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Joseph Eichler built nearly 11,000 tract homes in Northern California between 1949 and the early 1970s that came to personify the spirit of California living at the time. The Eichler homes, mostly single-story houses with flat roofs, floor-to-ceiling glass, radiant-heated floors, and atrium gardens, were modest and modern, appealing to the parents of the Baby Boom Generation. Today, thanks to both nostalgia and skyrocketing home prices in Silicon Valley, the Eichlers appeal to a whole new generation of homeowners. That generation includes Allen Clapp, leader of the band the Orange Peels www.theorangepeels.com. The band’s warm, 1960s-pop-influenced songs (think Beach Boys) are a perfect soundtrack for life in an Eichler house. The Orange Peels are (photo, clockwise from top right) Allen Clapp (with glasses), Jill Pries, Larry Winther, Bob Vickers, and John Moremen. Both in his music and his house, Clapp is living the Eichler lifestyle. "There’s a simple, elegant geometry in Eichler homes, and our songs reflect that," he says. "There’s an optimism, too. Eichler improved quality of life, and, as a band, we’re trying to do the same thing." Clapp, who by day is an assistant editor at Palo Alto Weekly, grew up in an Eichler house in Foster City, California. "It formed my opinion of what a house should be, and little did I realize that not everyone grew up in a house like this," he said. "I just always had this fascination with buildings that looked like my house." Today, Eichler enthusiasts are many. Some call themselves Eichlerholics. Interest in the houses grew in the 1990s as the cost of homes in Silicon Valley grew and Eichlers were again recognized for their progressive design in the midst of bland new homes and McMansions sprouting in the area. The Eichler Network, www.eichlernetwork.com, was established in 1993 to be a support network for Eichler homeowners. Through the network, Eichler homeowners, who have to repair radiant-heated floors and leaky flat roofs and replace floor-to-ceiling windows, can get advice on dealing with their unique homes. Clapp remained interested in Eichlers throughout his life, and, in 1999, he and his wife, Jill Pries, bought a 1,500-square-foot vintage 1961 Eichler (middle) in a neighborhood of about 100 Eichlers. The Orange Peels recorded their second album, So Far, in Clapp’s 16-track garage studio, and plan to record their next album this year in the house to take advantage of the acoustics with wood floors, ceilings, and walls. With album art that includes images of the band and Clapp’s Eichler house, So Far reached number 23 on the College Music Journal album charts in spring 2001. "Our music is optimistic and that may be a downfall in today’s music climate," Clapp said. But the lyrics behind some of the band’s songs are not so happy. On So Far, "The Pattern on the Wall" is about a childhood friend becoming a heroin-addicted adult and "Mystery Lawn" is about getting beat up in gym class as a child. "Redwood City," "The West Coast Rain," and "Back in San Francisco" delve into life in Silicon Valley, although sometimes in a seemingly detached way. The Orange Peels can be seen in concert on the West Coast, at venues such as Bottom of the Hill and Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. The band had to scrap plans for a 12-date East Coast tour last fall that was scheduled to begin shortly after September 11. John E. Czarnecki, Assoc. AIA |
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