We all Live in Orville Peck’s World Now: High Water Day Two Recap

By the very nature of music, it – and the festivals made up of it – tend to be “woke.” High Water this year has been no exception. It’s impossible not to be aware of it with headliner Rainbow Kitten Surprise led by such a powerful trans woman, socially active groups like the Black Opry Revue and queer artists such as Angel Olson and Orville Peck on the bill. But it’s Peck’s fans who really make you notice. The South African via Canada artist’s fans were everywhere ranging from a huge man in a pink romper and matching mask, to a family of four with their kids in full Orville regalia to a young shirtless gay man with a sleeveless leather vest reading “Twinks for Orville” on the back. It’s the people attending who make or break any festival and the openness and friendliness of the crowd made this year truly special.

Palm Palm

My day should have begun with Kyshona. She blew me away at Bristol this year. She’s a fabulous artist and you need to hear her. Unfortunately, I only eat once a day when covering a festival and Lewis Barbecue with it’s attending long lines was calling. I feel a little bad but anyone who knows me knows who will win in a contest involving the best brisket outside of Texas. I did make it to the festival in time for Palm Palm. Ezra Furman was ill and Palm Palm was called late Saturday night as a substitute. You couldn’t tell as the Second Bell alumni absolutely rocked the early set. Raab, Carp, Raff, and Coco were all over the stage and played the best set I have ever seen them perform. Palm Palm’s music is both explosive and danceable, especially when lead sing J Roddy Walston plays the piano more like a percussion instrument, This is a don’t miss act whom I hope we can catch back in Knoxville soon.

Black Opry Revue

The Black Opry Revue followed. Organized by Julia Williams, the BOR’s stated purpose is to bring to light the purveyors of country music who were always present but often ignored. Country music of the mainstream Nashville sort has become triumphalist and conformist, music that says you can only be this kind of person. But, art is always about speaking for the powerless and BOR aims to bring POC and Queer artists into the spotlight. With a rotating cast of about 200 members, every show is different, but they all share that goal. This year Ping Rose – an excellent blues guitarist and singer – provided the house band for a half dozen performers. They included Jett Holden, Aaron Vance, Nikki Morgan, Roberta Lea, Julie Williams and Tyler Bryant. It was moving and powerful to see so many black voices up there, but it was also just a damn good, fun and entertaining show.

Lucius

Lucius was up next back on the main stage. They are known for their stage presence and brought it today. Dressed in matching mirrored dresses and blonde wigs, they played keyboards, keytars and matching drums but mostly just sang with the most spine-tingling harmonies you will hear this side of the Louvin Brothers. Madi Diaz joined them for one song.

Bully

Back on Edisto, Bully was next. A solo project of Nashville’s Alicia Bognanno, Bully play Nirvana style punk, as to be expected by a protegee of Steve Albini who has a distinctly Cobain-like howl in her vice. Although they didn’t perform Their excellent cover of Peck’s “Turn to Hate,” the no-frills set was a perfect palate cleanser for what came next.

Orville Peck

What came next was Orville Peck back on the Sono stage and the crowd was wild, the loudest I’ve heard at High Water. Arguably, from crowd size and noise, Peck was the true headliner of this festival, in spite of the five PM start time. Dressed in a red leather, flame embossed jump suit and playing a Gretsch White falcon (and, really, what else could you play with that outfit), Peck had the crowd in his hand from the moment he did his Cash imitation introduction, “Hello, I’m Orville Peck.” Peck has absolutely exploded over the past couple years and he’s learning how to perform big gestures for the bigger stage. He was much more active than I’ve seen him be in previous shows. Peck opened with “Daytona Sand,” and “Turn to Hate’ and played most of both his albums as well as a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Cowboys are Secretly Fond of One Another.” Personally, I really want to hear him cover the Magnetic Fields “Papa was a Rodeo,” so I’m just putting that out there. Anyway, the set was exemplary. At one point, Peck was singing about anyone being a star and he pointed right at the aforementioned family of four in the masks. The look on the young daughter’s faces was unforgettable (I’m tearing up remembering) and tells me what a star he is. I hope those of you who saw him at the Mill and Mine enjoyed it because he will be in Thompson-Boling Arena the next time he comes to town.

Angel Olson

Back to the Edisto for Angel Olson. Peck’s a hard act to follow but Olson has her own fanatical following, leading to a surprisingly large crowd. Dressed in a bright yellow jumpsuit with the rest of her band, including a two-piece string section, in similar primary colored clothing, she made a striking impression. Opening with “Dream Thing,” the band was fantastic, rocking out a little but mostly staying true to her music. Highlights included “Sister,” “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” and “Ghost On.”

Wilco with Lucius

Back on Sonos, it was time for Wilco. I wrote yesterday that Bleachers would probably be my favorite set but, really, what was I thinking? Wilco is my favorite band and one of the best live bands in the world right now and they were in a rocking mood. It’s hard to believe I could enjoy a set so much when it lacked so many of my favorites (“Misunderstood,” “Via Chicago,” “I am Trying to Break Your Heart”) but that’s how good Wilco is at this time. They opened with “I am My Mother” and “Cruel Country” from the new record and then really got to work with a stunning jam on “Handshake Drugs.” “Spiders (kidsmoke)’ and “Impossible Germany” followed, showing the mood they were in. Tweedy’s voice was as good as I have ever heard it and the band was on fire. Nels Cline, rightfully, get the lion’s share of the credit but Wilco at it’s best is a three-guitar band and both Tweedy and Pat Sansone were incredible. They brought out Lucius for “Jesus, etc,” adding a lovely layer of complexity to the song. They also played “Falling Apart (right now)” and “Bird Without a Tail/Base of my Skull” from the new record. They closed with a powerhouse foursome of “Heavy Metal Drummer,” “Shot in the Arm,” “I Got You (at the end of the century), and “Outtasight (Outtamind).”

Shovels and Rope

Back on Edisto, festival founders Shovels and Rope were up. They also had a loud crowd singing every word of every song, as befits the hometown heroes. It may have been the loudest set of the festival, chasing me to the rear of the crowd after a couple songs. The guitarist and drummer duo have a quiet mode and a louder, rocking mode and this was definitely the latter. Songs like “I Know” had a primal intensity and an excellent rendition of “The Wire” was the quietest they got.

Beck

Finally, it was time for Beck to close out the festival on the main stage. Beck began playing “Golden Age” on solo acoustic and played five songs by himself, including an excellent version of Neil Young’s “Old Man” in which he led a singalong and “Tropocalia” in which he led the crowd in a clapping lesson. The band came out and immediately went into party mode with “Devil’s Haircut” and “New Pollution.” Beck posed with his guitar, danced and moonwalked, and generally looked like he just recorded Mellow Gold yesterday instead of twenty years ago. “Up All Night” and, of course, “Loser” were also highlights but the surprise was the Cage the Elephant cover “Night Running” which closed the set.

Congrats to the whole team who, after some stumbles restarting, has once again turned High Water fest into an example for the future of music festivals and one of the best concert-going experiences in America.