Masked country star Orville Peck has attracted a lot of recent attention for his countrified cover of Lady Gaga’s signature tune, “Born This Way.” But when he performed for a packed house at the National last week, it was his own powerful presence that dominated the night. Photographer extraordinaire Rich Tarbell was on hand to capture the scene.
The moment Orville Peck sauntered onstage at The National, I knew who the best dressed human in Richmond was on the night of Wednesday, October 22, and that whoever was second best was going to be a distant second. That being said, what a beautiful crowd of Richmonders — so many sharp-dressed folks. After the show, I was rethinking my entire wardrobe. The place was packed with close to 1500 people — one of the managers told me before the show started that it could sell out with last minute walk-ups.
When a pandemic plus common decency to your fellow human beings dictates you wear a mask indoors in public spaces, what better icon than Orville Peck to inspire you? There were so many amazing homemade fringe-tinged masks in the audience. Fashion-forward health safety is a beautiful thing.
Musically, the band was tight and you could see them finding their groove after a guarded start to the first two or three songs. The secret weapon in his touring band is Bria Salmena. She was a force, but with a nonchalant cool. The duet interaction was exceptional.
In what should not have been a surprise to anyone, the encore was Orville’s countrified version of the Lady Gaga song “Born This Way”. He has gotten a lot of attention for his recent covers, and deservedly so, but it was hearing the mysterious “Dead of Night” on the radio a few years ago that I swallowed hook, line, and sinker. Before I even knew what he looked like, knew his image — the impeccable wardrobe and all — it was his baritone voice that got me. To hear him sing in person for the first time (I could not attend his show at The Camel a couple years back) was special and impressive.
The night was sealed by the woman who was ushering the balcony and led me down to the VIP boxes to take photos. When we left, she was giggling and smiling, and kept saying, “Oh my, that was just fantastic!” It’s hard to impress those veteran venue workers, but she clearly enjoyed her shift.
One more thought – shout-out to all the staff at The National. Everyone that I encountered was super pro and very friendly. That crew has probably had a pretty rough go of it the last year and a half like so many in the music venue industry. It was a reminder that you might have a beautiful venue to stage a concert but places like The National, the 9:30 Club in D.C., Brooklyn Bowl in New York City, First Avenue in Minneapolis – those places are among the best in the country because of the people working it, not the brick and mortar.
All Photos by Rich Tarbell
