Friday night at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa was a celebration of two major milestones — Our Lady Peace’s 30th anniversary and Hard Rock Ottawa’s first anniversary. With no opening act, the spotlight belonged entirely to OLP, and the sold‑out crowd was ready from the first note.
Straight Into the Hits
Raine Maida and the band kicked off the night with a powerful trio of fan favourites: “Sound The Alarm,” “One Man Army,” and “Superman’s Dead.”
Maida paused briefly to set the tone for the evening, telling fans:
“Tonight is going to be awesome, but you know what will be even better? If you guys are involved.”
The crowd didn’t hesitate.
OLP kept the momentum rolling with “Innocent,” “Is Anybody Home,” and “Bring Back the Sun.”
A Moment of Reflection
Maida took time to reflect on the band’s recent years — recording, touring, and filming a music video during a difficult chapter. Bassist Duncan Coutts’ prostate cancer diagnosis nearly halted everything, but he insisted the band continue. As soon as filming wrapped, Coutts went straight into surgery. Today, he’s fully recovered and back on stage where he belongs.
Technology, Humanity, and Hope
After performing “Life” from Spiritual Machines, Maida revisited the inspiration behind the album — Ray Kurzweil’s The Age of Spiritual Machines. He spoke candidly about AI’s impact:
“Ai will disrupt our lives, it already has. People are losing their jobs, but the cool thing is that Ai will never replace this. This exchange, or energy, this kind of love that exists in this room. In this closed environment, that’s the hope.”
That reflection led into “In Repair,” a song Maida once described as a musical “oil change,” urging listeners to nurture their relationships. The band then introduced a brand‑new track, “Once I Was,” recorded only weeks earlier in Los Angeles.
A Late Canada Day Tribute
Following “Not Enough,” Maida admitted the band didn’t get a chance to play on Canada Day — so they decided to celebrate anyway. Their choice: The Tragically Hip’s “Locked in the Trunk of a Car.”
With the 10th anniversary of the Hip’s final concert this year, and local cover band Little Bones preparing to play just outside the main venue, the tribute landed perfectly.
Closing Strong and Coming Back for More
OLP wrapped their main set with “Somewhere Out There,” “Right Behind You (Mafia),” and “Clumsy.”
The encore opened with “4am,” the fan‑voted song of the night. Maida invited everyone closer:
“Now you want to party? Come on then, get up here.”
Fans surged forward as the band tore through “Automatic Flowers,” “Naveed,” and finally “Starseed,” closing out a night that balanced nostalgia with fresh energy.
Where to Catch OLP Next
OLP heads west for two nights at the Calgary Stampede, then returns to Ontario for a single summer date at The Kee to Bala at the end of July.
After a short break, the OLP 30 Tour continues south, kicking off a run of U.S. shows in late September at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky.
Full tour dates and ticket info: https://www.ourladypeace.com/tour
