Long-term success is an elusive goal for most bands, so it is remarkable that Canada’s Our Lady Peace has been at it for 30+ years, selling several million albums along the way.
As a young undergrad in Halifax, I remember hearing them for the first time on MuchMusic, and being struck by the intensity of the music and vocals of songs like “Naveed” and “Starseed” from their debut album. It has been thirty years since that release, which set them on their way to becoming Canadian rock royalty, maintaining relevance over changing trends, and releasing consistently well-crafted songs that appeal to their fans.
In recognition of that milestone anniversary, Raine and the band have embarked on a cross-Canada tour, bringing along their pals Collective Soul as openers, as well as Canada’s Wintersleep for a few of the Ontario shows.
I’m a longtime fan of Wintersleep (with the tattoo to prove it), so I was very excited to see these guys on the big stage at the Canadian Tire Centre. One of Canada’s best-kept secrets, Wintersleep played a great set, which included “In Came The Flood” and their best known song, 2007’s breakout hit “Weighty Ghost.” And at times of great political tension, fans might find a new depth of meaning in their song “Amerika.”
Collective Soul was next on the bill, and from the moment vocalist Ed Roland and crew strolled onstage, it was a dynamic and fun fuelled party of the many hits they are known for. Roland was sporting a colourful patterned suit and cowboy hat, was all over the stage, firing up the massive Canadian Tire Centre crowd, or as he referred to them — the congregation. Collective Soul is one of those bands where you forget how many great songs they had until you hear them one after another, like “Heavy,” “The World I Know” and “Shine.” But the highlight for Collective Soul fans in the crowd was their closing song, “Gel” which had everyone on their feet.
Filling arenas in today’s economy is difficult, and the massive amount of people in attendance last night is testament to Our Lady Peace’s draw, and a cursory look at the crowd revealed that the OG fans were showing up with their children, an entire new generation of OLP lovers.
They started their set with a 1-2-3 punch of “Superman’s Dead,” “One Man Army,” and “Innocent” and things only got better from there. When you’ve got three decades of material to pull from, the challenge is not finding enough to play, but rather, crafting the perfect setlist from so many albums and singles.
One of the unexpected treats in the setlist was an outstanding cover of The Tragically Hip’s “Locked in the Trunk of Car,”,which had the entire arena awash in cell phone lights as fans waved and sang along in unison. There’s something uniquely Canadian about one iconic Canadian band covering another iconic Canadian band and it certainly appealed to the sense of nationalism in the crowd.
I’ve seen Our Lady Peace a number of times over the years, and I have to say, this was peak OLP. Raine Maida’s vocals were fantastic, and Steve Mazur (guitars), Duncan Coutts (bass) and Jason Pierce (drums) were lock-tight together as they tore through hit after hit, complemented by a visually stunning stage setup which featured incredible lighting, live video of the band and crowd, as well as supportive graphics or video clips synced to each song.
Raine took a moment to thank both opening bands, calling Georgia’s Collective Soul a “real rock band” and some of the nicest guys in the business, and Wintersleep, “one of Canada’s greatest bands,” before having Wintersleep singer Paul Murphy join him onstage for “In Repair.” OLP closed out the set with “Clumsy” from their 1997 album of the same name.
For the encore, Raine made his way through the crowd to a piano and microphone located at the opposite end of the arena. He spoke proudly about the recent Canada vs U.S. hockey championship, and specifically, the controversy created when his wife, singer Chantal Kreviazuk, changed a few of the lyrics he said, “just to say that this country isn’t for sale!” to loud applause from the crowd before a technical glitch cut the audio from his microphone. While technicians scurried around to troubleshoot the issue, Raine took a few moments to sign stuff for fans and initiated an impromptu singalong of “Oh Canada” with the CTC crowd, which was enough to give any Canadian goosebumps.
Back on track after technical difficulties, the encore featured Raine solo on piano for “Not Enough” and the beginning of “4 a.m.” before he bolted back through the crowd in time to join the band for the second half of the song. They wrapped it up with “Automatic Flowers” and one of the songs from that iconic debut album where it all began, “Starseed.”
Thirty plus years of rocking fans around the world is no easy feat, but Our Lady Peace showcased exactly why they are so deserving of all of the success. The coming together of fans, young and old to celebrate the career of one of our finest Canadian musical exports was a heartwarming experience, as their achievement feels like at least a little bit of it belongs to each of us as Canadians. Now, more than ever, is the time to be proud of the talent our country has to offer.
The OLP 30th Anniversary Tour continues across eastern Canada this month.
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