June 11 2025 felt tailor-made for an outdoor indie double bill. Ticketmaster billed the evening as Peach Pit & Briston Maroney — Long Hair, Long Life Tour and promised an “all-ages indie celebration.” The sun slipped behind Griffith Park just as doors opened at 5:30 p.m., giving 5,800 fans plenty of time to explore merch, sip local brews, and admire the Greek Theatre’s art-deco façade before the 7 p.m. start time.
Briston Maroney: Folk-grunge fireworks to start the night
Knoxville-raised singer-songwriter Briston Lee Maroney cut his teeth on American Idol at 15, busked bluegrass tunes through Tennessee, and independently issued EPs before landing with Atlantic Records. His gold-certified single “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate” paved the way for full-lengths Sunflower (2021), Ultrapure (2023) and the brand-new Jimmy (May 2025), a record that pairs confessional lyrics with grungy guitar crescendos.
Stepping onstage beneath faux evergreens and twinkle lights, Knoxville native Briston Maroney treated L.A. like his own backyard campfire. He hurled himself into opener “Small Talk,” then immediately demanded a louder response: “Feel it tonight, Los Angeles—really feel it!”
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Maroney’s nine-song set hopscotched through every era of his catalog:
“Under My Skin”- crunchy guitars met a soaring hook that had the entire pit flapping their arms “like geese”—Maroney’s cardio cue of the evening.
“June”- A hushed, strategic pause stretched the audience to a pin-drop before erupting in cheers—perfect for Pride Month shout-outs.
“Freakin’ Out On The Interstate”- Still his signature closer; 5,000 voices joined for the final “I feel alive!” refrain.
Vocally he toggled between raspy vulnerability and full-throttle belts, echoing early Kings of Leon but anchored by the confessional lyricism of Jimmy, his May 2025 LP. The set design—a woodland tableau—reinforced the rootsy warmth that makes Maroney’s folk-rock instantly relatable.
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Peach Pit: Bubblegum melancholia under the stars
Formed in 2016 by high-school friends Neil Smith (vocals/guitar) and Chris Vanderkooy (lead guitar) in Vancouver, Peach Pit blend chewed-bubblegum pop with surf-rock shimmer. Rounded out by Peter Wilton (bass) and Mikey Pascuzzi (drums), the quartet broke through with 2017’s “Being So Normal” before signing to Columbia and releasing You and Your Friends (2020), From 2 to 3 (2022) and the retro-twangy Magpie (2024).
By 9:30 p.m. the stage turned Pacific Northwest pastel: cardboard magpies perched on amps and silver streamers shimmered in the spotlights. Peach Pit bounded out to the opening strains of their Black Sabbath-kissing “War Pigs / Magpie” medley and never looked back.
A setlist built for sing-alongs
War Pigs / Magpie
Drop the Guillotine
Psychics in LA
Black Licorice
Up Granville
Give Up Baby Go
Outta Here
Did You Love Somebody
Being So Normal
Alrighty Aphrodite
Shampoo Bottles
Private Presley
Encore: Peach Pit → Tommy’s Party
Front-man Neil Smith’s shaggy hair lasted exactly two songs before sailing off during “Black Licorice,” and guitarist Chris Vanderkooy responded with high-stepping kicks that sent camera phones scrambling.
Crowd-bonding moments that mattered
Bootleg Theatre callback: Smith reminisced about Peach Pit’s first U.S. gig (ten tickets sold, parking-lot serenade) and beamed at the Greek’s packed bleachers—proof of a hard-won glow-up.
Engagement shout-out: Introducing “Did You Love Somebody,” Smith revealed his recent engagement, prompting cheers and confetti hearts on the venue screens.
Smith returned alone for the title track “Peach Pit,” strumming with the delicate nostalgia that first convinced Vanderkooy to form the band. Moments later the full quartet exploded into “Tommy’s Party,” releasing every last ounce of pent-up catharsis.
Musically the Vancouver quartet balanced surf-rock jangle (“Up Granville”), woozy dream-pop (“Shampoo Bottles”) and alt-country sway (“Give Up Baby Go”). Live, each song punched harder than its studio counterpart, thanks in part to Pascuzzi’s snare cracks echoing off Griffith Park’s canyon walls.
Why this tour resonates
Long Hair, Long Life is Peach Pit’s biggest routing yet, celebrating the band’s 2024 LP Magpie while doubling as a co-headline victory lap for Briston Maroney’s freshly minted Jimmy. Both acts target that sweet spot between indie introspection and festival-ready hooks, turning the Greek into a crossroads for Gen-Z nostalgia seekers and 30-something blog-rock alumni alike.
With Los Angeles in the books, the caravan pushes south to San Diego and east to Phoenix before closing out in Austin. If ticket sales and TikTok chatter are any indication, every stop will be another sold-out sing-along.
Peach Pit transformed the Greek into a pastel-soaked block party, while Briston Maroney proved he’s more forest-punk preacher than opening act. Together they delivered a 2-hour, serotonin-spiking showcase that left fans chanting for more, merch booths emptied, and every last bench buzzing on the walk back down Vermont Canyon Road. If you crave cathartic sing-alongs, hair-flipping guitar heroics and a masterclass in modern indie showmanship, catch this tour before it blows on to its next city.
words: Danny Baraz
photos: Michelle Evans
