Last Sunday, Vancouver indie rockers Peach Pit finally made their long-awaited Atlanta debut to a sold-out crowd at Variety Playhouse. After a tumultuous two years that saw the band release one album at the very beginning of the pandemic and record and release another at the tail end, the show at Variety was long overdue; some fans had held onto their tickets for two years in anticipation of the band finally making it to the south. The energy in the audience was electric — they were both reverent and intensely raucous, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Variety Playhouse as full as it was Sunday night.
In a recent interview with Melodic, lead singer Neil Smith gave us a broad idea of what to expect from the band’s setlist, which is already pretty deep and beloved despite their relatively short existence. When I say Peach Pit played it all, I really mean it — they spent just as much time diving in on deep cuts off of 2016’s Sweet FA as they did playing songs off of this month’s From 2 to 3, and even they seemed shocked on stage at the incredible reception given to them by the sold-out crowd — Smith frequently noted that Atlanta was the craziest shows they’ve ever played, and the entire band seemed to feed off of the energy provided to them with extended jam-outs and a deviation away from the typical set that they’ve played on tour. Whether it was Smith’s stage leap (not a dive – he caught air) or lead guitarist Chris Vanderkooy’s outright shredding on every song (there’s a case to be made that he is the greatest guitarist in indie rock), Peach Pit’s debut in Atlanta was both emblematic of a band that’s really putting it together and one that’s already too big for the rooms they’re playing in. One can only hope that they’ll venture back down south sooner than later.
Haley Blais opened up the night with a really beautiful set — her sound is incredibly intimate and personal, but songs like “Coolest f*cking b*tch in town” really underscored her impressive voice and ability to keep the crowd in the palm of her hand. Check out our photos of the night below:
