Model/Actriz
Mine and everyone else’s anticipation for the upcoming show only grew stronger as we stood waiting in Rialto Theatre. I’ve heard many great compliments about Model/Actriz and the performances they put on, and it felt about right that I was about to see it for myself. I felt so much excitement, and it only grew stronger once the band claimed the stage.
The opening notes to Vespers rang through the room, sharp and steady. I was already drawn in and ready to dance, but got sucked in deeper when Cole Haden, their lead vocalist, began singing. His stage presence was totally intoxicating, demanding everyone’s attention. Strobing white lights flashed from the back of the stage, creating the awesome illusion of stop motion movement while Haden danced along to the music. I could not tear my eyes away even if I wanted to. The lighting suits the tense, lustful, and dangerous feeling that Model/Actriz perfectly portray in their productions. Haden’s playful and experimental voice brings each lyric to life.
They played a few songs from their 2025 album Pirouette, such as Cinderella and my personal favourite, Diva. Dogsbody, their album released in 2023, was shown just as much love with thrilling tracks like Mosquito and Donkey Show. Their setlist was curated perfectly, each song flowed into one another beautifully.
I do wish that the crowd showed Model/Actriz more love though. My friend and I were dancing like crazy, so were a few others around us, but the majority were keeping pretty still and not cheering nearly as loudly as they should have, even when Haden requested crowd participation. It’s a shame too because Haden is such a magnetic performer. He moved through the crowd, looking for people to dance along with him, singing in peoples faces.
I don’t know if I could think of a better opener for Peaches than Model/Actriz. They’re theatrical in their performance, it’s drag, it’s queer, it’s boundary breaking. I was left wanting more once their set ended, but equally felt so ready to see Peaches! I’ve been listening to Model/Actriz nonstop since seeing their performance, already looking forward to the next chance I get to see them live once more.
Peaches
Finally, it was time for Peaches to take the stage. Cheering filled the room once the house lights went dark. Warm lighting lit up the stage, and Hanging Titties, the opening track off No Lube So Rude, began blasting through to everyone’s ears. Peaches and two of her dancers came out onto the stage wearing suits that were covered head to toe in hanging titties. They swayed and flung around as the three of them danced, causing cries of joy to come from the crowd.
Peaches’ performances are always filled with such incredible costumes, most of which are crude and based on body anatomy. Genitals, breasts, intestines, pubic hair, you name it and Peaches has probably worn it. It’s queer theater at some of its best. Paired with her clubby, electro-punk productions that would bring anybody to dance, her cleverly sexual lyrics, and an undeniable attitude that just oozes out of her while she’s on stage, a Peaches performance is consistently entertaining.
The dancers that she had on stage were so likeable and talented. Their bodies brought life to any costume they wore. Gyrating hips and wide leg and arm movements agitated the hair that hung from the skin fabrics, opened up labia and lips to show off what was underneath, the possibilities felt endless. There was always something to train my eye on, but never too much. There were only ever at most five people on stage, either dancing or setting up platforms for the performers to dance on. Even the stagehands sported a couple of costumes, keeping the viewer in the world of Peaches throughout the entire performance.
This was a loaded setlist that I will be rocking to in my car for weeks to come. We were blessed with many songs off No Lube So Rude of course, but she also brought us back to 2003 with I U She and Operate from Fatherfucker, 2015 with Vaginoplasty, I Mean Something, and the title track off Rub. And of course, 2006 with Slippery Dick and Boys Wanna Be Her from Impeach My Bush. I don’t think there was a single moment that I or those around me were not dancing. I was grabbed by my belt loops and shaken around. I was covered in sweat and had a smile on my face about it. The night was filled with a palpable intensity that I could not get enough of.
Of course, Peaches’ stage presence is something to behold. She made sure to make her morals clear, stripping herself of multiple body suits sporting messages such as “FUCK ICE,” “QUEEF THE RICH,” “BLACK LIVES MATTER,” “GAY FOR PALESTINE,” and “TRANS LIVES MATTER” as she performed Flip This and Light in Places back to back. Her voice transcended the room, surrounding us all with urgency. She stepped onto the crowd as well, trusting those underneath her to hold her body up. After being gently lowered into the pit, she walked through the crowd and to the balcony.
It wouldn’t be a Peaches production if there wasn’t a giant inflatable of some sort. This time, it was something that felt mangled, prolapsed, overall wonderful. An amalgamation of hanging fleshy bits, veins, and orifices that all came together in this long, stretched out form that fit with one of the No Lube So Rude themes of deconstructing our unhealthy views of different or aging bodies.
I was amazed the last time I saw Peaches perform in Montreal, and this time was no exception either. I had an incredible amount of fun. I was moved, I was amused, I was left inspired and filled with an unmoveable energy. Peaches’ No Lube So Rude has a certain urgency in its production, like she is pushing my instincts past their settings when I listen to it. I felt that urgency with incredible force during her performance and it filled me with adrenaline. There’s also just nothing like sharing a room filled with queer people of all varieties and ages. With how the rest of the world treats us, it feels good to escape for a night altogether, simultaneously witnessing a show that is designed to push limits so our community can have more room in this world.
A Peaches show will always be a great show. The theatrics are incredibly immersive, the music is so much fun to dance to, the costumes are gorgeously created, and I always leave feeling like I could run a marathon. Truly a one of a kind experience!
Review – Jamie Siddall
Photos – Daphne Miller
