Omar Apollo brought his God Said No tour to Red Hat Amphitheater Wednesday night. Apollo’s second studio album has received tall praise from various critics, including those from Rolling Stone, NME, Pitchfork, The New York Times, and more, and the love was shown in Raleigh, North Carolina. Apollo’s music is often mercurial and introspective but with a pop-indie foundation which makes for a full emotional experience when at one of his concerts.
Malcolm Todd is a strong opener, along with his bandmates Jonah Cochran, Asher Kartman, Luke Tyler Shelton, and Charlie Ziman. In between songs, Todd mentioned he will be turning 21 in a few days while still on tour with Apollo. The energy was definitely high, while the music has such a calm nostalgic and groovy indie sound.
Both artists’ music has that combination of loss whether that be from heartbreak or nostalgia which pairs so well together on tour. Kevin Abstract and Ravyn Lenae will be joining while they travel the West Coast. Apollo’s upcoming tour dates are shown on his website.
The second night of Orville Peck’s Stampede Tour was filled with laughter and dancing on and off the stage at Red Hat Amphitheater. Plus it was fairly nice outside for a North Carolina summer night—not much humidity, enough shade to go around, and everyone comfy in their Western getups.
All three acts for the night and for the first leg of the tour fit a soulful, raw sound with a little country, folk, soul, or indie–or a mix of them all. The acts blended well together and made for a memorable night.
First out on stage was Debbii Dawson, she stood alone with her guitar while delivering a powerful performance. Her voice is strong and beautiful, while also full of yearning, which pairs well with her dreamy guitar playing.
Middle act Durand Jones, who is performing as a solo act for this tour, played with a full band. He was full of energy and all across the stage with his saxophone and soulful singing.
Crooning cowboy Orville Peck, the headliner, played songs across his collection with his touring band. The first three songs alone were off all three of his LPs–Pony, Bronco, and Stampede: Vol.1. Peck, like Durand Jones, sang and danced across the stage with fellow bandmates. His deep, soulful voice filled the amphitheater to lots of cheers. It is difficult to talk about Orville Peck without mentioning his signature look. His new Stampede-era style look, for tonight, included a black mask plus lots of colorful embroidery that contrasted well with his black ink tattoos; he had an embroidered: cowboy hat, jeans, and vest.
Each and every performer had infectious smiles, foot tapping, and swaying, which audience members gladly mimicked.
For the tour, Orville Peck is of course promoting his new album, Stampede: Vol. 1. Debbii Dawson also has an upcoming EP How To Be Human out on June 28, 2024. Last year, Durand Jones came out with Wait Til I Get Over.
The Stampede Tour is one not to miss and has several upcoming dates from now through October, featuring several more accompanying performers such as The War and Treaty, Goldie Boutilier, Jaime Wyatt, Nikki Lane, Gold Star, Emily Nenni, and Vincent Neil Emerson.
