Northampton's own Orange Television has ripened into a thing of beauty. In their Kumquat-esque formative years, Orange Television took on many shapes before maturing into the juiciest possible combination with the additions of drummer Monte Arnstam and later, guitar player and vocalist Nate Martel. OTV, as they are called by their fans, has been a Northampton staple since it's formation in 2009 by frontman Howard Feibusch and Bass player Myles Heffernan, who met as students at UMass Amherst. Orange Television started out as a prominent band on the Amherst party scene, and developed into a Pioneer Valley favorite as they began to gain a healthy following. They have since begun touring many hot-spots all over the Northeast, most recently in support of their October released EP, Extended Play. Last Saturday, Orange Television brought their music to new heights at their home court at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton. Fans danced wildly, head-banged, clapped and sang along to OTV hits new and old, and even some awesomely executed covers.

The venue packed up as people swarmed in, shivering from waiting outside on a line that went around the corner. Luckily, Brattleboro-based 5-some Flabberghaster immediately took the stage, opening the show and getting the audience warmed up for the intense musical experience that is Orange Television. Dressed in obscure middle-eastern inspired garb, OTV took the stage with their usual pizzazz. The audience immediately started swaying as they opened the show with a brand new song that I later found out is called "The Stage."

As a UMass graduate who has seen this band over many years, I was really excited to hear them open with something completely unfamiliar, reaching into genres that they haven't previously explored. This song features post-rock style composition and instrumentals that haven't had huge presence in their sound up until this point. Eventually playing fan favorites such as "Aisha" and "Before I Part", the audience never stopped moving for a second. At a certain moment, I realized that it is not only the extreme talent of the guys in the band that makes Orange Television such an anomaly, but also the personalities behind their delivery. As they interacted with the audience between songs, it was obvious how many true fans OTV has gained through all their recent hard work. They went back into playing new songs, never for a second loosing the groove or the attention of the crowd.

The sound and vibe of the show got kicked up even another notch when OTV was joined on the stage by trumpet player Nick Borges of Primate Fiasco. They continued rocking out with Borges straight into a raging cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" that had the crowd dancing madly. They were later joined by Steve Yarbro, also of Primate Fiasco for an awesome new tune called "King Jam." Orange Television continued to surprise and delight, changing up the vibe song to song and yet never missing a beat. The crowd got down and funky when they delivered a dancy cover of MGMT's "Electric Feel," and then debuted a brand new song called "Lose Your Shoes." They closed out the night in perfect fashion with a raw and heavy "Assembly Line" before riling up the crowd for one last hurrah with the punked out hyper-finale "Runaround."

One of the things I find most attractive about OTV's style is their ability to interchange seamlessly between genres without disrupting the groove or feeling of a jam. Last Saturday at the Iron Horse, they took this feature of their live performance to a whole new level. This Orange Television performance not only showcased where the band is currently, but also dislodged any notions fans might have been developing about what to expect from their live performance. What I have realized is that Orange Television can not be defined within one genre, and you certainly can't predict what they might do next. As an amalgamation of everything that has come before, they still manage to not quite sound like anything we've heard yet. I am intrigued and excited by what might come next from this on-the-rise band as they continue to elevate their music to new heights.

Set List

1. The Stage
2. Aisha
3. Before I Part
4. Lately
5. Fiona
6. Nate's Song (untitled, with Nick Borges on trumpet)
7. Warpigs (with Nick Borges on trumpet)
8. Celebrate
9. King Jam (with Nick Borges on trumpet and Steve Yarbro on sax)
10. Paper
11. Electric Feel
12. Lose Your shoes
13. Assembly Line
14. Runaround