Vancouver indie darlings Peach Pit played a raucous, beyond-sold-out homecoming show at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, BC on October 26th. Announcing day of that it would be a Halloween show and encouraging attendees to wear costumes, the crowd (and the band!) delivered on that front.
Peach Pit’s well-deserved success has been a bit of a weird phenomenon. After placement on a YouTube playlist by a Filipina music tastemaker, their songs began to blow up around the world. Now, they’re selling out shows across North America (and Europe, and Asia!) with relative ease. Their debut album, Being So Normal, was released last fall, and they’ve been essentially touring non stop ever since.
Vancouver indie pop artist Haley Blais was the perfect choice to open the show, with her and her band’s outfits looking like they launched straight out of the ‘70s. Coordinated dance moves, the use of a ukulele, and infectious smiles and energy were enough to win the already-packed crowd over, with nearly everyone on the main floor holding up lighters and cell phones during one of her slower jams.
Peach Pit’s tourmates Sun Seeker, hailing from Nashville, were next on the bill. Playing more straightforward indie rock, the fact that they were sandwiched between two very unique artists didn’t help them stand out, and they didn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table in terms of sound or energy.
Dressed in KISS-esque face paint and outfits (this was now a Halloween show, after all), Peach Pit took the stage to roaring applause and screams from a room filled to the brim with their devoted hometown fans. Opening their set with Techno Show, the crowd was dancing along from the first notes of the tune. “This is the best night of my life,” proclaimed very enthused frontman Neil Smith. Their set was littered with crowd-pleasers such as Drop The Guillotine, Sweet FA, and Alrighty Aphrodite, as well as testing out a few new tunes, much to the crowd’s delight. Peach Pit’s music hangs on a balance of crunchy guitar riffs but also delicate, quieter moments, and they manage to pull it off live every single time.
