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Peaches Gets Weird in Cleveland
Peaches’ first album in 10+ years brought the performance artist’s bizarre and iconic show across the US on her 2026 “No Lube So Rude Tour.” Photography and Review by Madison Cozzens
Sundays are usually for relaxation, football, and prepping for work the next day; that wasn't the case for those who attended the Peaches show on Sunday, September 20th. The iconic feminist musician, producer, and director brought her avant-garde, sexual, and high-energy show to Globe Iron. From crazy costumes to a liberating political message and dancing vaginas, Peaches’ “No Lube So Rude Tour” delivered on all fronts.
Denver's Biggest Smallest Band: Wheelchair Sports Camp
Before the opener took the stage, the tour’s bus driver performed for those who got there early. Dressed in a cowboy-esque outfit, the bus driver Trey Merrill strummed his acoustic guitar as the small crowd swayed to the music. Merrill explained that he got tired and bored of his old life and switched it up; now he’s driving a bus across the country while getting to write and perform his music. The 64-year-old’s songs are more akin to the Americana sounds of Guy Clark and Bruce Springsteen. Merrill was a reminder to everyone who was there that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
Wheelchair Sports Camp was the official opener of the show. The group, comprised of Kalyn Rose Heffernan and Greggy, is a duo that doesn't take themselves seriously. The catchy hip-hop beats get people listening, but Heffernan’s humorous and sarcastic lyrics resonate with listeners. Wheelchair Sports Camp expertly weaves their humor with political commentary, resulting in unique and memorable songs. Heffernan has excellent stage presence and crowd control, getting the venue to laugh at her jokes and sing along to the chorus. When trying to get the crowd to do a call-and-response for their song Make it Make Sense, she started with, “I’m a tiny little rapper suffering… from a praise kink. So if you could do this for me…” The duo caught the attention of the crowd during their set, and we saw plenty of Wheelchair Sports Camp merchandise throughout the night.
Time to Let Your Freak Flag Fly
Peaches took the stage at 9:15 to a crowd ready for this show since they bought the tickets. As a performance artist, Peaches’ show is something that is not a concert, but an experience. Something in a league all it’s own, almost like a live art installation piece. The singer came out on stage to Hangin Titties in a large costume that hid her face and matched the song’s name. The costumes added a unique movement and feeling to Peaches and her back-up dancers as they moved around the stage. She slowly took off the costume piece by piece during the first three songs of the night, and when her face was finally revealed, the crowd went wild. Peaches’ background in theater is apparent in the artistic choices throughout the show, in the costumes, staging, and lighting. The tour team was setting up different stage elements as Peaches performed, adding steps, lights, platforms, and blow-up elements to completely change the layout of the stage.
The No Lube So Rude Tour only has ten people in its crew, including the dancers, managers, bus driver, and Peaches herself. The show feels like a large scale production despite the small group, and Peaches made it known that every person in their crew gets to perform during the show at some point. With the amount of stage and costume changes, the 10-person crew is an impressive feat, and to top it all off, everyone seems to be having a blast. At one point during the show, Peaches seems to have a medical issue related to her neck, being escorted off stage by one of the crew members. After the “emergency”, Peaches’ head (a mannequin head, not her real one, don’t worry) falls out of the rafters and onto the stage. This is when Operate begins, as Peaches and a large headless “Peaches” take the stage together as giant fallopian tubes inflate behind them. The song is actually featured in Mean Girls during the Halloween party. Peaches can be found in many mainstream content, including Voicemails for Isabelle and Big Mistakes.
Connecting with the People
About halfway through the show, Peaches had the crowd help her “walk” from the main stage to the B-stage. They held up their hands to hold Peaches in the air as she sang I Feel Cream and got carried across the venue. Fans eagerly swarmed around her to get close to the artist and to get Peaches safely on the ground. She performed two songs with her backup dancers on the tiny stage, which was right in front of the Front of House crew. During Not In Your Mouth None of Your Business, the FOH crew got involved, wearing fun sunglasses while fist pumping and screaming along to the chorus. On her way back to the main stage, Peaches walked through the crowd, stopping to jump and interact with fans. While her shows are iconic, weird, and memorable, Peaches is also known for her feminist message, fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and challenging social norms and the patriarchy. Her onstage persona often boasts strange body hair, a direct protest against patriarchal standards and body shaming.
"... I’m sick of us shaming ourselves. It’s patriarchy, and it’s capitalism, and it’s control... We need to feel comfortable in our own fucking bodies."
Peaches continues to be an advocate for women and queer people everywhere, with music and performances to help people feel comfortable with who they are and dismantle the boxes we put ourselves in.
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