Written by James Wright
Photos by Randy Gilbert (IG: @RanGilPhoto)
Our Lady Peace celebrated their 30th Anniversary Tour at Toronto’s expansive Budweiser Stage, with support from Collective Soul and Wintersleep. What unfolded was equal parts nostalgia, and spontaneity.
Collective Soul kicked off their set early with the commanding presence of a veteran band: “Mother’s Love”, “Heavy”, and their signature hit “Shine”, followed by “Precious Declaration”, “Keep It on Track”, “She Said”, “The World I Know” and closing with “December”. They navigated the crowd’s adoration and were generally appreciative of the crowd—but the set was cut short by approaching lightning, forcing an early exit before the band could play deeper cuts.
After Collective Soul exited the stage, the venue announced that Our Lady Peace’s performance would be delayed due to severe incoming weather. Thunderstorms rumbled across the lakefront, suspending the show and building anticipation that crackled almost electrically.
When the skies cleared, Raine Maida and company took the stage with a charged air. They launched into “Sound the Alarm”, then crashed into essential early‑career anthems: “Superman’s Dead”, “Innocent”, “Naveed”, “Is Anybody Home?” and “Life”. Mid‑set came a highlight came when the band covered The Tragically Hip’s “Locked in the Trunk of a Car.” Maida’s solemn delivery offered a heartfelt nod to Canadian rock lineage, his voice gentle and clear over the hushed crowd. The song landed carried additional emotional weight as Canadian rock fans continue to mourn the passing of Tragically Hip frontman Gordon Downie.
After performing acoustic “Not Enough”, the band closed the main set with “4am”. But it wasn’t just any acoustic performance—Chantal Kreviazuk, Maida’s wife, quietly took a piano stationed on the lawn at the back of the park and joined him. As he sang that aching ballad under the open sky, she accompanied with gentle chords, turning 4am into a domestic, almost sacred duet that resonated across the venue.
The night was capped off with an impassioned, high‑energy rendition of “Starseed” to closing the night. Throughout the set, OLP balanced theatrical intensity and personal intimacy—their 30‑year catalog feeling as immediate as ever.
Despite the weather-induced delay, Toronto’s lakefront lit up with communal celebration. Collective Soul delivered crowd‑pleasers, OLP leaned into deep cuts and emotional covers, and the Kreviazuk‑Maida piano duet added a layer of heartfelt humanity. For fans both long‑standing and newfound, it was a tour‑sentimental, occasionally surprising, and definitively celebratory night in the city that helped launch them.
