Who Is That Masked Man?

I am not a fan of country music. AT ALL. There are a variety of reasons for that, some personal, some political, some social. But there was a time when country music was simply a genre and not a political statement. When I was growing up, my mom listened to Country and Western artists (as the genre was referred to then) like Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, and of course early Rockabilly-Country Elvis.

And singer-songwriter Orville Peck is a new artist who is attempting to bring back a certain feeling and sound of that kind of country music. He has deliberately cultivated a mystery about who he is by wearing a fringed, leather Lone Ranger mask. And while a bit of sleuthing on-line can reveal his actual identity, I will not reveal here who he is when he is not Orville Peck...because there is something about him, his persona, and his sound that is appealing to me, despite my aversion to country music. The more I discovered about the actual man beneath the mask, I realized why I am drawn to him and the sound. He is Canadian, a former drummer in punk bands, a classically stage-trained actor (he studied mask-making in this capacity and now makes his own fringed masks for Orville Peck), and openly gay. All of that tempers the music...he allows a lot of different influences--punk, shoegaze, early Country and Western--to blend together into something unique. This is reflected in his delightful, kitschy video for his single, "Turn To Hate." And that deep, velvety voice...like Johnny Cash.

Take a look at this song played live with his band on KEXP.

And then do take a moment to watch this charming, funny interview of Peck playing "Would You Rather?"

He is currently on tour through the end of 2019. Check out his site to see if he will be in a city near you!
https://www.orvillepeck.com/