It seems like a lifetime ago when I last saw Our Lady Peace. It’s so long ago, that it’s quite possible my memory is faulty, and maybe this is my first time!
When I think of Our Lady Peace, I remember a band spearheading Canadian Alt Rock with songs that remain stuck in your head for a lifetime.
As part of The Wonderful Future Tour, OLP played Theatre Maisonneuve June 28, 2022.
We heard many of those songs tonight, like a time machine, bringing us back to the late 90s when we just couldn’t get enough Raine’s alternating between that deep voice and the falsetto that has become his signature style.
Ray Kurzweil
Tonight, was an homage to Ray Kurzweil.
Mike Turner’s silver hardcover version of the book The Age of Spiritual Machines caught the eye of Raine, when recording the then untitled album Spiritual Machines. It inspired the band to use the book’s message as a theme for the album.
Set 1
Embracing technology, two hologram stations were setup to introduce guest appearances, starting by the man himself: Raine Maida performing Are You Sad?
For In Repair, another hologram was added with Duncan Coutts on bass, who would soon appear in person much to the delight of the crowd.
Holograms can be fun, but nothing replaces the real thing.
Jason Pierce next took the stage behind his impressive drum kit.
The crowd showed their love when Raine Maida took the stage, along with Steve Mazur.
One Man Army was the first big hit of nostalgia, along with one of tonight’s highlights: Superman’s Dead.
The song could have been sung in its entirety by the crowd, such was the participation level.
It was at this point that goosebumps first made their appearance on my arms.
It’s interesting see that Superman’s Dead, a song about the pressures of being a kid inundated with media, is even more relevant today.
On my way to the gig, I saw 2 young girls, setting up for a TikTok dance. They started as the Metro started to advance. It looked like a slight variation on the other million identical dances, by millions of others who want to get their recognition and self-esteem fed by likes and followers.
While Ray Kurzweil sees technology as the savior of mankind, the reality is that technology, at least at this stage, seems to be making people regress to fame seeking empty shells.
Technology has the potential to solve agricultural, energy and health problems, but will those who greedily hold the power release us from their money hungry grip…enough to allow this to happen?
Maybe the next song highlights the same problem, as the band performed The Beatles cover of Tomorrow Never Knows which tells us to “lay down all thoughts. Surrender to the void.”
The Beatles reminds me of the last time I met with Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk, in the John Lennon/Yoko Ono suite at the Queen Elizabeth. We really did lay down our thought on that occasion, but into an uplifting conversation about life and relashionships.
The first set ended with a surprise guest hologram of Mike Turner, founding guitarist of the band. Eventually, Mike would reveal himself live, to complete the time machine journey.
Set 2
Sarah Slean so impressed the band, with a piano rendition of Julia on a cassette given to them, that they started playing her down-tempo version live from that point forward.
Tonight, her hologram would play along with Raine.
This is when the hologram worked…it was a guest appearance, complemented by the live band.
Another hit of nostalgia, along with a sing-along from the crowd was Is Anybody Home? What a moment to remember, as we all felt as one. I for one was happy NOT to be at home at this moment.
Nadya Tolokonnikova was the next hologram guest for Stop Making Stupid People Famous, which is a motto I can get behind.
The set ended with another highlight and sing-along for Clumsy. The sheer joy our collective selves felt was overwhelming.
Encore
Our deepest thoughts will often come to us at 4am, so is it no wonder that this song can hit our heartstrings and make us sing at the top of our lungs?
4am was my personal highlight of the evening, and the sea of phone flashlights, in lieu of lighters, confirmed my suspicious that it was also for many others.
Mike Turner joined the band for the last two songs Naveed & Starseed. Talk about ending the night on a high!
Conclusion
Being at the forefront of technology for almost 3 decades, I have seen technologies come and go.
When it comes to art, humans are still king. Our Lady Peace created a repertoire of songs that make you think, make you sing out loud and make you move.
To see them again…or maybe for the first time…was a rare honor. Hours before the show, there were 4 available solo seats sprinkled in the auditorium, which I’m sure were snatched up.
Sitting was not an option, as Raine said: “We often have to tell people to stand up, but we don’t have to do that here in Montreal!”
Montreal showed their love for the band and at one point cheered to the point of making them blush.
The band, whose name comes from a poem by Mark Van Doren that open to interpretation but is most likely related to war.
Raine’s wife, Chantal Kreviazuk is of Ukrainian descent, so that topic hit home for Raine.
Through all of the turmoil we face in this world, it was amazing to have a few hours of peace as we lost ourselves in the nostalgia of the music.
Setlist
Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
Photos: Randal’s crappy iPhone…our photographer could not make the early start.
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