While most Novembers would be defined by Thanksgiving, or Fall, or the holidays in general, this year my November was defined very early by Orville Peck’s 5th Annual Rodeo.
Taking place over three days and three nights in Pioneertown, California, at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, Orville Peck’s 5th Annual Rodeo was a celebration of country music, of drag and queer representation, of art, of the desert, of the west. Its energy reminded me of the Era’s Tour, of inclusion and love and safety and of music.
I’ve been going to Pioneertown since 20131, but this was the most time I’ve spent there consecutively. P&H was not just the perfect venue, with the greatest & most gracious of hosts for this celebration, but it really is the best roadhouse bar to huddle up with some Mac & cheese and mezcal on a cold desert night to listen to the best country music currently being produced.
The Eagles sang “I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight with a million stars all around,” and they most assuredly were talking about Pioneertown and Joshua Tree.
This playlist owes and is indebted a lot to that weekend, and I came very close to writing a separate post about The Desert and this music, but I’m not there yet. The Desert, that desert and that place, holds special meaning for me even before the Rodeo; besides a place of escape, it’s a place where I’ve never been closer to the California stars and all the promises they make, promises that can never be realized, no matter how much you may wish upon them.
That was the first half of my November, and the rest was spent being thankful. Thankful for still being here, after this past year.
This year I’m also thankful for music, for all the music below and all the music of the previous 11 months, and all the music I’ve yet to listen to and all the music yet to be recorded that will one day make up one of these playlists.
Here’s the music I listened to in November and why:
“Now and Then,” The Beatles - How can you start any sort of November 2023 playlist with anything except the (probably) last track ever released by The Beatles? A lot has been said about “Now and Then,” but I think there’s no way to accurately compare it to their back catalog and original releases in the way some have tried. “Now and Then” is exceptional because of when and how it was released; had it been finished decades ago and released it’d be a forgotten track. Also, there’s something profoundly moving and emotional about Paul (and Ringo) revisiting and working on a track with their deceased bandmates, something I don’t think anyone but a Beatle can understand fully, and that plays into the lyrics as well. It’s a haunting song by any stretch.
Now and then I miss you
Oh, now and then I want you to be there for me
“Baby, I Love You,” The Ramones - I went through an Andy Kim kick a year or two ago and listened to his version of this song a lot, so when The Ramones version kicked in early on in Sofia Coppola’s “PRISCILLA” I was practically giddy. One of my fav covers on this playlist, and one of the Ramones secret best songs.
“What A Fool Believes,” Aretha Franklin - The Queen of Soul covering The Doobie Brothers2? Yes please. Shoutout to the DJ at Golddiggers who played this prior to Girl Ray’s set there last month.
“Suburban Legends,” Taylor Swift - Another “From The Vault” track of 1989 Taylors Version, and another one I’ve been loving. Outside of one of my favorite TS lyrics in recent memory, “I broke my own heart 'cause you were too polite to do it,” I also absolutely love the chorus:
When you hold me, it holds me together
And you kiss me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever“You Are Only Made of Dreams,” Brigitte Calls Me Baby - So I caught BCMB at Genghis Cohen in November and holy Moses. Easily one of the best performances and shows of the year, by a band just starting their rise. This track kicks so much ass, and I highly recommend their EP.
“Murder On The Dancefloor,” Sophie Ellis-Bexter - “SALTBURN” Nothing else to say except that.3
“Tell Me,” Girl Ray - Yes, another Girl Ray track. Have I included almost their whole 2023 album Prestige on this years playlists? MAYBE I HAVE. But that’s because it’s a great album, and I loved seeing them at the end of October. “I just want a little bit of truth from you,” they sing and honestly same.
“What A Day That Was (Live),” Talking Heads - Still on the “STOP MAKING SENSE” high. But also in November, I got to show the film to someone who had never seen it before, nor really knew much TH music. I think I’ve watched it four times this year alone.
