Orville Peck at House of Blues Dallas
Melissa Whitler. |. NBCU Fellow
Melissa@DallasVoice.com
Fresh off the first weekend of Austin City Limits, Orville Peck brought the western energy to the House of Blues Dallas on Monday, Oct. 7.
Country singer Nikki Lane kicked off the night with her signature style. Originally from South Carolina, Lane has plenty of Western flair and sass, and she let the audience know she already had the next 12 house after the show mapped out. A collector of vintage clothing, Lane said she will be hitting up all the best clothing resale stores in Dallas.
Orville Peck put on a performance that spanned all of his albums. He started off with “Big Sky” from his debut album Pony, which was met with much enthusiasm from the audience.
The masked cowboy has certainly grown in both popularity and confidence since the Bronco tour in 2022. Just watching him you can tell how much he loves playing music. Peck connects well with audience, and when he speaks, he doesn’t seem like a celebrity, but a hometown friend.
After the first few songs, Peck let the audience in on a little secret. “Texas is my favorite state to tour in, and Dallas/Fort Worth is my favorite part,” he said. He went on to let everyone know there are three rules at each of his concerts: One, sing along to all the songs even if you don’t know the words; two, dance, and, three, if you feel like crying at any point, you have to cry.
The crowd certainly delivered. While I don’t know how many tears were shed, everyone was one their feet dancing and singing along all night. For most people this was their first Orville Peck show, and they were having the night of their lives.
Peck himself also delivered on the dance moves. With plenty of high kicks and spins, he brought the swagger of a cowboy born to perform.
Peck alternated between playing a steel guitar and an acoustic guitar. He also did a few songs on the piano. He got more serious when introducing the song “Hexie Mountains,” which he said is his favorite off of the album Bronco.
“I wrote this song while I was struggling with depression,” Peck shared. “But now I’m happier and healthier than I’ve ever been.”
On his most recent album, Peck has a duet with Willie Nelson of Willie’s “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” and Peck gave a shout out to the legendary Texas native before launching into the queer song.
A tradition he has started on this tour is giving out roses to chosen audience members. Three people received roses for their energetic dancing and cowboy paraphernalia. Another two were awarded roses for performances on the song “Any Turn,” which goes very fast with almost no breaks in lyrics.
Peck also shared that one of the lines from “Any Turn,” which is full of tidbits from touring, comes from when he was in Texas. Someone messaged his team, offering a horse or a Cadillac for him to ride onto stage. When his manager delivered this news, it inspired the line “something about a horse and a man and a Cadillac.”
The band ended the main set with the ionic “Daytona Sand” which left the crowd pumped and cheering for an encore. Peck returned, now with an eye mask featuring his signature fringe. He explained the change, saying he wanted to slip into something more comfortable. He finished the night off with a cover of The Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” and the titular “Bronco.” Peck thanked the crowd and sent them off home with a “Yeehaw Dallas!”