This review contains sexual language.For the first 35 years of her life, the woman who would later be known as Peaches was a Canadian music and drama teacher named Merrill Nisker. She made up silly songs for kids during the day and penned folk songs in her apartment at night. 

A bout with thyroid cancer and a relentless creative restlessness inspired her to commit to music full time and finally molt her mundane existence to propagate a new persona named Peaches. 

In 2000, Peaches released the studio album, “Teaches of Peaches,” a post-feminist, sex-positive mix of electroclash, punk and performance art featuring the anthemic song, “F—- The Pain Away.”

20 years later, Directors Philipp Fussenegger and Judy Landkammer went behind the scenes with Peaches on her anniversary tour for the album and created the authentic and invigorating documentary, “Teaches of Peaches.” It offers an intimate and raw look at the artist’s life and career.

The documentary shows Peaches, then 56, preparing for the anniversary tour. “I’m not into reunion tours,” says Peaches. “So how can I make people feel in a new way?”

With a band of younger dancers and musicians, Peaches crushes the concerts. Her music and performance continue to speak to her fans void of all nostalgia. She is deeply rooted in the present, performing topless, exposing body hair in myriad places, and crowd walking (she literally walks on the hands of her fans and traverses atop the crowd) while wearing a “Thank God For Abortions” bodysuit, Ziggy Stardust-esque makeup and a platinum bowl-cut-meets-long-haired mullet.

The documentary cuts between Peaches' 2022 tour and footage from shows 10-15 years ago. The urge to feel the pesky melancholy of aging is there, but never realized, as Peaches is every bit as sassy and sexy as she was in her thirties. And it's undeniable that her music feels fresh, not dated.

Although once considered a lesbian icon, Peaches is now happily coupled with multidimensional artist Ellison Renee Glen, aka Black Cracker. The two are committed to celebrating queer culture and breaking down societal norms. He also really likes her booty.

The influence of Peaches' collaborators and friends over the years – particularly Chilly Gonzales and Leslie Feist – is highlighted throughout the documentary. The positive influence living in Berlin had on Peaches' music and sense of self is also a prevalent theme in the film. 

But the documentary’s strongest message is that it’s clear Peaches was the OG of giving zero f—s. Especially when it comes to bolstering the heterosexual male perspective. In the 90s and early 2000s, many female musicians were talking about resisting the dominance of the patriarchy, but in retrospect, few were actually walking the walk. 

Peaches, on the other hand,  was storming castles in a kingdom where women can shout things like “diddle my Skittle” without shame or a second thought. They can wonder things like, “Whose jizz is this?” They can have just as many sexual opinions and preferences as men.

Peaches presents a woman who is both crass and kind; loving and enraged; goofy and dead serious. Undoubtedly, she helped kick open the doors that enabled female musicians to speak more frankly about sex, anger and identity. "Teaches of Peaches" is a portrait of what an uncompromising woman in music looks like and just how groundbreaking she was – and still is. 

"The Teaches of Peaches" screens Saturday, May 3, at the Oriental Theater. Show starts at 10:30 p.m. Get tickets here.