“Ooh Las Vegas,” Gram Parsons - We’ve now arrived at the Orville Peck’s Rodeo part of the playlist. OP covered this on the first night of the Rodeo, as his opening night set was an entire set of covers4. There’s no more appropriate person to cover in Joshua Tree than Gram Parsons5, who died, aged 26, at the Joshua Tree Inn and who was (more or less) cremated at Cap Rock in Joshua Tree National Park.
“Jackson (feat., Orville Peck,)” - Trixie Mattel - Trixie Mattel had a set on night two of the Rodeo, and she brought Orville out for their cover of the Johnny & June classic. Trixie’s entire set was a highlight of the three day fest, for sure, and this duet is a lot of fun.
“Four Years of Chances,” Margo Price - Headlining the third and final night of the Rodeo was Miss Margo Price, who kicked off her incendiary set with this song. I can think of no better place or way to experience Margo Price than the back of a roadhouse in the middle of the desert. Who among us hasn’t given someone unworthy years of our life only to get back nothing in return? You tell ‘em, Margo.
“California Stars,” Bob Seger - No, Bob Seger was not at the rodeo, but the original version of this song, by Wilco & Billy Bragg (putting music to words by Woody Guthrie) is one of my favorite songs and one I absolutely associate with Pioneertown nights, be it eating cheese fries under the stars on the side of Pioneetown road in the middle of pandemic or taking a stroll down Mane Street as the Milky Way explodes overhead. I was made aware of this f*cking amazing cover by author Michael Chabon, and it’s maybe one of my favorite covers of the year, by an artist I legitimately love. Seriously, this song. *swoons*
“Unchained Melody,” The Unrighteous Brothers - the Unrighteous Brothers are Orville Peck and Paul Cauthen, and Orville covered this during his set of covers, and god damn his voice on this track… We’ve also arrived at the duets section of this playlist, so, hold on to your butts.
“We’ve Got Tonight,” Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton - Speaking of the great Bob Seger, this is one of my favorite songs of his covered by the late, great Gambler himself, Mr. Kenny Rogers, and the one and only Sheena Easton. I stumbled upon this cover in October of last year, and it’s been percolating in my head ever since. I threw it on a playlist I was listening to during the desert Rodeo weekend and it just fit right in, and I found myself listening to it a lot that weekend. As great as Seger’s version is, it absolutely works wonders as a duet.
“Open Arms,” Dolly Parton & Steve Perry- Dolly Parton and her music were all over the Rodeo, and I almost included another song of hers, but then she released "Rockstar,” her album of rock songs and covers, mostly duets, and this one blew me away. Journey has always been a band I’ve loved, and one I heard a lot in Pioneertown that weekend.6 This song is another song destined to be a duet, and Dolly and former Journey frontman Steve Perry deliver a duet that is full of ache and loss. “this empty house seems so cold…”
“Some Things I’ll Never Know (feat. Maren Morris,)” - Teddy Swims - Oh what’s that, a song that sums up every sleepless night of my life for the past year or three? And Maren Morris duets on this version? Yay.
When did your heart let me go?
I guess some things I'll never know.“You Never Need Nobody (Live),” The Lone Bellow - My favorite Lone Bellow song, the one that got me hooked on them and the one I’ve always loved hearing and seeing them play. This is from their new live album, and it takes me back to being in the crowd earlier this year in Seattle seeing them for the I’ve-lost-track-of-times time. “You all ready?” Zach Williams asks as the song opens, and I don’t think I ever am.
“At All Costs,” Chris Pine & Ariana DeBose - this song is from the new Disney animated feature film, “WISH,” a movie meant to celebrate 100 years of Disney animated features. I don’t know if it does that, but, I f*cking love this song. It comes closer7 than almost any song of the last 20 years of Disney songs to capture the heyday of 90’s Disney Renaissance Duets. It’s not a love song in the traditional sense, the movie has absolutely no romance in it whatsoever between any characters, but it is a song about Love. Chris Pine understood the assignment.8
If happiness was a tangible thing
It would be you
If you'd have told me the feeling you'd bring
I'd think it untrue
And people search for a wonder like you
All of their lives
You still amaze me after all this time“Until I Found You,” Stephen Sanchez - I want to dance across a ballroom to this song. I missed seeing Stephen Sanchez at the El Rey this fall, but I caught some of it on insta and this song is so f*cking good9.
