Orville Peck had me at hello. Or, as he might say, yee-haw. As soon as I heard the first few notes of Peck’s Dead of Night earlier this summer I turned into a super-fan and immediately put him on my list of must-sees for the year. In conversations with others at The Pageant October 4 in St. Louis, I wasn’t the only one who’d developed a school-girl crush.
A relative newcomer* on the music scene and with just one album, Pony, under his belt, Peck’s popularity has skyrocketed since this spring. So much so that his original St. Louis stop was moved from Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, which quickly sold out, to the 2,300 capacity The Pageant. While the larger venue did not sell out, (he’s been selling out venues from 500-1,500 in other cities) the St. Louis crowd came in at about 800 solid fans.
Peck’s popularity is due, in large part because his vocals are swoon-worthy and his lyrics can tug on heartstrings. In another part, it’s the mystique behind the persona. What’s well-known about Peck is he’s gay, he identifies with country music and he wears a mask. Orville Peck the persona includes elaborate outfits and masks to cover his face. In several interviews, Peck has said he wants people to enjoy the music for what it is, not for what’s underneath the mask. Of course, that’s left many to dig deep to discover just who this masked crooner is and many believe they have the answer. If you, too, want their answer click on this *LA Times article to find out more and learn that he’s no newcomer when it comes to being in the music scene.
Just how was the Friday night St. Louis show? Incredible. Fans came primed, donning cowboy hats, cowboy shirts, and even a few masks a la Orville Peck style. Bathed in blue lights, Orville Peck and his band took to a darkened stage promptly at 10 p.m. and wowed the crowd from the get-go starting with the sublime, wafting “Winds Change.”
Prefacing “Queen of the Rodeo,” Peck asked if anyone had ever been to a drag show and that everyone needed to support drag queens.
“Clang, clang went the trolley,” Peck half sang half spoke when he shared that they’d never been to St. Louis before. Which of course, as it’s Peck’s first time playing out as this person or persona.
The stage lights throughout his 65-minute set ranged from bright solids to hazy mist at times evoking a David Lynchesque feel to compliment his vocals that spanned from baritone to low soprano in an otherwise dark room.
Fans will consider every song on the debut Pony a hit and he played the majority of them. He also tossed in a couple of covers including “Something to Brag About” by George Jones and Tammy Wynette and Gram Parson’s “Oooh Las Vegas,” on which the crowd learned he can hold a note ’til the cows come home and then pause for dramatic effect.
Embellishing the persona of Peck, he wore an aqua blue suit embroidered with white, sequined clouds, red hot flames, snakes, and more, a red and black flame-patterned button-down shirt, a black cowboy hat, and a fringed, gold and black mask covering his head and face, leaving only the smallest slits for his eyes. This consummate performer knew how to sway his hips a la Elvis, kick his legs, strut, and gesture big to pull the crowd into his powerful set even more.
“This next song is about solidarity,” Peck said of “Take You Back,” in which Peck also shows off his whistling skills.
After a brief pause, Peck and crew came back on stage to perform “Hope to Die,” for the encore of which Peck told the crowd he connects with country music like Patsy Cline and that, “We don’t play this song much. This is my sad story and it is my favorite song.”
The night ended with Peck simply saying “Hope to see you again. Take care. Yee-haw everybody.”
Yee-haw, indeed.
The crowd that made it in early were treated to opener Daniel Donato and his style of a little bit country a little bit Grateful Dead with a dash of bluegrass and twangy country-rock mixed in for good measure. With a sweet version of the Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain,” this guitarist/vocalist is one to put on your radar.
If you like 70s funk and soul mixed in with a little Mick Jagger swagger then you’ll want to check out Boulevards, the second opener of the night. Boulevards, aka Jamil Rashad, brought the party with him as he wriggled and writhed his way into the hearts of the still-growing crowd.
So many more exclusive photos of all three performances: http://bit.ly/OrvilleP19cz
Orville Peck’s setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/orville-peck/2019/the-pageant-st-louis-mo-639c52d3.html
UPDATE 10/8/2019 — It took a couple of days but finally learned that Orville Peck’s backing band is The Frigs.
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
