Photos and Words by Steph Nardi
People love a bit of mystery. Whether it’s the plot in a movie or a true crime podcast, people eat it up. There is something irresistible to not knowing the full story and Orville Peck has that in spades. Equipped with a cowboy hat and a mask decked out in shoulder-length fringe, any recognizable features are completely obscured; hiding the face of a country crooner and leaving everything up to the imagination. For two incredible nights, Peck brought his rodeo to First Ave in Minneapolis and he did not disappoint.
His velvet-smooth baritone carried the melodies of the songs off his latest album Bronco as well as his previous works Pony and Show Pony bringing the crowd on a journey that traversed all the emotions a country artist should. From heartbreak to falling in love and everything in between, the fans were there for it all swaying along to the rhythm of the music and soaking it all in. If the love of Peck’s fans for him and his music wasn’t apparent when they were lined up hours before the show rocking their own cowboy hats and fringe alike, this put all those doubts to bed.
While not being able to put a face to the name of “Orville Peck” affords a level of intrigue, what it more importantly does is allow space for relatability. The mask, and all its fringed glory, allows every fan to see themselves in this artist whether they look anything like him or not. It pushes the narrative that the music and this artist’s experiences and ability to resonate with people are what matters most. In this day and age where everyone is so hyper-focused on what you look like and if you fit in a certain box, Orville Peck is here to remind us that none of that matters and when it comes down to it, talent is talent and that’s what counts.
Impressions Magazine 