from January 25th, 2003 (previously on an old version of my Laner.ca website)

Seeing OLP last nite for the 6th time in the last 9 years got be thinking about how much this band has evolved and how they’re become one of the best live bands around. I can’t think of too many other bands where each time you see them it’s the best time you’ve ever seen them (and ten times better then the last time you seen them). The new guitar player has made a huge difference to their live sound. I hope the production of the live album coming out this spring does it justice.

The first time I seen Our Lady Peace was Feb 1994 when I was in my first year of University in St. John’s, NF. They played the Thomson Student Centre in front of 900 people. The Naveed album had been out for a couple months and got a lot of plays in res. I went with Phil and Lenoard and ran into Darren and Keating at the show. We were right in the middle of the mosh-pit and soaked with beer. I remember screaming for “Needle and the Damage Done” for the encore, but they didn’t play it.

The next time I seen them was August 29, 1995 in Toronto at the Molson Ampitheatre 6th row when they opened for Van Halen. I went with Troy Lane and my roomate from university Chuck who lived in Newmarket. They did a great 45 minute site and ended with “Needle and the Damage Done” and played all the first album. Three years later I seen them a 3rd time at Summersault’98 which they organized and had Moist, I Mother Earth, Esthero, Treble Charger and local bands Buckettruck, Gearbox, Lizband, Hung Up and Drive in Bowering Park, St.John’s, NF on Sept. 3rd, 1998. I went with Darren, Ian and it was freezing. I finished University in May 98 and just moved to St. John’s to look for work a few days earlier.

Six months after moving to Kelowna, BC in 1999 Darren I seen OLP with a great UK band Stereophonics at Skyreach Place on Feb.14th, 2000. An amazing show with a great cover version of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop”. They were promoting their 3rd album. They put off another amazing Summersault tour in 2000 and brought along Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, Catherine Wheel, Sum 41, etc.. at the huge BC Place in Vancouver on August 4th. I went with ian Webb who also went to the Summersaul ’98 show with me.

Last night’s January 24th, 2003 show was their first show of the new year, and the opening night of the Fear of the Trailer Park Tour with Seether, Finger 11 and the Trailer Park Boys. Gerard, Tracy and I went and during “one man army” Raine walked all through the audienece, up in the stands and walked right by us. The crowd was really into it. During the encore they did “Drive” by the Cars. They ended with “Somewhere out there” and the crowd sang the whole thing.

photo Jan. 24th, 2003 @ Skyreach Place (now Prospera Place)