"Yeehaw everybody!"
Those were the last words Orville Peck said before he left the stage of the legendary Hollywood Palladium. After playing over 40 shows across North America beginning in May, and then postponing this show for a month due to voice issues, on Monday, October 28 the masked stalwart of modern country closed out the tour in support of his latest album, a duet record entitled Stampede.
The people of Los Angeles had been waiting for a proper night of queer country, and Orville delivered in fine style.
Emerging on the stage under a cast of indigo light, Orville honored the spooky season with a suit decorated with skeletal bones, his silver mask suspending glittery metallic fringe. In keeping with this eerie energy, he opened the set with the deep ghostly tones of "Big Sky." Just him and his guitar creating that personal connection with the audience before a night of honky tonkin' with his band.
Said honky tonkin' began immediately after with "Turn to Hate," another song from his 2019 album, Pony. But he assured the crowd later that he was going to play music from Bronco (2022) and Stampede as well. He also said there are three rules at his shows:
- You have to sing.
- You have to dance.
- You have to cry
The audience was treated to moments of all three across the 21-song setlist.
The singing moments were some of the biggest treats for the crowd as Orville brought out some spectacular guests to join him for duets from Stampede. The first was someone Orville described as "one of the most incredibly talented vocalists ever," Debbii Dawson, whose soprano chirp on "Back At Your Door" was an even more beautiful contrast to Orville's deep baritone live than on the record.
One fan in particular enjoyed the singing moment during "Drive Me, Crazy." His name was Joe, and Orville dedicated this song (which is about truckers in love) to Joe because he drives a truck. Shortly after the solemn piano chords entered the entire crowd started chanting Joe's name before aligning their voices with Orville's ballad for the road.
There was no shortage of dancing at the Palladium this evening, either. The swinging rhythms of "Blush" had the audience twirling each other and showing off their best do-si-dos. When Orville appealed to all the cowboys who were left during "Lafayette," everyone was on their boot-clad feet doing their thing.
Orville had another big singing moment up his sleeve (or rather in his vest) when he returned from the encore with the second guest of the night: the pop sensation, Noah Cyrus. She took her place on stage with no introduction, and when she launched "How Far Will We Take It?" Cowboy hats in the crowd started rising and falling as the audience jumped in celebration of her entrance. Needless to say, after her opening verse, Orville wasn't the only one to support her ringing tones in harmony.
To close was another big dancing moment, the tried-and-true cowboy rock tune, "Bronco," that had Los Angeles revert back to the days of the wild west. There was no difference between The Palladium and an old-fashioned hootenanny.
The crying moments came during somber songs like "No Glory in the West," and "Permanently Lonely," which Orville wrote for the Austin Peters movie Skincare. He performed it live for the first time on this night.
But the real crying moments came between the songs. Last June, Orville postponed his tour until this year to focus on his mental health. He told the audience that after 19 years on the road, he's never felt more joy than he did on this run and he thanked everyone for their patience with him.
Later on, just before the final "Yeehaw," members of the crew joined Orville on stage for a group hug as the crowd cheered with powerful vigor. They may not know who Orville Peck is behind the mask, but in that final moment of the evening everyone in the room felt as close to him as a cowboy does to his horse.