Editor’s Note: Everything about this blog post is NSFW. Proceed with caution!
“What else is in the Teaches of Peaches?” is famously posed in the song “Fuck The Pain Away” by none other than Peaches herself. The 59-year-old Canadian musician released her signature album The Teaches of Peaches in 2000, and its impact is still alive and thriving. Peaches has been named a queer icon, and is known for her sexually transgressive lyrics and avant-garde stage-presence.
In February, Peaches released her seventh album No Lube So Rude, her first in 11 years. Soon afterward, Peaches played a packed 9:30 Club with support from dancey industrial rock band Model/Actriz.
Cole Haden leads Model/Actriz along with Jack Wetmore (guitar/bass), Ruben Radlauer (drums), and Aaron Shapiro (bass). The band has a largely queer following — they’re known for incorporating queer themes into their lyrics that haven’t breached industrial, post-punk rock before. At 9:30 Club on Feb. 27, Haden hit the stage sporting a long, corseted dress, high-heeled boots, and a bonnet to perform the track “Vespers.” It’s the opener to their critically-acclaimed album Pirouette (2025). Haden sings “In all the lights, it’s you,” while bathed in powerful strobe lights. The performance was bold, dramatic, and completely captivating. At the start of “Poppy,” Haden disappeared from the stage and reemerged right in front of me at house left. He waltzed into the crowd and stayed in the mosh until the end of the song.
Watch Model/Actiz perform “Vespers” live on KEXP on YouTube:
Peaches emerged looking like what I can only describe as a komondor “mop dog,” but instead of fur, Peaches was draped in various sized penises. This look was completed with shoes that had nipples. She had two backup dancers in similar garb, but I’m at a loss for words — look at the photos yourself. Peaches starts the set with No Lube So Rude’s opening track “Hanging Titties,” which sets the theme for the night: “Older than you, looking so cunt.” Peaches has not let age define her music or her live acts. She’s unapologetically original, which contributes to her icon status. Peaches shed the penis mop attire and was reborn as a sasquatch looking thing for her song “Whatcha Gonna Do About It.” During “Rub,” the sasquatch skin shed and we got Peaches in her hot pink latex, and furry pink boots.
At the beginning of the song “Operate,” the catchy beat begins as a severed doll head is chucked onto the stage. A tall figure in a green suit comes stumbling out, seemingly looking for its missing head. Peaches comes out looking like a boohbah (boohbah was a preschool kids show from the early 2000s) wrapped in tissue, while looking slightly vaginal. As she sings, an intestinal, tentacle looking thing inflates, encapsulating the stage. It was a bizarre sight, especially because I’m still not sure what I was supposed to be looking at — but isn’t that the fun of it all?
Next, Peaches briefs the crowd on what’s about to happen, calling out the “virgins” of her show: “For all of you virgins, and I’m sure there are some, put your hands under the soles of my shoes. I am not that heavy. You can carry me. Don’t be afraid.” Peaches immediately follows up with, “If you drop me. You know what that means. That means the show is over, alright?” No pressure. I was holding my breath as she dropped in front of the barricade and began her journey across the crowd. She successfully made it a few steps on top of the crowd, but then ended up on her back opening and closing her legs — still while atop the crowd. She barrel rolls across the bodies while still performing.
Peaches made it to the front of house where she performed “Not In Your Mouth None of Your Business,” a chantable anthem with the lines: “I cannot be squashed or minimized. You will never take away our pride. Orders won’t make us lie down and die. We will stop you fucking up our lives.” Peaches made her way through the crowd to get back to the stage while performing “Grip,” another song off No Lube So Rude.
Watch the official music video for “Not In Your Mouth None Of Your Business (Hands Off My Body Edition)” by Peaches on YouTube:
Back onstage, Peaches performs another new track, “You’re Alright,” a euro-pop inspired danceable club banger. Peaches gets on top of a background performer’s shoulders. At this point, Peaches is wearing flesh-toned spandex shorts, a chunky chain, and nipple covers with hair draping from them. She is returned to the ground and whips the chain around her neck to the beat. The crowd repeats “You’re alright sweat, sweat, sweat out the night.”
The audience begins chanting “Hey! Hey!” as the guitar riff for “Boys Wanna Be Her” starts to play. It’s probably Peaches’s most commercial song, based on the fact that I’ve heard it in numerous TV shows/movies over the years. It is insanely catchy and understandably popular amongst Peaches fans and mainstream listeners alike. Her background dancers join her onstage performing a fist bumping motion in time with “boys wanna be her, girls wanna be her.”
For her encore, Peaches came out with “Dick in the Air,” one I can’t help but giggle at. Peaches was accompanied by her two dancers with strap ons as she says “Balls and dick, two balls and one dick, Balls, balls, dick, dick, balls and dick.” It’s finally time for her awaited performance of “Fuck The Pain Away.” She squirts the audience on the barricade with (what looked like) champagne. My favorite part of the song is the repeated phrase, “IUD, SIS. Stay in school ’cause it’s the best.” It’s essential in the teaches of peaches.
She finishes the set with “No Lube So Rude.” At this point, I was making my way towards the merch stand. I don’t think I’d ever seen butt plugs, lube, and rolling paper at a merch booth before, but it was perfectly on brand.
Overall, Peaches is a one-of-a-kind live experience.
Here are some photos of Peaches performing live at 9:30 Club on Feb. 27, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.
Here are some photos of Model/Actriz opening Peaches at 9:30 Club on Feb. 27, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.
