Happy November, you cool cats and kittens.
Election day is here and stress is high with all the midterms races, you could feel a strange intensity throughout the state the entire day. Drizzly and rainy, sometimes all out downpouring. Needed some lifting of the spirits, thankfully a show would provide the best distraction from all the chaos on tv and the internet. Feeling a bit more autumn with the darkening skies at 4:30pm, made my way with my hood up shielding me from some horizontal sprinkles attempting to make me clean my glasses yet again. Took the lightrail up a few stops to pop into Venn for a beer. For an inclement weather evening, surprised to see how many people were in the brewery. Hushed chatting between small groups, scrolling their phones and comparing screens. After eavesdropping and sipping my IPA for an hour or so, hopped back on the train to head downtown.
By the time I got to my stop, the rain finally had turned into a fine mist. Hooray for not getting drenched! Saw some VIP folks that came for ethe preshow and asked them how it went. A few of them got to ask questions, one being to Orville Peck about if he would do another genre of music and have another stage persona, what that would be. Answer? Kalahari Kid and EDM. Perhaps in the future we may see something moseying down this avenue, fingers crossed.
Plenty of fans hanging out about a half an hour before music began on the venue floor. Lots of glittery masks, chaps, hats, and of course, cowboy boots. As a person that’s a big fan of a motif, my eyes had plenty to feast upon. Was nervous that the rain would deter folks from dressing up, Minnesotans showed up looking dapper and very on theme. Props to those who were slowly drying out their fabric and felted hats, they did look very very cool. Worth the annoyance.
At 8 o’clock on the dot, Abbie Callahan danced onto the stage. The front row warriors cheered and smiled when she started her first song, Callahan remarking later how happy she was so many people knew her lyrics by heart. Her voice has a timeless quality, easily able to travel to different decades and transport you into a nostalgia slathered moment you never lived through. Love that she makes a point of engaging the crowd and talking to us like we are next to her in line for a coffee. “Simon Says” was third up in her short but potent half hour set, preset by her apologizing to any Simons that may be in the audience. Making a cheeky joke after performing a fantastic cover of ABBA’s “Gimmie! GImmie! Gimmie!” about how she hoped everyone loved that “original song” of her’s. Flew over a few young kids’ heads in the audience like a soaring eagle. It made me giggle intensely. Callahan is collected and calm when on stage, making it look effortless and easy for her to hit every note with bullseye accuracy. Highly recommend seeing her the next time she’s near you, I know I will jump at the chance.
Orville Peck knows how to set a stage. Cinematic is putting it far too simply. Filled with sumptuous amber light before starting off the show, my gaze kept getting pulled to different elements and easter eggs in the decor. A Willie Nelson flag. Empty tables with chairs looking for a companion to fill them. A black and white photo of the late great Dolly Parton hanging on the facade by the barstools. So many more quiet specimens, but my personal favorite detail was a diner napkin holder that appeared half pulled, as if someone was interrupted while trying to take one. The ethereal smokey saloon was filled with so many textures and curious symbolism to decode, hard to not get lost in the lore.
All of a sudden it was time for the show, each bandmate came out in foggy silhouettes, congregating at the wooden bar top on the right side of the stage. Embracing each other and sharing a few silent moments before the music began. Orville Peck came out last, making sure to hug each fellow musician in an earnest bearhug before moving to the microphone. Greeting the crowd with vigor and an infectious grin, catapulting into his opening song “Big Ol’ House.” Gosh, it is just a delight to hear such well rounded sound, checking off every box from female and male backup vocals, an array of guitars, piano, and even a banjo to complete the music fantasy. The performance was segmented in a very thoughtful treatment, leaving time for the energy to change and transfer to the next portion of the show. Saving the covers for the meat of the show is a great idea, was able to appreciate his songs then dive into some new spins on beautiful favorites including “Maybe This Time,” which will pierce your heart like a divine arrow. Peck has the charisma of a old west legend and a voice that crawls into your soul’s most secret hiding spaces to stir something up you didn’t know needed to breathe. Almost TWO DOZEN songs in his set, and the audience still craved more. What a talent.
11/10 show.
