I attended the Orville Peck show here in Vancouver this week. What a show! As you can see, I tried my best to dress the part. I’m carting around a few extra pounds these days, so I couldn’t quite pull off Orville’s signature fringe mask in the midst of a scorching heatwave, but I did manage to throw on a cowboy hat, some boots, and a lacy masquerade mask for the most magical concert I’ve been to in some time.
Growing up, I was a huge country music fan. But as I got older and became more and more progressive, I found myself turning away from the offerings of modern country music. Most of it just doesn’t appeal to me the same way anymore. The same topics sung over and over again by singers who have yet to find their own niche, the Deep South Republican appeal… needless to say, I lost my love for it a little bit.
Enter Orville Peck, whose sound is reminiscent of a cowboy from another time, yet quite unlike anyone I’ve ever heard before. He puts so much of himself into his music and onstage persona that it’s impossible not to fall in love or to feel something. He captures raw emotions with a humility and authenticity that shines through. And his audience? Collectively known as ‘Peckheads’, they were the most lovely and diverse crowd I’ve ever seen come together under one roof. A beacon of love and joy. From blue collar men in their seventies accompanied by their wives singing along to surefire hits about gay cowboys, to solo old ladies dancing with a joie de vivre I can only hope to have one day, and colourfully dressed members of the LGBTQ community (read: tons of sparkle and even some assless chaps), you got a taste of it all. Then you have your mainstream country music fans, hetero young couples, and regular moms like me. And there we were all together in one place, bonded together by the music.
All in all, the setlist was perfectly curated (listen to him sing “Hexie Mountains” live and not be moved to tears, I dare you). The vibe was on point. And the collective effervescence was impossible to ignore. I even held my pee (and it wasn’t easy) so I didn’t have to miss a moment.
It was a night to remember. Thank you Orville, and thank you fellow Peckheads!
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