Link: http://www.thelastdomino.com/

You may have heard, John Orr is leaving the city, relocating to Austin, Texas. He tried it once last year but was delayed. This time he means business, and I have to say, without Orr, Indianapolis will miss a talented individual who has done so much for the local arts and music scene over the past few years alone.

For those who have not heard of John Orr, he is a musician, an actor, an organizer, and most importantly, a performer. He has fronted the local group The Last Domino, since mid-2000, performing both as a solo entity and as a three-piece powerhouse. He also created, developed, and successfully put on a group of mix-and-match live shows called La Vida Variety, worked with Indy Fringe, and released two impressive albums, one being a double album. And I am just scratching the surface of his career.

On Saturday, January 16, he joined fellow musicians and friends one last time at Radio Radio to blow some hair back and crank up the volume. That he did, but this time, he did it like it was his last performance on earth. He was fiesty and rambunctious with fire in his eyes. He was sincere and grateful. And as the crowd answered back with “Oh-Ooh-Ooohs” from the song “Let’s Try This Again,” on Diamond Days and Firenights, you could see the beauty and amazement beaming from Orr’s face. This was his moment of truth as he struck a humble grin that you could not ignore.

It was common to see the tall and skinny-framed musician at parties, at shows showing support for other local musicians, or being a local scene activist online and off. It was nice to see the support given at his Indianapolis farewell show. The only thing that was missing was him blasting off into outer space while waving to his fans. If you knew John Orr, you could picture a total Ziggy Stardust moment.

This is not the end of Orr’s creative output but the beginning. Although he plans to return and play the occasional show in the city he calls home, he will be missed.

Previous Articles of The Last Domino in Zaptown

Lead Story
New Rock Conceptions: http://www.zaptownmag.com/2009/08/the-last-domino-new-rock-conceptions

Live Show Coverage
Reno Bo, Holy Ghost Canyon, The Last Domino At The Vollrath: http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/01/reno-bo-holy-ghost-canyon-the-last-domino-at-the-vollrath-show-review

The Last Domino & Lovely Houses: http://www.zaptownmag.com/2009/10/the-last-domino-lovely-houses

Reviews
When Elephants In The Room Dance With Skeletons In The Closet: http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/10/the-last-domino-a-look-at-his-latest-release

Bjorksongs: http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/04/the-last-domino-bjorksongs

La Vida Variety
http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/06/john-orr-presents-%C2%A1la-vida-variety-photo-recap

http://www.zaptownmag.com/2009/08/la-vida-variety-radio-radio

Indy Fringe

http://www.zaptownmag.com/2009/08/indy-fringe-2009-and-new-vaudeville

Saturday was the night that everything seemed to be under the stars, so to speak. For Indianapolis, it was more like tucked in between a wet, foggy haze. But this is winter, and all the excitement of the weekend — from the Local Music Git Down to Radio Radio to Tonos Triad at Barley Island to DJ Kyle Long at Urban Element and so on — could have been buried beneath inches of snow. With Indiana, you just never know, and we were lucky to have such mild weather for a packed night of music in our city.

Stepping into The Vollrath, amidst John Orr (aka The Last Domino) standing on stage and strumming his guitar frantically, looping it, knocking on the wooden casing and concocting some kind of beat, while picking up his saxophone to exorcise a solo, people were abuzz. “Did you hear the mayor and his wife was here earlier!?!” No, I did not, but the day after, the club’s FaceBook page confirmed that Ballard made a visit to the southeast-side club.

Whether it phased Orr or he even knew about it is uncertain as he played a set as prominent as any other I have witnessed. It had been a while since we had a chance to gaze upon The Last Domino to be performed as a single entity. And by “Last Call” (the song, not the ritual), people showed their appreciation for his take on love and the bottle.

Maybe it was me, but it seemed that the audience was searching for a high energy rock and roll hump fest. And who can blame them with Reno Bo descending from the indie garage greats The Mooney Suzuki or his participation in The Strokes. All this was to come later, and when Holy Ghost Canyon took the stage, the musical direction shifted dramatically from Orr’s bravado to gentle musical intimacy.

What would have been a better fit in a dark coffee shop (if only Cafe Angst still existed), did not feel like a fit pairing for the night. With their haunting and dimly-lit vision of early Americana, you almost wished you could hear the ghostly echos of a steam train, yet the music was so subtle you probably could hear one pass by on the tracks nearby. I will give them credit that they were sans their drummer and Jascha’s slide guitar moved around like the smoke emitting from a wooden pipe tucked between his lips.

A short line to the bathroom gave me the opportunity to run into Reno Bo himself just before they were to go on. We talked about the city and his memory of the last time he played Birdys. He expressed an inspiring degree of gratitude towards the night’s hospitality because for Reno Bo the band, this was their first Indianapolis appearance.

When Reno’s shaggy mop top hit the stage, he was fired up to unleash classic rock and songs from their debut album Happiness And Other Things (Electric Western). They tried one song, then another to moderate success. “Higher Tonight” revved it up, sounding like a cross between some lost ’60s pop classic and something that was inspired from Friends. Then they pulled out The Stones’ “This Will Be The Last Time” to high regard. Their version of “Ventilator Blues,” not so great.

