Photos and review by ALYSON CAMUS
LOS ANGELES – Orville Peck always introduces himself just as Johnny Cash used to: “Hello, I’m Orville Peck!” he announced when he took the stage at the Palladium on Sunday night. This homage is no coincidence.
Though they look quite different – Cash was famously the ‘Man in Black’ and Peck always dazzles in fabulous, flamboyant attire – they share a deep, resonant baritone as two legends of country music. Peck’s two shows at the Hollywood venue had been postponed after he lost his voice last month, following a heavy schedule of over 40 shows across North America since May. Nevertheless, he returned in great shape, delivering a triumphant performance to close out his tour in support of “Stampede,” his latest album.
Before Orville took the stage, two female performers warmed up the crowd with two distinct styles. First, Emily Nenni delivered a stripped-back set, featuring her lovely, sultry voice accompanied only by her acoustic guitar and one additional guitarist. Her soulful country ballads carried a timeless quality, with a sound rooted in classic country. After her first song, she admitted, “Normally we play with a full band, so I’ll be honest, it’s a little intimidating. But there are no better fans to play in front of when you’re nervous than fans like you!” She introduced the next song, saying, “So we play country music, and here’s a song called “Gates of Hell,” and it’s a big bummer.”
Her songs were rather slow and contemplative, with songs like “Lay of the Land” showcasing her authentic country twang. She continued with “Leavin’,” another “big bummer,” exploring classic country themes of heartbreak and hard living with an irresistible vintage style, channeling the great Patsy Cline and other legends. “Sundays are for rest and crying,” she said before introducing her song “Long Game.” She closed her set with two more “bummers,” titled “Don’t Wanna Cry” and “Bad News (By No Means),” bringing a touch of honky-tonk spirit to the stage.
Nikki Lane treated the audience to a hearty dose of her outlaw country music with the help of her five-member band. She radiated confidence with her bold moves, stylish presence, and powerful voice. Dressed in a sexy black leather jumpsuit with shorts, she captivated the crowd immediately, delivering country-rock songs that matched the audience’s mood perfectly. “First High,” from her album “Denim & Diamonds” – produced by Queens of the Stone Age’s Joshua Homme – was especially catchy, with an almost Rolling Stones vibe. Whether strumming her guitar or moving across the stage with a mic in hand, Nikki Lane exuded the stage energy of a true rock star.
Switching between tender moments and arena-rock energy, she got the crowd thoroughly warmed up. At one point, she performed an a cappella version of the first song she ever wrote while stuck in traffic on the 101 freeway. “I was 19 years old!” she recalled. “I had a pencil on the steering wheel, and I wrote it in my car. Sometimes when there’s time to kill, I just sing. It’s very quick, don’t worry!”
After more songs from “Highway Queen” and “All or Nothin’,” she changed her cowboy hat, shouting to the audience, “Please come see my merch booth—that’s a really cool hat! My newest record is called “Denim & Diamonds,” and it’s about badass bitches everywhere!” Then, tossing her hat into the crowd, she closed her set with “Jackpot,” a lively country track featuring the timeless chorus “Viva Las Vegas.” With her energy and talent, Nikki Lane is a name you’re bound to hear again soon.
Setlist: 700,000 Rednecks, First High, Black Widow, Seein’ Double, Send the Sun, Faded, Highway Queen, All or Nothin’, Denim & Diamonds, Jackpot”
Orville Peck, the masked singer, still wears his signature mask, but he has dropped the long fringe that typically hides most of his face, opting instead for a smaller mask covering just his eyes. This mysterious cowboy has chosen to reveal a bit more of himself, though his fashion remains central to the legend he has built in just a few years. Dressed in a stylish white Western suit adorned with embroidery and rhinestones, and topped off with a matching cowboy hat, there’s no doubt that Orville Peck is an eye-catching performer.
The new country icon opened with a near-a cappella rendition of “Big Sky,” his booming voice soaring above the minimal instrumentation, instantly connecting with the audience. He then moved through a selection of songs from his 2022 “Bronco,” his 2019 “Pony,” his “Show Pony” and, of course, his latest album “Stampede.” The postponement of the show had only heightened the crowd’s anticipation, and fans were immediately under his charm. Wasting no time, he launched into “Turn to Hate,” another song from “Pony,” moving across the stage like a wild, galloping horse. “Los Angeles!” he shouted mid-song, igniting the crowd’s excitement.
The audience, dressed in Western wear and cowboy hats, enjoyed plenty of heart-pumping moments throughout the 20-song setlist while Peck crooned his way into the hearts and minds of the crowd. “C’mon Baby, Cry” was a crowd-pleasing, foot-tapping favorite, with Orville’s rich croon soaring above the chorus of voices singing along.
