating immediacy of the best gigs you’ve ever been to.
Are you coming to us ringside? the infectious rallying cry demands.
Belly up here on the inside
Are you coming for the big show?
We’ll lay it out and feel the wind blow
Pitter patter
It’s like a modern-day “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” but with earnest enthusiasm in place of ironic self-flagellation. And the music couldn’t be farther from ’90s Northwestern sludge: Guitarist/vocalist Mike Michel, bassist Ian Allison and drummer Reese Kling lock into a light-hearted, herky-jerky rhythm that’ll have you picturing Danny Elfman riding the Tilt-a-Whirl with Les Claypool.
“Most humans seek a sense of community, and have a yearning for a celebratory ceremony where they can release their joy, release their frustration, and mend their sadness,” the band says. “Rock and roll performances provide safe havens where all are free to be who they really are and experience the majestic nature of music. High fives to all the amazing performers of the world who give us a daily lift and reveal what greatness really is!”
The title “Pitter Patter” refers to the butterflies that swarm in a performer’s stomach right before showtime. Not that The Orange Goodness have any especial reason to get stage fright, mind you. While they came together as recording-session go-tos (they’ve backed everybody from Haley to Bad Bad Hats to the Unknown Prophets), the reputation they’ve built up since the 2021 release of their debut EP, Flying Under the Radar of Chaos, has rested just as much on their abilities as a crackerjack live unit. Their high-energy shows have gotten them invited to appear on club stages, in theaters and at festivals, and they perform regular duty as the backup band for MCs and poets in their native Minnesota.
Plus, not only is their buoyant boosterism of their fellow stage warriors totally endearing, they also love a good cause. Michel first recruited Allison and Kling to help promote On the Mend, an auditory-health campaign he had founded. And on the band’s very own social-media TV channel, Orange G TV, they share educational videos for aspiring artists and music-appreciation lessons for fans, not just the customary performance clips. Those are there too, of course; did you really think a group that’s recorded an entire song about the sanctity of the stage would leave itself out of the fun?
