Masked cowboy? Rodeo ringmaster? Broadway star? Yeah, that’s Orville Peck and he’s making country damn cool!
Orville Peck has a knack for flipping expectations. One minute, he’s hosting a jaw-dropping rodeo in Pioneertown; the next, he’s stealing the show on Broadway’s Cabaret. It’s bold. And it’s proving that country music’s future can go beyond tradition to be something completely unexpected while staying authentic to its core.
Roundup: Into the Rodeo Ring
Orville Peck has officially announced his 7th Annual Rodeo, set to return to Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA from November 14–16, 2025. Rooted in desert grit and creative flair, this isn’t your average music festival—it’s a full-on immersive world curated by Peck himself. The lineup already features heavy-hitters like Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Joy Oladokun, and Allison Russell, along with a slew of like-minded artists across country, indie, soul, and rock. Peck’s annual Rodeo is the gold standard of what it means to blend country music with high-low culture.
Curtain Up: From Rodeo to Broadway
Fast forward to 2025, and Peck is lighting up Broadway as the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret. Here’s the curveball: he does it nearly unmasked, performing in-the-round and stripping away his signature face gear—but it doesn’t feel like he’s hiding. He told People performing without the mask was “exhausting and fulfilling,” a moment of vulnerability meeting catharsis.
Cool Recalibrated
What makes Orville Peck so magnetic isn’t just his iconic fringe mask or groundbreaking queer-country persona, it’s the way he’s reshaping country music by pushing creative boundaries and redefining what “cool” even means. His rodeo isn’t just another country event; it combines diverse musical lineups and drag performances, creating an inclusive space that draws younger fans, artists, and communities that have traditionally felt left out by mainstream country music. Meanwhile, his Broadway debut in Cabaret strips away the mask (literally), revealing raw vulnerability and emotional complexity, proving country artists can thrive in theater, engage with Broadway fans, and expand the genre’s cultural relevance. By effortlessly shifting from desert rodeos to city stages, Peck is not only bridging underground authenticity with mainstream glamour, he’s attracting diverse, unexpected audiences and showing everyone that today’s country music isn’t just cool—it’s compelling, fearless, and open to anyone willing to embrace it.
His latest album Stampede (2024) doubles down on this genre-bending ethos, blending guitars, disco, cantina grooves, and duets with powerhouses like Elton John, Willie Nelson, Beck and Kylie Minogue and Diplo. It’s all country at its heart, but with enough surprises to keep you on your toes.
Orville Peck & Kylie Minogue & Diplo – Midnight Ride (Official Lyric Video)
For the Wild Hearted Fan
- Expect the unexpected: Raw creativity, sonic mashups, and risk-taking.
- Look for inclusivity: Peck’s world is built on queer celebration, community art, and emotional authenticity.
- Feel empowered to experiment: Whether you’re dressing up for rodeo or heading to a theater seat, there’s space to be loud, soft, messy, and brave.
Bottom Line
Orville Peck isn’t following any previous playbook. He’s building a new dusty highway for himself. From desert rodeos to Broadway spotlights, he’s showing that country cool isn’t one note—it’s a journey. And we have a front seat to enjoy the ride!
Stay Wild. Stay Bold. Stay Country Cool.
