As a new dad, going out on a school night feels a bit selfish, but go out to see Peaches perform at Sugar I did; I hope my daughter will someday understand that it was the right decision, because on Thursday, September 29, I glimpsed a bit of the future that I hope that she and her generation will fully embrace.
The diverse crowd was amped from the get-go. Opening act Quay Dash hit the stage and quickly got the crowd moving. I know little about the Bronx MC but she ripped the mic as well as anyone I’ve seen over the years; she was confident and had a powerful presence of self. The strong beats got the blood pumping and the hips swaying; she was repping her first full length EP, Transphobic, and her lyrics reflected life as a black transgendered woman while showcasing her skills as a NYC wordsmith.
Peaches then took the stage to showcase her latest album, Rub. With hair. Hair suits. Wigs. Leather. Breasts (lots of breasts). And beats! Banging beats! And more hair.
Peaches’ brand of electro club bangers are all about gettin’ your freak on, being yourself, being proud of who you are and throwing gender norms into last century.
After the show, I spent time discussing the performance and its implications with other attendees. When asked how to describe the show, some were shell-shocked, able to offer only garbled fragments. Many more were actually speechless, but they all agreed that they now inhabited a post-Peaches world.
It’s a world in which gender and sexual preference doesn’t matter. One where you can be the person you want to be regardless of what gender you identify as. A world in which people aren’t ashamed to love who they choose to love or to look how they want to look. It’s the 21st century; gone are the days of telling anyone how they should or shouldn’t act, talk, look, or dress.
And that’s the big takeaway from my selfish night out: Peaches showed me a glimpse of the world I want my daughter to grow up in. It’s a tolerant world. An awesome world. A rockin’, peaceful, loving world.
A Peaches world.