Even though some of their originals bled into the other with a consistent stream of consciousness, it was the moments when they cut loose and let the music take control when our hearts started to palpitate and Reno received nods of approval. And take the more intimate ‘70s-style hip shakers, Reno will make it feel like the end of innocence.

By the end of it all, Reno Bo may have been the band you wanted more from, but it was one of the better sounding shows I have heard echo through the club.

This year the weather is perfect to get out and experience the flavors of eclectic and creative performance art and what is now becoming as much a tradition as the aforementioned.

The Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, or Indy Fringe, returns to the city from August 21-30. With 270 shows, ranging from an Interactive Choose Your Own Adventure to one-person drama extravaganzas, break dancers to fire jugglers, all in varies venues Downtown, the next 10 days will cater to everyone’s needs.

Tonight may be the kick off party, but the true highlights await, including the New Vaudeville performance at the Earth House.

.

New Vaudeville Performers. (Photo by Jennifer Parker)

Featuring the essence and charm of a vintage vaudeville experience put into a 21st Century context, seven acts will keep you on the edge of your seat and your eyes glued.

Andy Cooper. (Photo by Jennifer Parker)

Musicians like Joe Welch and The Last Domino will stretch their musical pallette while Flatland BMX pro Andy Cooper will show off his fast-paced tricks. Blue Monkey Side Show’s MC Krembo will delight the audience with his juggling skills while Molly Wyldfyre will present a tribal belly dancing experience. Comedian Ms. Pat, burlesque’s own Jezebel Sinfell and Lilleth SentFranc also add to the list of incredible entertainment that make up this troupe.

Krembo (Photo by Jennifer Parker)

There are plenty of opportunities to catch the performance:

Saturday, August 22, 2009, 4:30 pm
Sunday, August 23, 2009, 3:00 pm
Wednesday, August 26, 2009, 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 27, 2009, 6:00 pm
Friday, August 28, 2009, 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 30, 2009, 10:30 pm

Amanda McNeal (Photo by Jennifer Parker)

Links:

New Vaudeville: http://www.indyfringe.org/2009-new-vaudeville.php
The Earth House Collective: http://www.earthhousecollective.org/
Indy Fringe: http://www.indyfringe.org/

John Orr is a man who always has his hands full. As a musician, writer, and actor, his calendar is constantly filled with various engagements and projects. Although Orr has been in the Indianapolis scene for years, life has never been more productive and conducive to his whims, as this is just the beginning for a predominately one-man creative machine.

Recently MC-ing and performing in the first concert of a series he created called La Vida Variety, and an upcoming residency at The Earth House for the 2009 Indy Fringe Festival, this is only the tip of the iceberg for Orr and his alter ego, The Last Domino.

“I always have to have a project to work on,” he said. “People will hear me spout off something and friends can vouch for the fact that I will follow through with what I say. Because of all the potential and people doing great things out there, it’s difficult to say no.”

Musician, writer, actor — Orr is a culmination of the three. Whether its his towering, thin-set frame and spiked hair nestled on top, making him that much taller, or his continued presence in the scene, you do not have to look too hard to find Orr behind a microphone or contributing to something in the city. And his growing popularity does not dilute the fact that Orr is a genuinely nice person.

“A lot of bands already think they are rock stars. Let’s put away the delusions of grandeur.”

As The Last Domino, you will come to understand that there are two sides to the band: one with a full lineup, featuring Matt Foster on bass and Dave Evans on drums. The other, and more dominant side, is a one-man powerhouse who uses loop pedals to build layers of sound and entice you with the illusion of a stage filled with people, when in actuality, it’s a stage filled with instruments.

“When I got into the idea to loop the sound and do it live, I realized it was fun to do improv and build layer upon layer of your own song and watch it come alive before your eyes,” said Orr. “However, I am not really into jamming so I do none of that. When I heard the Mars Volta live CD and they took a song and played it forever, I realized that was not what I wanted to do, so I stay close to how the structure of the recorded songs actually sound.”

Usually strapped behind a red mahogany acoustic guitar with various instruments like a saxophone to one side and percussion on the other, it usually starts with some thumbing on the guitar, followed by a simple non-chord string strumming. Add in a basic guitar rhythm, and he is off to meander through solos, harmonics, bridges, choruses and wherever else his emotions take him.

You cannot blame him for wanting to do it all. He’s been surrounded by music his entire life and immersed in a creative culture since his pre-teen youth, picking up the sax at age 10 and having a friend teach him guitar by the age of 13. Orr was able to quickly pick up musical instruments and learn them quickly, along with the discovery that he also has vocal talent.

Throughout high school and college, Orr spent time in several different bands ranging in various styles.

“I have always been in bands with two songwriters, and there was a degree of pressure to it.”

