Houston’s New Space Cowboy — Orville Peck Pulls a Willie Nelson Fake Out, Hands Out Roses and Croons About Gay Cowboy Love

Cowboys and cowgirls, decked out in their snazziest boots and bedazzled denim, descended upon Houston’s House of Blues for masked country crooner Orville Peck on Tuesday night. Though his face remains something of a mystery, as Peck has never shown the upper half of it publicly, Peck wore his heart on his sleeve for fans. And took joy in teasing them.

As Peck walked onto the stage in a floral, sequin embroidered cowboy hat and pin-striped denim suit, several people in the front of the crowd began to Texas two-step in anticipation. After pulling everyone in with his mournful single “Big Sky,” Peck laid down the ground rules for his concerts. Everyone must sing along even if they don’t know the words, dance if they can, and Peck encouraged in a maniacal voice “If at any point you feel like crying, you have to cry.”

Peck’s third rule was a natural transition to his soulful ballad “C’mon Baby, Cry” that brought cheers rather than tears from the crowd as he belted the chorus. Soon after, the concert briefly turned into an episode of The Bachelor as Peck tossed three red roses to members of the audience who caught his eye for their creative outfits and killer dance moves.

Duets and Childhood Dreams

Currently on his Stampede tour for his album of duets with fellow country singers, Peck explained that the idea was inspired by an “old guy from Texas” — Willie Nelson. The Red-Headed Stranger himself and Orville Peck recorded a cover of the playful gay love song “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.” Peck played a twisted prank on this Houston crowd too, pretending to introduce Nelson for a live performance of the song, before reminding everyone the 91-year old Texas icon is also on his own tour right now.

“This is a Texas anthem, I hope you enjoy it,” Peck said in introducing the bluesy ballad.

The crowd was inclined to agree, a few couples even began slow dancing. In between songs, Peck cleverly filled the silence with howls of coyotes and the chirps of crickets, giving the concert a disco in the desert aesthetic. 

This rhinestone cowboy who hails from South Africa had a busy day ahead of his performance sightseeing in Houston. A baritone, smooth talker, Peck told the tightly packed audience he lived out his childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut while touring NASA’s Johnson Space Center earlier in the day. And he wore his leather masquerade mask there, thanking NASA for making him a Space Cowboy.

Saving the favorites for last, Peck serenaded the House of Blues crowd with his hauntingly beautiful vibrato on “Dead of Night” and fired everyone up to clap for the near entirety of “Daytona Sand.” Luckily, the audience met Peck’s entry requirement for performing the lilting, fast-paced latter song. Some people in the crowd were from both Florida and Mississippi, which Peck spells out during the song.

Peck’s own Texas rodeo will sadly end after he returns to Austin City Limits for another performance on Sunday.