PEACHES + Eagles Of Death Metal @ Metropolis

By Mike Bresciani - The Lonesome Strangers - 07/19/2006

Peaches, featuring Eagles Of Death Metal?

Nope, I really didn’t see that one coming. Although they have each released albums with spicy titles such as Impeach My Bush and Death By Sexy respectively, this unlikely live combination seems just about as obvious (natural) as maple syrup and fish sticks… cucumber/earmuffs… Yanni and Garfunkel.

Even with the improbable pairing, there was no shortage of entertainment on and off the stage. Where else but at a Peaches show would you be able to see women in full-out dominatrix outfits (Editor's note: Um...)? This was without a doubt one of the sexiest crowds I’d ever been a part of, as there were wall-to-wall women seemingly pulled straight from those over-the-top American Apparel ads. You know, the ones popularizing ass cleavage? God I love them.

What’s even more impressive is that frontman Jesse Hughes noticed. More often than not, performers will play to the audience’s lowest common denominator in an effort to bond with its flock. Now although he might’ve re-iterated the need to “rock” one too many times, he was bang-on with one thing: “this was definitely the sexiest audience he had seen so far”. His band might not be the sexiest of the lot, but they sure as hell put on a fantastic show. With two solid albums in the tank, EODM should surely be known as one of the premiere new rock acts out there, instead of being known as a Josh Homme side project. Many fans were disappointed that he wasn’t touring with the band, as I’m sure his priorities with Queens Of The Stone Age and his new family might’ve kept him occupied.

This didn’t really matter since their opening performance was quite memorable. They played selections from both LPs, as well as a few covers that really caught the audience’s attention: “Beat On The Brat”, “Stuck In The Metal” and “Brown Sugar”, three reasonably well-known rock songs played to perfection. One would be used to seeing bands playing the most obscure of cover songs, but the choices helped provide this sort of all-inclusive mentality to the show. It gave people a chance to get acquainted with some classics, as well as some of their own goodies such as “Cherry Cola”, “I Want You So Hard” and “Speak In Tongues”.

I’m just gonna come right out and say it: everybody should listen to Eagles Of Death Metal. The name might rub you the wrong way -- initially -- since it doesn’t really reflect their style of music. I guess it’s just the result of throwing Don Henley and Slayer into a blender.

Shortly after their fantastic set, the artist formerly known as Peaches took the stage -- or should I say balcony -- of the Metropolis. With several friends dragging me near the front end of the stage, I felt more and more like a voyeur, or better yet a poseur in the middle of all these freakishly beautiful people. Everyone was dancing around, and in all honesty, I am a hilariously terrible dancer. What’s even more terrifying is dancing to songs you’ve never heard before. But to be fair, I had listened to some of Peaches' material, although I myself have never come to appreciate the artist that so defiantly flips the tables on our misogynistic music community. Some rap musicians sing about bitches, pussy and gettin’ crizz-unked. I for one never really gave two shits. Now, we have Peaches giving us the same sort of shtick, kind of. Singing songs like “Tent In Your Pants” and “2 Boys For Every Girl” just reinforces that ultra-horny vibe she can set off, which isn’t such a bad thing. I might not be a fan of her music, but at least she’s got the ovarian fortitude to tell it like it is. According to the book of Peaches, women are just as horny as men, if not more so.

The show itself was quite entertaining, as Peaches would dance around onstage, losing more and more clothing as the night went by. She’s got the sexual energy of the Material Girl, with the appeal of Weird Al (sans moustache) in a bikini. Again, not the most amazing combination, but it was all I was able to think about during the show. There’s a definite resemblance, and now that you’ve heard it, don’t tell me otherwise. That being said, the entertainment was certainly a big reason many enjoyed the show. Truthfully, how many times will you get to see someone perform CPR to a giant inflatable dick? Also, nobody gyrates like Peaches does, and now that I’ve said it, I’d like to forget it. I’d also like to forget about the man who tried picking me up at the bar while using the extremely popular “dance your pants off” technique.

Next time I go to the bar, I’m going two-by-two with my bar buddy.

As for the musical content of the show, synth-heavy songs like “Shake Yer Dix” and “AA XXX” had the crowd following Peaches’ every move; however I preferred the selections that were played as a four-piece rock band, such as the obvious choice of “Rock Show”. The heavier power chord material got me thinking of my good ol’ Bikini Kill albums, as well as my other Riot Grrrl bands I’d come to enjoy. The Sleater-Kinney’s and the L7’s will always be more appealing to me as opposed to the amazingly filthy mouth of our homegrown hero.

"Fuck The Pain Away" was the last song I had witnessed, as I then decided to exit the venue. I had stayed much later than I had originally anticipated, mostly because the show was much more entertaining than I thought it would be. Peaches is an amazing entertainer and one can understand why she has such an amazing following. Her music just doesn’t do it for me, as it feels like too much of a novelty and less as an art form, but hey, that’s my opinion, so don’t shake yer dix at me!

In conclusion: I don’t like Peaches… I just like the girls… who like Peaches.

[Tune in to The Lonesome Strangers every Wednesday from 3pm to 5pm.]