Between the last band he participated in and The Last Domino, something happened. Orr needed a break and moved to Chicago for a brief period. His outlook was not so good. He was in a position in life where he did not know what to do and did not have his friends close to help support him. Not long after the Chicago move, he went through a mental collapse and eventually checked himself into a stress center.

“It was overwhelming,” he said. “I was afraid that I could not produce what other songwriters could. I got over it with medication.”

After checking himself in, he was diagnosed with depression and social anxiety.

“I always knew there was something not right with me chemically. I would be overtly conscious about everything. I can understand people who are on meds. There are those who say that you are weak if you take meds, and you can get over it without medical aid, but I can relate. I have been on meds since 2005, and I feel like I’m more fortunate than a lot of people. I know people who are still trying different combinations of drugs just to get it right. Luckily, it worked for me on the first try.

“With this, I discovered everything good about myself. I was able to hit the ground running.”

When he moved back to Indianapolis, a friend bought him a guitar, and it gave him a renewed opportunity to explore his own personal creativity. He began with covers of songs and then added in original music, which makes up his first EP Romanticide.

“Romanticide was something I just needed to get out. My first gigs were at Potbelly in Chicago. I played two-to-three shows with nothing but covers. It was the first time playing solo and working with acoustic material. My general mood at the time was a feeling of neuroses.”

That mood played into the ideology of writing about fictitious scenarios and an escape from the self, as well as Orr staying away from what he calls cliche elements like “chics and love.” His music was more about the bottom of the glass and Mark Eitzel-esque meanderings.

Then almost two years later came Seconds, his first full-length.

“Seconds is complete fiction with ideas and ethos based around the characters I’m writing about. There is always a part of me even in a fictional sense. It’s fun to stretch out my acting chops in songs.”

His fictitious values comes from his ability to also be a skilled writer.

“My dad was such a grammar nazi,” he said. “I was in spelling bees, and he would make me read so much in a certain amount of time.”

All of this helped play into his skills as a writer.

“I’m not about what word rhymes with another word. I found my niche when I started writing rhyme schemes and metaphors that adhere to a form that tells a story. I love those musicians who don’t pigeonhole themselves as artists. I still love ‘90s alternative music at heart. The Colour And The Shape by The Foo Fighters or Mellon Collie by Smashing Pumpkins, those are great albums.”

The need to incorporate more personal elements of his life into his songwriting came when writing his most recent release Diamond Days & Firenights, documenting his life from the past four years. For him, it works best when he can write what he wants and not succumb to a certain standard.

“On some subconscious level I do keep it personal where I would hope that people can really relate. One night I met a girl at one of the all ages show. She wanted my autograph. I would not sign it and told her that I’m not famous. But after talking to her, I eventually did sign something for her. Later I became friends with her on Facebook. I found out she was going through the same thing I was going through and my music helped her. It’s something every musician hopes for.”

As Orr recorded all the songs on Diamond Days & Firenights by himself, he brought Evans and Foster together to bring a richer live experience. With this, it brought more power, energy, and emotion to Orr’s music. Plus it gives a degree of malleability for Orr to use both in the studio and on stage. He’s even re-wrote some of his earlier songs to fit into the full band structure and give his earlier tunes greater depth.

It also gives him the opportunity to play a wider range of events from a place like Birdy’s to doing something like La Vida Variety. Orr is a chameleon, and he’s able to transform himself into any situation and adapt and fit in to any act that surrounds him.

“I remember the exact moment I thought of the idea to do a variety show. We played a show in Chicago and had to stay until the last band because the club was in a basement and we couldn’t load up. The promoters ended up booking seven bands, and we had to stick around until 2 a.m. By the time for us to get paid the owner gave us 10 dollars. All the local bands got 100 bucks each.

“Our bassist went home while David and I stayed with a friend. I was seething. I woke up the next day and still felt like crap and was going to shelf Last Domino. But I ended up finding my friend’s copy of The Flaming Lips’ The Fearless Freaks. I watched it for the first time, and it completely rejuvenated me. I called up my friend Phil who is a comedian and said we are going to do a variety show. Then at the Indianapolis Music and Arts Festival, I talked to Paul from Lord of the Yum Yum, and he wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to come out swinging with this first show and pulled out all the stops.”

But with Orr’s recent work, don’t expect him to admit that he has made it and don’t expect him to slow down anytime soon. He’s currently working on an acoustic album and another album with the full band.

“People come up to me all the time and ask if I made it. I haven’t made it. When I’m not making music, I work at a bank. I do this because I love it.”

Check out the band’s website for all of the information relating to Orr and The Last Domino: http://www.thelastdomino.com/index.html

John Orr’s first ¡La Vida Variety! was hosted at Radio Radio in Indianapolis this past Friday. It was one of the most entertaining shows on so many levels that I have been to this year. I really hope John continues this event – be sure to let him know how great this show was!

Magician Taylor Martin
http://www.indymagicmonthly.com

Lord of the Yum Yum
http://www.lordoftheyumyum.com/

Comedian Phil Kijak

Creme De Les Femme
http://lenoreevermore.com/

The Last Domino
http://www.thelastdomino.com/