Concert review: Our Lady Peace w/ the Verve Pipe

Photo of Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace by Laura Jerele

We had the ‘90s in full regalia, with a damn near sold-out crowd packing in one of our newest venues, the glorious The Sovereign, and with all of us ready to relive a little alt-rock glory. From the jump, everything sounded great and looked great, which set the tone for a night that felt like a proper throwback in all the best ways.

Opening the night were The Verve Pipe, and if you only know them for their massive radio hit “The Freshmen,” you’re missing the bigger picture. These guys are incredibly talented and proved it with a high-energy set that showed off just how deep their catalog and musicianship go. They were fully plugged in, clearly having fun, and totally locked into delivering a top-notch performance with songs like “Photograph” and “Colorful.” And just when you thought they’d wrapped up everything they needed to say, they closed their set with said huge hit followed up by a phenomenal cover of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.” Not kidding. That’s not an easy feat and honestly a pretty brave move considering how iconic that song is, but they absolutely pulled it off.

The Verve Pipe, live at The Sovereign. Photo by Laura Jerele.

Then came the headliners, Our Lady Peace, who walked on stage like a band that’s been doing this together for a long time… because they seriously have. The tour is celebrating 30 years of the band, and they jumped right into the pocket like the seasoned pros they are, but without feeling dated or aged at all. The visuals were a big part of the show too, shifting from deep darkness to stark, flashing lights blasting straight at the crowd. It was a full-on light show that matched the band’s energy perfectly. And energy they had plenty of. The band sounded tight, confident, and completely dialed in, delivering the kind of performance that reminded everyone exactly why they’ve lasted three decades. Songs from their set included opener “Superman’s Dead,” “Not Enough,” “One Man Army,” a Pearl Jam cover (“Hail, Hail”—no way, right?) and set ender “Starseed.”

All in all, it was just a really great night. I enjoyed the super positive vibes, the huge Tuesday night crowd, the phenomenal musicianship, songs that instantly pulled you back into ‘90s memories, and a band still clearly enjoying every minute of being on stage together. Nights like this don’t just celebrate nostalgia, they bring to mind there’s still plenty of life left ahead even if thirty years are behind ya. Ouch! | Laura Jerele