Kansas has been a pretty miserable place for the queer community lately. Between invalidating the driver’s licenses of our trans friends and a slew of other anti-trans laws, our friends and loved ones have been needing a break. Luckily, Peaches provided a reprieve from the nightmare when she blew through Liberty Hall on Thursday night.
The event wasn’t just a celebration of queer culture and community, it was also a celebration of art. These productions that Peaches has been bringing on tour have mastered the art of doing so much with very little. A few adjustable risers and a couple of lights on wheels had Peaches’ entire artistic vision on display (the giant inflatable colon was also an exciting focal point for the evening). The costumes were to die for. She delighted the fans with a sort of ghillie suit made of dicks, a meat dress, and about ten different ways to show off body hair.
We do love an artist who’s not afraid to get up close and personal with their fans, and Peaches made sure there was not a bad seat in the house. She spent a good portion of the set running around Liberty Hall, dancing with attendees, and even climbed on top of them to get to the balcony (take notes Wayne Coyne, she didn’t even need a bubble!). Peaches, along with her trusty crew of leather-strapped backup dancers, boogied and shimmied in every corner, athleticism on full display. Even if you were in the nosebleed section, you got a front row seat. We’re willing to bet good money that at some point, everyone in that venue got to reach out and touch a Peaches.
The night began with a phenomenal set from your new favorite band and mine, Wheelchair Sports Camp. This is an experimental hip-hop and punk act from Kalyn Rose Heffernan, an activist who rapped from her wheelchair donning a wedding dress. Armed with little more than a laptop, a drummer, and endless snarky one-liners, she delivered a thrilling performance full of dark humor. The entire night ended the way it began, with Peaches bringing Heffernan out to duet on “Fuck the Pain Away,” before Peaches brought out some local drag performers for “No Lube So Rude.”
The two-hour event was full of theatrics and flaccid penises, but the overall theme was a lesson in love. How to give love, how to receive love, how to feel loved. We’re lacking a lot of love in this country right now, so the show served as a good refresher. It was hard not to be filled with the warm fuzzies.
There’s a reason Peaches ended up here on Thursday. The entire tour saw Peaches visiting places she normally doesn’t get to play (some more rural-centered areas). If there’s ever a time to hit the road and travel to see (and support) the queer community in underrepresented areas, this is it. It was hard not to notice the feeling of togetherness the show brought out. But most importantly, getting to see the community feel at ease (even for just one night) was a dose of happiness we all needed.
Photos from the night below: