asbury park, n.j. - june 29th, 2024

On Saturday night, Orville Peck brought his Stampede tour to the Jersey Shore to close out Pride Month the only way he knows how: with electrifying on-stage dancing and songs about gay cowboys.

Peck has been making an exciting re-entry into the music scene this year following a self-imposed hiatus and canceled tour in 2023, with the release of Stampede Vol.1, and the upcoming release of the full Stampede album. The project is a collection of duet songs, many of which are covers from iconic songs of the past, such as Elton John’s "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting". As his tour has made stops all over the country this summer, he has continued to give fans a taste of the full album, with iconic releases such as "Midnight Ride" featuring Kylie Minogue and Diplo.

As the sun began to set over Asbury Park, "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen, who famously got his start at this very venue, filled the atmosphere and ignited the crowd. As the song carried on, Orville took the stage with his band and greeted the crowd before launching into his first song, "Big Sky". He continued into hits such as "Roses Are Falling" and "Turn to Hate" while passing out roses to fans in the crowd, and dancing all over the stage.

It is a joy to watch Orville back on the stage again, in his prime. His vocals soared on my personal favorite song, "C’mon Baby, Cry", a cathartic and nostalgic country track from his 2022 album, Bronco. Before he began to sing, he reminded the crowd of his three rules of his live shows, the last of which being, “If you feel like crying, then cry.” This song speaks to that connection that Orville has with his fans, essentially offering himself as a space for people to let go and experience the full extent of their emotions with his music.

He continued to pass out roses to his fans in the crowd, even lifting a 4-year-old girl who was wearing the iconic Orville Peck mask over the barricade to join him on the stage, and handing her his final rose. He then encouraged the crowd to get ready to dance as he sprung into "Any Turn", easily my favorite track to see him perform live. The song is incredibly upbeat with fast-paced lyrics, and Orville accompanies it with exhilarating on-stage antics. The entire crowd lit up with energy and jumped up and down for the entirety of the performance.

As his setlist came to a close, he introduced the crowd to "Cowboys are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other", a Ned Sublette cover that he recorded as a duet with country music icon Willie Nelson for his Stampede album. He spoke about how Willie had approached him regarding doing a duet together, and had even suggested that they perform a song “about a gay cowboy”, much to the amusement of the crowd. Though the song isn’t originally Orville’s, he has really taken it on as his own, and it truly exemplifies his persona. As a gay man in country music, he has subverted the classic stereotypes within the genre, and has blended queerness with his cowboy aesthetic beautifully, both with his songs and his iconic, rhinestoned style. It is inspiring to see figures such as Orville who continue to push the boundaries in music and in fashion, blending them together to create a unique image that is personally theirs.