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Gloomy weather prevented rain during the Orville Peck parade | A&E

Gloomy weather prevented rain during the Orville Peck parade | A&E

Vaseline 1 month ago







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It was raining during the Orville Peck show Wednesday at Woodinville’s Chateau Ste. Michelle, but that hardly stopped the large, diverse crowd that filled the winery’s beautiful grounds from seeing the beloved country star. Couples, groups, singles and both old and young people wore cowboy clothes, so that they could present themselves without shame despite the terrible weather. The staff were friendly and helpful, drying up chairs and guiding people to their seats; the rain felt like a fitting metaphor for letting go of the misery and tragedies you’ve endured – for crying it all out – and letting the light shine again. Peck’s emotional music is a good vehicle for that kind of catharsis. He is also the one who provides the light.

I was first taken aback by Peck’s incredible showmanship and mesmerizing confidence on stage when I saw him perform at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland a few years ago. It was an intimate show; I seemed to be one of the few straight and/or cis men in the crowd. Peck strikes a masculine pose, but he challenges ideas of traditional ‘masculinity’ by consistently wearing a mask decorated with fringe or dressing in statement pieces such as pastel trousers – details that have become indelibly associated with his act . This openly gay cowboy partly conceals his identity and serves up drama, but also color and roughness in equal measure. His voice – a deep baritone with incredible range and gravity – is reminiscent of Elvis, Johnny Cash and gospel.







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A fan pays tribute to Orville Peck’s signature fringe mask.








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Peck canceled his Bronco Tour last year due to media burnout and severe depression – something he openly discussed during his concerts. For the Stampede Tour, of which the Chateau Ste. Michelle’s show was a part, he re-emerges with a smaller mask and drops “the veil,” as a fan in the crowd mused to me. Peck now looks like Zorro, that is if the swordsman wasn’t afraid to brighten up his all-black look with pops of color. I wondered if the slight tweak in presentation was due to the fact that Peck’s real name, Daniel Pitout, has become common knowledge, with the edge feeling a bit more frivolous lately. “Truth follows me everywhere,” Peck notes in “The Curse of the Blackened Eye.”

Most of the songs on Peck’s setlist — which were warmed by solid opening performances from rising Nashville-based female country artists Emily Nenni and Nikki Lane — were taken from his previous album “Bronco.” A select number come from ‘Pony’ and ‘Show Pony’. It was a great performance, with a finely tuned band and a great set of songs that had the crowd clapping, waving and cheering loudly. Some songs translate particularly powerfully live, such as the stunning, sad ballad “Hexie Mountains”; the tear-jerking “Outta Time”; and “C’mon Baby, Cry,” where you can best experience the full extent of Peck’s expansive vocal range. Peck’s album “Stampede” didn’t get as much love as his other LPs (he only sang four songs from it), although one might reasonably assume that’s because it’s an album of duets, and he didn’t have many of his partners. – including Willie Nelson, Elton John and Mickey Guyton – there with him. (He still played Nelson’s song anyway – ‘Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other’.)







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On songs like the latter and numerous others, Peck rewrites the stories and mythologies that surround the American cowboy with campiness and darkness. He expertly swings the pendulum between seriousness and brash comedy; his mysterious and colorful cowboy character is a testament to how, in cowboy stories, the way someone presents themselves doesn’t always paint the whole picture. By consistently asserting that identity is malleable and benefits from exploration, it makes sense that Peck, despite being unapologetically gay himself, would attract fans from all walks of life. His lyrics may largely speak to his own experiences, but many of the emotions evoked have universal resonance.

For the encore, Peck nodded to the person he used to be, once again bringing to light the fringe mask style that made him famous for his rendition of “Bronco,” the final song of the night. “Now it feels really comfortable again!” he declared boldly to a cheering crowd of rain-soaked fans.