“Hello! As I said before my name is Orville Peck and this is my lovely band.” Orville told us. We are very excited to be here in Los Angeles. Thank you so much for being patient with me and us for rescheduling, we are very, very excited to be here thank you so much! Los Angeles is home to almost all of us!… Who here is seeing us for the first time? Amazing, so there are three rules that are very easy to follow: the first rule is you have to sing along even if you don’t know the words cause that’s funnier. The second rule is, if you are able to and you feel like it, please dance along because we really like that. And the third and final rule, which is the serious one, is that, if at any point during the show you feel like crying, you have to cry! Can we follow those three simple rules? Fabulous!”
Orville was definitively in a very good mood and wanted us to feel each song with deep emotion warmly welcoming the newcomers. “No Glory in the West,” and “Hexie Mountains” were tender and moving moments, especially as Orville bared it all. In a heartfelt monologue, he shared the story behind “Hexie Mountains” and opened up about his struggle with depression:
“This next one is my favorite song on “Bronco.” It’s my favorite weirdly because when I wrote it, I was really struggling and battling with depression. I struggled with depression my whole life and I was in a really dark place but it was the first time I wrote about my mental health and so it became a very special kind of cathartic song for me; then about a year and a half ago I once again found myself in an even worst place, really, really depressed, really unhealthy, really unhappy and I canceled all my touring for a whole year and I went and took care of myself for a year.
“I am very very glad I did it because I’m the happiest and the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life,” Orville said. “There are a couple of things I want to say about that: actually there’s one year anniversary for me in just a couple of days, I am one year sober in a couple of days! And I just wanna say, sometimes when we are struggling with a lot, we obviously turn to different things to help us cope. So if anyone is feeling like that take care of yourself! it’s really important and secondly, I want to say a big thank you to all of you not only for letting us reschedule but to anybody who lost a ticket last year thank you very much for being patient with me and allowing me to go and take care of myself because it saved my life and I’m very very grateful!”
It was a very vulnerable moment that deeply moved the audience – you could see it in the hands placed over people’s hearts. During powerful songs like “How Far Will We Take It?”, Emily Rose took the lead, stepping in for Noah Cyrus, as the crowd sang along and felt each note with passion and intensity. For the uplifting “Conquer the Heart,” another song from “Stampede,” Nathaniel Rateliff didn’t show up, but Beck joined Orville for a glorious duet on their “Stampede” collaboration “Death Valley High.”
Orville dedicated “Drive Me, Crazy” – a song about truckers in love – to someone in the crowd who “drives a truck for a living” making it the only song he performed on the piano. Classics from “Bronco” like “Blush,” “The Curse of the Blackened Eye,” “Lafayette” with its abrupt tempo shifts, and “Any Turn” (a song about touring) with its very Cash-esque vibe were delivered with vibrant energy and stage passion, even sparking a few guitar duels.
The Ned Sublette classic “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” is always a lot of fun when performed by Orville. It’s the first song on “Stampede” and features a duet with the legendary Willie Nelson: “So the whole reason why I wanted to do duets album in the first place is that somebody asked me if I wanted to do a duet” he explained before performing the song. “This old guy from Texas… Willie Nelson! Not only did Willie Nelson want to do a song with me – which is already crazy enough – but he wanted to do a song about gay cowboy… I have no idea why!”
After a few more songs, including the big, breezy chorus of “Outta Time,” the solemn sound of “Kalahari Down,” and the haunting crickets of “Dead of Night” the surprises began.
“Stampede” collaborator Beck jumped on stage for the infectious “Death Valley High.”
Orville introduced Beck as “my dear friend and one of my favorite musicians.” “This is me and you in Vegas, up to no good,” said Beck before rapping through his verses in true Beck style. It was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night.
The encore brought another surprise, a rousing cover of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” and, of course, everyone knew the lyrics and sang along. Since I first heard the song – also covered by Kacey Musgraves during her last show – I thought it would be a perfect fit for Orville for several reasons; after all, he released an entire album called “Pony!”
For the encore, he had his old-style fringe mask on, calling it “something more comfortable.” He and his band closed the exciting night with the booming, foot-tapping “Daytona Sand.” Behind the theatrics, wild stage movements, and mask, Orville Peck exudes charisma. When he is not strumming the guitar, his hands and arms frequently rise into the air, pointing at the crowd as everyone follows his every move. He managed to revive an old-fashioned style with thoughtful lyrics and hot fashion, refreshing tradition while bringing vulnerability and honesty to the forefront. Although his persona could seem like a pastiche, the sincerity of his songs never fails to resonate with the audience.
Setlist
Big Sky
Turn to Hate
The Hurtin’ Kind
C’mon Baby, Cry
No Glory in the West
Hexie Mountains
How Far Will We Take It?
Conquer the Heart
Drive Me, Crazy
Blush
The Curse of the Blackened Eye video
Lafayette
Any Turn
Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other (Ned Sublette cover)
Outta Time
Kalahari Down
Dead of Night
Death Valley High (with Beck)
Encore:
Pink Pony Club (Chappell Roan cover)
Daytona Sand
