Peach Pit, Briston Maroney, Bnny
June 26, 2025
Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON
On June 26th, indie bands Peach Pit and Briston Maroney concluded their Long Hair, Long Life Tour at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto. The 25-date North American tour saw them starting back in May in Philadelphia, to now ending in Toronto as the 2nd lone Canadian city on the road trip. The bands were tight, and it was evident the musicians were giving it their all for the final night.
Bnny, the indie rock outfit hailing from Chicago, delivered a thoughtful and mellow set that softly eased the crowd into the evening. Their dreamy sound created space for fans to settle into their seats and enjoy a beverage. A wave of recognition swept through the audience as the band slipped into a cover of Weezer’s “Undone – The Sweater Song.”
Next was American singer-songwriter Briston Maroney from Tennessee. Maroney immediately brought the energy to the stage, hyping the crowd up and beginning the fun antics by throwing pretzels into the audience. He kicked things off with “Real Good Swimmer” from his latest album, JIMMY—a rock-centred track that immediately got the front row moving, dancing, and vibing with its energetic rhythm.
Midway through the set, the sound of crickets and a crackling fire filled the air as the singer returned to the stage with an acoustic guitar. Maroney teased the crowd, asking if they liked fruit, and hinting at a fruit with a pit in it. He brought out touring Peach Pit member Dougal McLean on violin for a heartfelt performance of “Land of Light.” Despite the cold and windy weather breezing through the outdoor venue, Maroney managed to bring the warmth back with the cozy campfire tunes.
Toward the end of the set, Bnny and their crew crashed the stage, visibly confused Maroney, but getting a laugh out of him after realizing what was happening. Given the end of the tour, it was bound for pranks to happen.
As Briston Maroney began to strum some familiar chords, he asked fans to scream the words to the next song as loudly as they could. After enough teasing, the band closed with the fan favourite “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate”.
Closing the night was Vancouver’s Peach Pit. They opened with a hard-hitting snippet of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” before diving into the title track “Magpie” off their 2024 album. The new release highlights introspective songwriting and marks a clear evolution in the band’s sound since their 2016 debut.
The band then jumped into familiar songs, “Drop the Guillotine”, “Black Licorice”, “Up Granville”, and “Give Up Baby Go”. Vibes were immediately felt, as fans bobbed their heads to the infectiously catchy riffs by guitarist Christopher Vanderkooy and dreamy vocals by lead singer Neil Smith.
Peach Pit expressed their gratitude from humble beginnings, touring for 8 years in small clubs, to now performing at one of the biggest venues in Toronto. “We’re from Vancouver, British Columbia, but today we’re from Toronto.”
Neil came out with an acoustic guitar and asked if anyone in the audience was with someone they love. He performed the beautiful song “Did You Love Somebody,” which he wrote for his future bride. Phone flashlights and lighters began to illuminate the venue, and it was beautiful seeing couples and friends in arms together.
As the night was coming to a close, the band came back on to perform “Peach Pit” and “Tommy’s Party.” The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as the band exited the stage—a powerful display of Canadian pride. It’s exciting to see the band getting to play bigger and bigger venues, and Torontonians will be longing for the indie quartet’s return.
