Coca-Cola stage reviews: Orville Peck
By Dianne Miranda, July 15 2024—
Orville Peck played the Coca-Cola Stage for this year’s Calgary Stampede on July 12 just in time for the release of his new upcoming album, Stampede, on Aug. 2. This was a greatly anticipated show as the South African/Canadian country musician, due to prioritizing mental and physical health, had to cancel his 2023 Stampede show. Peck — with his magnetic, mesmerizing stage presence, mysterious iconic mask, matching suit decorated with studs and golden patches and cowboy hat embroidered with snakes — charmed the thousands in attendance with songs from albums Pony, Bronco and Stampede: Vol.1.
The night showcased all of Peck’s talents, from his soulful, heart shattering slower songs to those that can possess the crowd and have them dancing and singing along with the band. Orville Peck started the show off with “Roses Are Falling”, inviting people to dance with those around them. He then continued with the perfect two-stepping slow jam, “The Hurtin Kind”, that provided the perfect transition to the high-energy dance track with a hint of melancholy (along with some yeehaws), “Turn to Hate”. “C’mon Baby, Cry” ended the more up-beat beginning of the show, with its soaring hook chorus, rich reverb and agile melody.
The Coca-Cola stage glowed with the bright colours of a sunset, perfectly mirroring the lulling ambiance, beauty, heartbreak, loneliness, despair and remedy of finding solace and healing through Peck’s music. The night’s set-up only aided in making the audience truly feel how much of Peck’s soul was bare during his performance.
Peck’s smooth and heavenly vocals shone through in the brooding “No Glory in the West”, hypnotizing the crowd in this acoustic strum. The theme of vulnerability carried through in “Hexie Mountains” leaving the crowd breathless and some on the verge of tears.
Peck’s upcoming album, Stampede, is composed of 15 tracks, all featuring collaborations with artists such as Willie Nelson and Nathaniel Rateliff. Noah Cyrus, who performed before Peck, is also one of these collaborators. Close to the show’s halfway point, Peck brought Noah Cyrus out for an intimate duet of “How Far Will We Take It”, which offered the perfect blend of Cyrus’ distinct, raspy tone and Peck’s baritone voice.
Peck and his band were all amazing performers. The energy coursing through his body and its movements — back bucking during a guitar lick, perfectly timed cowboy kicks or a point to the crowd to emphasize a lyric — was felt through the audience that lassoed them to mimic such moves.
A favourite moment of the night included the crowd’s echoes of “it’s true, true it follows me around; nothing to lose, wouldn’t miss it anyhow” during “The Curse of the Blackened Eye”. Peck followed this with back-to-back playful songs from Bronco, the surf-rock inspired groove of “Lafayette” and barn-stormer, “Any Turn”.
Even with the current rhetoric surrounding the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Peck proudly announced that he is “a gay cowboy” before singing “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other”. This made this song a special moment for a lot of people in the crowd.
The last four songs of the show were some of my favourites. The warm sighs and the amazing guitar solo in “Outta Time” brought the energy back up and in a way offered a cue to the closing of his set. Peck continued to amaze the crowd as he pulled out a harmonica for the bittersweet “Kalahari Down”, describing the nostalgia of missing home. He finally finished off his regular set with the serenade of the emotionally effective “Daytona Sand”.
Peck’s performance was a testament to the power of authenticity and storytelling in music. Through his distinctive blend of country, indie rock and a touch of mystique, he not only captivated the audience with his emotive voice and masterful musicianship but also transported them to a realm where vulnerability and strength intertwine.
The beginning of the fireworks show unintentionally and perfectly accompanied the dynamic levels, mood shifts and the highlight of the strings in “Let Me Drown” during the encore. As more fireworks were fired into the sky, “Bronco”, with its sweeping melody, matched the energy of the grandiosity of the end of the Friday night.
Orville Peck was a standout show from this year’s Stampede, taking those who listened on a journey through landscapes of longing, resilience and the human experience. Peck continues his Canadian leg with his last show on July 14 at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.