Peach Pit @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 4/2/2022
Peach Pit at 9:30 Club in DC (Photo ©2022 Mauricio Castro)
The last time Vancouver-based Peach Pit came to town was in 2017, when they were opening for Diane Coffee at DC9. They had just released their debut album, Being So Normal, just a month and a half prior. Since then, they’ve gone on to release two more albums and gained a lot of popularity, so much so that five years later, they’ve upgraded venues to a sold-out, 1,200-person one. It’s not hard to see why. Singer/guitarist Neil Smith tells real-life stories of all stripes, from drug trips to come-downs, parties to hangovers, new flings to break-ups, all told with the backdrop of some of the most rousing guitar work this side of the Pacific Northwest.
Practically the whole set had throngs of fans emphatically singing along to every song - “Shampoo Bottles” and set closer “Tommy’s Party” were two of the biggest sad song sing-alongs of the night, as was the very upbeat “Techno Show.” But part of the reason the songs are so memorable are not just because of the very-relatable lyrics that Smith crafts, but also because of guitarist/secret weapon Christopher Vanderkooy. Every song, whether it’s during Smith’s verses or in a dedicated guitar solo section is a showcase for Vanderkooy’s guitar prowess, landing somewhere musically in-between Shakey Graves, The Byrds, and John Frusciante. It’s as if the guitar itself is singing alongside or around Smith, and Vanderkooy hammed it up, jogged in place, and stood at the lip of the stage with every guitar lick and note. They’re all having loads of fun on their biggest tour to date, and it’s reciprocated by the roaring crowds, deep in their feelings and screaming every word.
Peach Pit’s latest album From 2 to 3 is out now through Columbia Records.
Opening for Peach Pit was fellow Vancouverite Haley Blais, who wowed with an impressive falsetto, a marriage of nostalgic and modern music tastes (hello, “Kiss Me” cover by Sixpence None the Richer-turned “Silk Chiffon” MUNA cover), and self-depreciation for days. In-between songs, she explained that she brought two completely different boots for the tour by accident, one of the many jokes at her own expense told to many laughs. That didn’t stop her from delivering a powerful set that recalled the musical stylings of Harry Nilsson and Sling-era Clairo.
Haley Blais’s latest release is the single “Coolest fucking bitch in town,” out now through Tiny Kingdom Music.
