Review by: Mona Alice Oakenfold
Photography by: David Thai
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver
Last night, Vancouver was lucky enough to be schooled by the teaches of Peaches for the second time this year. The Canadian, gender-bending, sexually explicit, electro-rap-rocker brought her killer show, along with multiple leotard changes, to a party-ready crowd at the Commodore Ballroom.
The show got started at 9:30 with opener Amanda Blank. The Philly native broke out tracks from her new full-length, I Love You, rippin’ into the snaky, lyrical “DJ,” which she dedicated to her sister. Amanda’s voice was surprisingly good; a little raspy like Lykke Li’s but amazingly powerful and steady. By the time she was into “Make Up,” Amanda was dressed in nothing more than a bikini and a fringed cuff around her wrist, her raven hair thrashing about violently on stage. Next up was “Lemme Get Some” followed by “I Speak Big” and the fast-flowin’ “Make It Take It.” The next two songs, “Might Like You Better” and “Gimme What You Got,” were definitely reminiscent of Kid Sister and Santigold, who both happen to be on Amanda’s label Downtown Records. Finally, Amanda took it down a notch and finished up her set with “A Love Song.”
After a brief break, smoke filled the stage and three figures cloaked in black appeared on stage before Peaches herself, also cloaked in black, stood center stage and began singing the haunting “Mud” off her new album, I Feel Cream. What’s awesome about this album, which dropped back in May, is that it’s Peaches like you’ve never heard her before. The album is much more stylized and melodic – doesn’t hurt that it was produced by the likes of Simian Mobile Disco, Soulwax, Digitalism and Drums of Death either. Next up, Peaches launched into the album’s first single, the poppy and very commercial “Talk to Me,” as she threw off her cloak to reveal a hot pink, space-aged leotard, and then into the foot-stomping, attitude-driven “Billionaire.”
Peaches decided to get a little more intimate with the audience for the next few songs, crowd surfing while throwin’ down the syncopated rap “Take You On,” and then announcing, “Jesus walked on water. Now, Peaches walks on you!” before literally walking on the hands of the audience during the rock star anthem “Show Stopper.” Peaches removed another piece of her outfit to reveal gold details on her leotard, fringe on her arms and a gold hood before launching into the quietly intense “Serpentine” and then rocking out to “Shake Yer Dix” off 2003’s Fatherfucker. She stuck with that album for a bit, performing “I U She” and “Tombstone” as well.
Before starting “More,” Peaches turned on a gigantic light rod (something similar to what was used in Star Wars) as a prop to mimic the industrial-heavy sounds throughout the song. She kept the light rod around for “Slippery Dick,” off of 2006’s Impeach My Bush, but by the time she was into girl-power anthems “Boys Wanna Be Her” and “You Love It,” she had swapped the light rod to rock out on guitar. And rock out she did.
Next up, Peaches appeared wrapped up in a towel for the tenderly restrained “Lose You” and then the electro-driven pseudo-ballad “I Feel Cream,” both tracks produced by the amazing Simian Mobile Disco. To heighten the sensuality of both songs, Peaches had a white light blinking from her crotch, which she affectionately referred to as her “pussy light.”
To pick the energy back up, Peaches launched into “Mommy Complex” and then the ever-popular “Fuck the Pain Away” off of 2000’s Teaches of Peaches to close the show, which she suggested should be Canada’s national anthem.
Three encores followed: the rock-heavy “Kick It” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll” off Fatherfucker and “Set It Off” off of Teaches of Peaches. Peaches and Amanda Blank no doubt rocked it out. Amanda was pretty damn good at gettin’ the crowd riled up and her skills on the mic were definitely impressive. Peaches just about left me speechless. She is a force to be reckoned with and can out-rap, out-sing, out-rock just about anybody. Together, the ladies blew up the Commodore and left a leotard-wearin’, guitar-thrashin’ footprint on the city of Vancouver of, well… orgasmic proportions.
Amanda Blank Photo Gallery
Peaches Photo Gallery
November 27th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Dope photos. The costumes at the beginning of Peaches’ show sort of remind me of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Specifically the massive shoulder pads. Any one else agree with this?
November 27th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Yeah I actually thought the same when I saw the huge shoulder pads coming out on stage.