Last week, Peaches shredded The Music Hall of Williamsburg with one of her signature, sexually provocative, gender-bending performances. Having done my homework by perusing more than a few YouTube videos of her performances over the years, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: blood, sweat, and maybe an 8-foot, giant blow-up phallus swinging from her slinky hips? I knew that there would be a lot of electro-thrashing, hard-knocking, pelvis-pumping, glam-glory spit all over us. I had heard that you never leave a Peaches show dry.
I have to admit, after all the advance warning I had received, I found myself a little nervous to check this show out alone. I’m too old, too prim, not French enough? So, I dragged my brave friend with me as a buffer. Sure enough, Friday’s show was everything they said it would be and at forty, Peaches was as dirty and as dangerous as ever. Peaches is in your face, quite literally, walking on heads, through the crowd with a penis glow-stick leading the way. Her songs urge open sexual expression and tolerance. Her music and performances question stereotypes and misogynist attitudes and language that our culture accepts as norm; see album Fatherfucker if you don’t know what I mean.
A true artist, she subverts convention in the name of progress. For Peaches, her hairy pits are so much more than that. This is not shock rock. It’s thoughtful, progressive, well-intentioned performance art that begs for the absolution of restraint. It turns out that my fears were in vain. I felt completely comfortable at the show and was truly in awe. Male, female, gay, straight, trans, trance, Euro, hipster, hip-hop, hippy, however you brand yourself, it’s literally checked at the door. Peaches is proud, in the moment, honest rock. In the cab ride home, I got a text from my veteran show-buddy friend, it read: “um that was seriously the best show I have ever been to.” I couldn’t agree more. Sorry Primal Scream, you’ve been bumped.
Every singer has their ‘thing’ and Peaches has hers! Bet you are glad you went!
you are a suckypants. i was dying to go to that show.
SUCKIN’ ON MY TITTIES LIKE YOU WANTED ME CALLIN’ ME ALL THE TIME!