It's Sunday, September 20th, 2009. I am still in disbelief about last night. The entire evening of ORANJE 2009 was incredible from every perspective that I have. As organizer, I felt better about the event than ever before. The entire ORANJE staff was able to relax and enjoy the evening thanks to an unprecedented proactive effort to remedy issues we had experienced in the past. As the weeks and days approach ORANJE each year, we focus on three things: promotion, preparing the building, and communicating with participants and sponsors to ensure everyone is prepared for the night of ORANJE. Over the course of eight years, we have learned that those three aspects of the ORANJE planning process cannot get enough attention. This year, we focused intensely on improving each of those areas so that ORANJE could continue to be a better experience for everyone. Fortunately, our commitment to continuing to improve our operations paid off in the form of an event that operated without a hitch, presenting a mind-blowing music lineup and a superbly talented array of visual artists. In the eight years we've been producing this event, I have never seen a group of artists and musicians so motivated to make their paricipation successful. We had a few minor delays on a stage or two, but for the most part, the seven music stages/lounges at ORANJE presented an amazing night of original music.

As a fan of art and music, I had an absolute blast checking out all the stages and mingling with artists throughout the night. A few of my personal favorites on the music front were Wye Oak, Lucky Pineapple, the IN House tent, Elsinore, The Basilica tent, the incomparable Andy D., and I have probably never had as much fun watching a band at ORANJE as I did watching the John Stockton Project smash peoples' souls on the Ramp Stage. I purchased several pieces of art from different artists, some of whom I had already known, and a few who I was introduced to this year. The Indy Hub Fashion Lounge mixed fashion talk with social atmosphere as patrons interacted with fashion experts and professional stylists. As for overall atmosphere, ORANJE was packed by 10pm, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

From the performer's perspective, my performance with Skittz and Ace One was thoroughly enjoyed. We felt great about the whole thing and the timing was solid. The group was really, really tight and the energy in the MyOldKentuckyBlog.com stage room was great! It was fun to chat with Andy D. after our set right before he went on.

What I enjoyed most, though, was seeing everyone have such a great time supporting art and music, having one final celebration of the summer season. While some artists did not sell as much as they had hoped, I was pleased to hear from many artists that sales were great. Again, I cannot say enough about the music lineup this year. It was the best overall lineup at ORANJE to date, and I would bet that not a venue in America had a lineup like that last night. I only wish I could have found the time to see more of the bands. As usual, the night was a blur to me, as I could barely go thirty seconds without running into someone I knew. However, I am grateful that at this year's ORANJE I spent most of my time mingling with the people who have supported us as participants, patrons and sponsors. In the past, Adam and I spent most of our night trying to organize the chaos and resolve myriad issues. As the event has grown, we have learned that our help from the staff, particularly from PK, has proven to be critical. Our amazing staff has taken a great deal of the burden associated with coordinating operations the night of the event off our shoulders. This year, though, even our staff was completely calm as the evening rolled by smoothly. I heard from more than one person who has attended every single ORANJE that this year's event was by far the best.

Thanks again to our amazing staff of volunteers, our sponsors, participants and everyone who came out to experience ORANJE 2009. We cannot thank you enough for the support you've shown us over the years. Our gratitude to each of you for allowing this event to continue to grow is deep and sincere. We will post event photos & videos, as well as information about this year's attendance, on our various online media soon.

We look forward to seeing you next year at ORANJE 2010, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 18, 2010.

Indulge Your Senses!

Ryan
aka DJ Helicon