Photo of Peter Wilton of Peach Pit by Matt Lynch
Having never partaken in a quest before, I was not so sure what to expect when I walked into the familiar Pageant for the self-described Canadian Surf Rock band, Peach Pit. Known for their energetic and awe-inspiring live shows, the five-piece live band began their evening paying homage to Black Sabbath, playing the all too familiar riff to “War Pigs.” Once they had gone through their wheelhouse of comedy (their current tour is titled “Fall Quest,” as the band plays medieval-themed music before the show), Peach Pit launched into “Magpie,” the title track from their most recent album.
Excitingly, this most recent album was designed to highlight the group’s live prowess, so seeing anything from the album Magpie live was bound to provide an amplified experience. In my opinion, the highlight of Peach Pit is the guitar playing of the mighty Christopher Vanderkooy. “Magpie” quite literally ripped, as the psychedelic guitar solo came to blinding fruition.
All rock band tropes were on display, and I found myself wondering why Peach Pit isn’t more successful. The live mix was executed near perfectly, as Neil Smith’s voice cut perfectly through the dizzying din. One component of the band which I had not paid enough attention to before seeing them live was the tremendous drumming of Mikey Pascuzzi. One of his highlights was on “St. Mark’s Funny Feeling,” the funkadelic tune about martyring oneself.
As far as fan interactions go, Smith was rather open and approachable, closing out the evening with a heartwarming explanation of how the band formed. The song “Peach Pit” was a lovely moment, as the entire crowd sang along with Smith and his acoustic guitar. The atmosphere was ever collegial and fun.
One of the disappointments of the evening was regarding a lack of new material. Considering their new album had been released so recently, I would have expected more songs from Magpie to feature throughout the night. Fortunately, Peach Pit has a rather diverse and deep well of songs to draw from. The early pairing of “Drop the Guillotine,” which required Vanderkooy to lumber confidently to the forefront of the stage for his opening riff, and “Alrighty Aphrodite,” with its monumental guitar solos (plural) was wonderful.
And of course, one cannot mention a Peach Pit concert without highlighting the jaw-dropping number that is “Private Presley.” Dividing the song into two parts, the marching drums ran the first half, as Vanderkooy noodled away on his guitar. Drawing the first half of the song to a close, the band kicked into another gear, as Vanderkooy’s multiple distorted guitar solos took the band into the stratosphere. Truth be told, I have never seen guitar playing better than what was featured in the second half of “Private Presley.”
If Peach Pit returns to St. Louis, I will absolutely be in attendance, and I would encourage anyone else to be, too. If you like proper rock music coupled with friendly, warm people, then Peach Pit is the band for you. It is only a matter of time, in my opinion, before the band steps it up another level. | Joe Hindle
Opening the show was singer-songwriter Miya Folick, who oddly enough was just at The Pageant back in August opening for Maren Morris. (We were at that show too.) Here’s some photos from her set opening for Peach Pit, courtesy of photographer Matt Lynch.
