Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Peach Pit mentioned to the Greek Theatre crowd that they played their first US show at the Bootleg Theater eight years ago. Lead singer Neil Smith told the story towards the end of the set, “We started from very humble beginnings. Our first show was at the Bootleg Theater. It wasn’t an all ages venue. So there were like ten tickets sold. We had a lot of teenage fans so we went to the parking lot around back. Maybe around 20 kids showed up and we did a mini-concert before the show started.”
The indie rockers walked onto the stage, waving to the audience. The band kicked off the night with the title track from their recently released “Magpie (Expansion Pack)” album. Smith did some wild hair flings that quickly sent his baseball cap flying. Guitarist Chris Vanderkooy joined the energizing onstage performance by high stepping it across the stage for “Black Licorice.” “Give Up Baby Go” had a folk sound that had Smith playing his guitar on his back. He wanted to chill out for the song. Vanderkooy on the other hand went high stepping once again across the stage and engaged in a snake mating ritual dance with a more cooperative band mate.
Comedy moment of the set occurred during “Did You Love Somebody” when Smith was talking about the fact that he was now engaged. Someone who had a few too many drinks caught his attention somehow. Smith asked if the fan was actually watching Game 3 of the Indiana-Oklahoma City NBA Championship game.
As the set sped all too fast to a conclusion, the crowd roared as the first psychedelic notes of “Alrighty Aphrodite” were played. “Shampoo Bottles” had the fans singing from the very first words of the lyrics while bouncing during the chorus.
After a loud demand for an encore, Smith came out to play a solo of “Peach Pit.” It was mentioned this was the first song that Smith used to convince Vanderkooy to form a band. After the final encore, the band left the stage as they arrived, waving to the audience.
Briston Maroney is co-headlining the tour and was the default master of ceremonies. He got to the stage and started to immediately demand the audience show their enthusiasm. He walked up to the edge of the stage and lifted his arms to get the crowd roaring, “Come on. I see you. You’ve got to feel it tonight, Los Angeles. F*cking feel it, we’re together. I do not like to yell.”
He has a real love of nature. The stage during his set was decorated like an enchanted forest. During the song “Body,” he decided he’d get the crowd their daily dose of cardio by calling out, “We’re all geese.” He got everyone to flap their arms. His love of nature continued during “Land of Life.” He took a seat and told the crowd to imagine that he was sitting by a campfire. Joining him for “Land of Life” and “Caroline” on violin was Dougal McLean of Peach Pit. “Caroline” was for those country-folk fans who wore their boots to the night.
The folk rock song “The View’ was introduced by a Disneyland Haunted Mansion-like voice over. He ran around in circles as if chased by ghosts during the lyrics “Run around in circles til I find myself a blah.” “June” showed his timing. Even though it was a soft singer songwriter tune, he paused with great effect to get the crowd in a cheering mood. He took the moment to engage with the audience. He noticed a guy wearing a cap, drinking a beer. One can assume the beer drinker had a rather blank look on his face, because Maroney demanded a smile and got one.
He yelled out a celebration of Pride Month during “Be Yourself.” The closing song “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate” got the crowd singing along.
Opening for Peach Pit and Briston Maroney was Bnny who entered the stage wearing a fashionable chain mail coif. Lead singer Jessica Viscius looked out at the vastness of the Greek Theater and called out the crowd, “Los Angeles. City of Angels. Lots of angels on stage and one demon.” The demon being the one male on stage. “Something Blue” was not about an ex-boyfriend, but a new boyfriend. It was a quiet reminiscing song. Viscius usually plays with twin sister Alexa, but her sister had to skip the tour due to just giving birth. However, Alexa did join for the Weezer cover “Undone (The Sweater Song).” Perhaps a little nervous during the show, Viscius admitted after playing the final song of the set “Take That Back” that she had forgotten to tune her guitar. It didn’t take away at all from the set one bit.
There was one Bnny proclamation that did not fare well with the partisan Los Angeles sports crowd. Being from Chicago, she had to show her baseball loyalties. “Go Sox!” That got boos from the audience. She felt like amends had to be made, but just couldn’t justify saying Dodgers so with an apology, “Go Lakers?”
Peach Pit Setlist: Magpie, Drop the Guillotine Psychics in LA, Black Licorice, Up Granville, Give Up Baby Go, Outta Here, Did You Love Somebody, Being So Normal, Alrighty Aphrodite, Shampoo Bottles, Private Presley. Encores: Peach Pit, Tommy’s Party.
Briston Maroney setlist: Real Good Swimmer, Paradise, Small Talk, Tomatoes, Body, Better Than You, Land of Life, Caroline, The View, Under My Skin, June, DNA, Be Yourself, Freakin’ Out on the Interstate.
BNNY setlist: Let Me Be Your Dog, Not Even You, Get It Right, Something Blue, Changes, Swans, Undone (The Sweater Song) (Weezer cover), Promises, Time Walk, Take That Back.
