Peach Pit Brings the Energy in Burnaby
Photos by Mackenna Lecomte
From jaw-dropping guitar solos to mesmerizing “hairography,” Peach Pit certainly brings the energy to their performances.
On June 6, 2025, Vancouver’s own Peach Pit performed a “hometown-adjacent” concert. It took place at Deer Lake Park, Festival Lawn, in Burnaby, B.C. This show marked their 11th performance on the Long Hair, Long Life tour, alongside Briston Maroney.
When doors opened at 5:00 p.m., I quickly noticed how calm the crowd was. There was very limited stage rushing, which I had never really seen before. The sun beamed down from the clear blue sky as concertgoers set up their blankets on the lush festival lawn. The aroma of sunscreen filled the air as I observed people fanning themselves with their VIP passes. A crew of geese roamed one side of the lawn, while a group of people played hacky sack on the other.
The heat was unrelenting during the opening band BNNY’s set. They played a beautiful set that was reminiscent of Mazzy Star.
Next was Briston Maroney. He and his band played an energetic and soulful set. Briston’s stage design reflected his whimsical stage persona. There was a large worm creature with massive googly eyes wrapped around the stage light scaffolding behind the drummer. There were also tree-like structures and large fake rocks with moss scattered throughout the stage, along with green shimmery fabrics resembling vines draped over the lights. It felt like a Rainforest Café—if you were tripping on drugs. Briston and his band put on an amazing show. His live vocals are truly incredible; he sings with such grace and emotion. The set concluded with the fan favourite, “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate.”
After Briston and his band left the stage, the crowd began to grow tighter and the summer heat more intense. Fresh tattoos baked in the sun as the anticipation built. A quick look behind me showed that what was once a scattered crowd—people lounging on blankets or standing with wiggle room—had become a tight sea of people on their feet.
Finally, the sun began to ease up, and the stage was set. I could gush forever about how phenomenal this performance was, but to keep it digestible, I’ll go over some highlights...The intermission music was clicked off and replaced by the sound of hundreds of screaming fans. As soon as my eyes landed on singer Neil Smith and guitarist Chris Vanderkooy, my jaw dropped. My brain couldn’t compute the fact that one of my favourite bands was right in front of me.
Their set began with a mashup of “Magpie” from their newest album of the same name and “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. The performance started with the iconic “War Pigs” riff, which then slipped into “Magpie.” The “War Pigs” riff continued to weave in and out of the song. I watched in amazement as Neil threw his long black hair around while aggressively headbanging—without missing a chord on his guitar. Throughout the concert, Neil Smith and bassist Peter Wilton mesmerized the crowd by tossing their long hair around like rhythmic gymnastic ribbons. One standout moment was the song “Give Up Baby Go”—a favourite of mine to hear live. It has an addictive guitar and drum line that makes you want to dance. It has a western twang that somehow livened up the crowd even more. Not only was it a joy to hear, but it was a joy to watch. Every band member had a smile on their face and was dancing. Chris brought the energy with every riff. He has a way of playing that is truly enthralling: while his upper body is chained to the guitar, his lower half is marching, stomping, jumping, running, and dancing. During “Give Up Baby Go,” Chris had a solo that he played with guitarist Dougal Bain. Leading up to the solo, the two were on opposite sides of the stage. Once it was time, they marched and stomped to the beat toward each other. When they met, they both jumped and spun 180 degrees so their backs were facing each other. They then leaned on each other and marched in a circle—all while playing their solos. Meanwhile, Neil lies on his lifted stage in the centre, chording along.
Before playing “Did You Love Somebody,” Neil shared a story about the band’s last Vancouver show on their previous tour. He explained that during that show, he was very nervous because his girlfriend at the time was in the crowd and seeing him perform for the first time. Now, he was engaged to her, and they were getting married soon. The song was written for her. It was a sweet and wholesome moment.
As the sun started to go down, they began to play “What Once Was” by the band Her’s, mixing it with their own song “Techno Show” as a tribute to the late band.
Next on the setlist were “Alrighty Aphrodite” and “Shampoo Bottles.” The crowd was especially loud for these classics. “Alrighty Aphrodite” was one of the first Peach Pit songs I’d ever heard and has held a special place in my heart for over eight years. This was my first time hearing it live, and it was incredible. To feel the tension in each verse before the chorus—live—was truly life-altering. The added backup vocals from every fan gave me chills.
As their set neared the end and the sun continued to set, the sky filled with beautiful pink clouds. The opening picking riff of “Private Presley” began to play. This song is heartbreaking on its own, but somehow even more raw live. Dougal Bain should change his name to Dougal Pain— his violin playing was absolutely gut-wrenching. Every draw of his bow sliced through my heart. “Private Presley” at sunset brought me to tears. After a jaw-dropping guitar solo, the song concluded and the crowd howled as Peach Pit exited the stage.
The cries for one more song quickly grew louder. Soon after, Neil returned to the stage with an acoustic guitar. With a single spotlight on him, he asked the crowd if he could play one song solo before the rest of the band joined him. He began to reminisce about how the band got started. He shared that he had always wanted to start a band but never had anyone to start it with. “I was 20 and living with my parents when Chris and his mom moved in down the street,” he said. “I didn’t know Chris, but I’d always kinda saw him around—usually in the places where you’d go to smoke weed at night.” He went on to say that he and Chris attended a music festival separately: “He went with his friends, and I went with mine. I had taken some MDMA—and apparently so had Chris.” They bumped into each other, and Neil said, “We should start a band,” which he later regretted as it felt cliché and embarrassing. To his surprise, Chris took him up on the offer. “This is the first song I wrote and played for Chris,” Neil said as he began to play “Peach Pit.” Halfway through the song, he began to whistle a melody that has since become a guitar riff Chris plays.
After whistling, Neil smiled and said, “Now you guys understand why I needed Chris.” He then cheekily corrected the crowd for singing a few of the lyrics wrong.
After he finished, the rest of the band joined him for the final song, “Tommy’s Party,” from their first album. Before they began, both Peter and Neil’s dads joined them on stage to play harmonica solos during the song. Beaming with pride, Neil’s dad pulled out his phone and took a video of the crowd.
In conclusion, Peach Pit is a must-see band. They put on an incredible show and seem like really genuine and humble guys. It’s always lovely to see bands that enjoy playing their songs as much as the crowd loves hearing them.