Orville Peck has been through hell, but he detoured through Brooklyn earlier this week to sing about it. Last month, the masked, openly gay country singer launched a tour in Sacramento, California, to promote his latest album, Mule. As he did in 2024, Peck booked two nights at the Brooklyn Paramount to welcome his growing fan base. Collaborations with Trixie Mattel, Elton John, and Willie Nelson have helped fuel his rise.
The spotlight hasn’t always provided warmth. In 2023, Peck abruptly canceled his tour following a suicide attempt and entered rehab, amid the end of a relationship. That history informs the new album’s candid reflections on heartbreak, addiction, and the possibility of recovery.
It wants better content.
A big ‘ol house full of ghosts
With a baritone recalling Chris Isaak, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison, Peck opened with “Big Ol’ House,” a melancholy portrait of solitude. “I live alone, honey,” he sang. “Big ol’ house and it’s full of ghosts I used to know.”
The deceptively upbeat “Already Gone” shifted the mood, portraying a man who seems to be enjoying life while quietly begging for help. “He’s everybody’s favorite but it takes a toll,” Peck sang.
Other selections from Mule included “Rehab Blues,” a cynical yet cheeky take on addiction treatment; “Too Little, Too Late,” a defiant kiss-off to a former lover; and “The Breeze, the Grass, the Mourning Dove and Me,” a poetic meditation on life’s constants.
Peck later reached into his vault for “Drive Me, Crazy,” a ballad about love between truckers on the open road, and “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other.” (The wild success of the stage adaptation of Brokeback Mountain suggests the feeling is mutual.)
The evening’s highlight came when Eva Noblezada surprised the audience, joining Peck for “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret. Last year, he made his Broadway debut as the Emcee opposite her Sally Bowles.
In this setting, the song felt like an anthem of optimism: “Maybe this time, I’ll win.”
For a performer whose new material wrestles with so much pain, that promise carried particular weight. Peck has long known how to make heartache tuneful. Here, he left room for hope.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org, available 24/7.
Fast facts: Orville Peck’s ‘Man Turned Mule’ tour
- Album: Mule (Warner Records, Sept. 18, 2026), available on all streaming platforms
- Man Turned Mule tour continues through November 22, including dates in Atlanta (Nov. 13), Nashville (Nov. 15), Toronto (Nov. 17), Boston (Nov. 21), and concludes in Huntington, New York (Nov. 22)
- Opening act: singer-songwriter Abbie Callahan