I would never fall in love again until I found her
I said, "I would never fall unless it's you I fall into"
I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her
I found you“Let Me Drown,” Orville Peck - A song I’ve listened to more than almost any other over the past 18 months. I have listened to this song while laying on the floor, while driving up the coast, while walking through the snow. I heard Orville play this song at the Greek last year for his 4th Rodeo, and I heard him play it acoustically under the California stars this year for his 5th Rodeo. I have been wrecked by this song, I have been renewed by this song, I have lived this song. Hands down, the best vocal performance recorded in all of 2022, by any artist.
Never knew where was home
I slept a lifetime alone
Yeah, we had it one time but it's gone now, it's gone
Let me drownI know with pleasure comes pain
I figured we were the same
But as I get older I get more afraid
Let me drownSo, no, I can't be kind since I lost my mind
And this town just ain't big enough for the both of us now
Let me drown
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1
I’ve been to Joshua Tree and Pioneertown in every season, for every reason. I’ve been there for a bachelor party, for my birthday, for friends birthdays, for a date, to fall in love, to fall out of love, to camp, to AIRbnb, for a day trip, for a weekend, for holidays, for an indoor show, for an outdoor show, for nights I can’t remember and nights I can’t forget, in Pandemic, on Mother’s Day, to see meteor showers, to hike, to just get cheese fries to-go. I’m spoiled, lucky, and thankful I’ve spent as much time there as I have.
2
Technically, Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald co-wrote this song and Loggins released his version first, but, it’s a Doobie Brothers song in my book.
3
Actually, a lot more to be said really, aha. By setting the movie primarily in 2006, Emerald Fennel makes great use of the music of that time, from The Killers to Bloc Party to this track. I went into the movie blind, and loved it. It was also interesting / startling to watch a main character like Barry Keoghan’s Oliver after some of the recent relationships I’ve had in my life over the last few years iykyk
4
One of the songs Orville Peck covered, which was not a song I ever knew I needed to hear him cover until he did, was Carrie Underwood’s 2005 barnburner of a song,“Before He Cheats,” and folks that may have been the cover of the decade. It might’ve been the unexpected performance of the weekend.
5
I’ve always been particularly partial to “Return of the Grievous Angel,” a song I associate 200% with Pappy & Harriets Pioneertown Palace and days and nights I’ve spent there over the years, and who I spent them with. “And a good saloon in every single town…”
6
Walking into Red Dog Saloon on Saturday as “Separate Ways” started playing, and then walking back to Pappy & Harriets a little later as “Faithfully” began. Yes, I remember these things. :)
7
The whole movie comes SO CLOSE to being perfect, but the filmmakers zig when they should have zagged. They should have leaned more into the legacy and connection to other Disney movies, instead of shying away from really tying in and connecting. Chris Pine is f*cking incredible, and comes closest to being a Maleficent level of villain since Ursula. The fact he seems so tied to the Evil Queen and her Magic Mirror was something I wanted more of, as well.
8
One last thing about WISH, and spoiler warning: Chris Pine’s villain, Magnifico, was right. He said that the Wish would inspire revolution, and destabilize and end the kingdom, and it did. Just by seeing and touching it, Asha was inspired to lead a revolution and destabilize the kingdom, leading to the kings fall and the kingdom completely changing in every way. He was right! She’s the villain!
9
I was hanging out with friends on a cold November night, playing music, and I played this song and someone said “Oh, I love this song!” prompting another friend to off-handedly remark that I tailor my playlists and music to those around me, that I play to and know my audience. I didn’t know they loved the song, but that’s beside the point I guess.
