Orville Peck croons the night away at Union Stage on Sept. 21, 2019. (Photo by David LaMason)

Whether it’s the smooth baritone croon, the old west cowboy veneer, or perhaps the well talked about mystery behind the fringed black mask that draws you in: Once you witness Orville Peck, it’s hard not to be a fan.

Taking the mic at the completely sold out Union Stage on Sept. 21, Orville Peck in his best Johnny Cash announced, “Hello. I’m Orville Peck.” It’s at once a nod to the Man in Black and a fitting introduction to what’s about to come — a little bit of what’s come before and a whole lot of what can only be Orville Peck.

By the way, if you haven’t had the chance to check out Peck’s debut LP, Pony, you owe it to yourself to put on a pair of headphones, sit back and enjoy those 12 songs of country steeped in a tradition that seemed to slip away from pop consciousness probably around the time Country and Western unhitched the Western part to drift into memory. Fortunately for us, Orville Peck (among a handful of others) is here to keep that memory more alive and vibrant than ever with his baritone that recalls singers like Roy Orbison and Bob Willis.

Stream Pony by Orville Peck on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/7Jn1h8E5aT96pdyrPxrLWi

As a testament to the speed at which Orville Peck has gained popularity, more than an hour before doors were to open at the Union Stage people began rolling in, many dressed in cowboy boots and embroidered Western style shirts. And I heard from more than one person as we filed downstairs and onto the dance floor stories of going to see him in other spots around the country.

You know things are gonna get good when the intro music is Bob Dylan’s “All the Tired Horses” as Orville Peck and his band, made up of the Toronto-based group FRIGS, filed onto the stage — Duncan Hay Jennings on guitar, Bria Salmena on guitar/keys and vocals, Lucas Savatti on bass, and Kris Bowering on drums. And without further ado, the band slid right into “Winds Change” from Orville’s debut. In fact, nearly all of the songs on the set list were from Pony which was released earlier in the Spring.

Things heated up with “Big Sky” and two fantastic duets with Bria on the George Jones and Tammy Wynette number “Something to Brag About” and barn burner, “Ooh Las Vegas” by Graham Parsons and Emmylou Harris.

This was a really fun night of great music! Orville Peck continues his tour through the Fall. Definitely catch them here.

The setlist:

Winds Change
Queen of the Rodeo
Roses are Falling
Turn to Hate
Big Sky
Kansas (Remembers Me Now)
Something to Brag About (George Jones/Tammy Wynette)
Summertime (unreleased song)
Buffalo Run
Nothing Fades Like Light
Ooh Las Vegas (Graham Parsons/Emmylou Harris)
Dead of Night
Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)

Here are more photos of Orville Peck performing at the Union Stage on Sept. 21, 2019. All photos copyright and courtesy of David LaMason.