Our Lady Peace with Meece at the Vic Theater (Chicago, IL)

The Venue(Vic Theater-- Chicago, IL):(3/5 stars) The venue was very much designed to be a concert hall. (as opposed to many venues which are no more than bars with a stage stuck in the back) It seemed to want to be like The House of Blues on a low budget, fused with a traditional bar. Neon signs indicated the location of the bathrooms(I'll get to those) there were three bars: one to either the side and back of the floor as well as a waitress that roamed the floor. There were several booth-style benches, which was a nice change from the standing room only tradition of many venues in this price range. The ceiling and balcony were decorated with mock-gilded carvings and small candelabras that stayed lit during the show, which was a very pretty touch, save for those with burnt out bulbs. The otherwise predominantly black decor made it feel bar-like.

The audio equipment, while far from the worst I’ve heard, was not as good as other venues. Especially, with regard to the sound balance between the vocals and the instruments.

Word to the wise about this place: the bathrooms are, sketchy to say the least. Being female bodied, I didn't see the men's room. The "coat check" outside the bathroom held no attendant and some rickety racks, and stools. The women's restroom had mirrors designed for people who are either under five feet tall or would rather stare at their own breasts than their faces. Broken cherubs dangled between said mirrors over a long broken paper towel holder that is now simply a steel box with several rolls of paper towel stashed in them. There were four graffiti coated stalls, some of which didn't even close. I managed to find the one with the most functional lock; it had no knob, I had to stick my finger in the mechanism to "lock" it, and even then the bolt didn't line up.

 The crowd(3/5):  while not something you can control as an artist or a venue, I find that the energy dynamic of the crowd can often make or break a show.

This crowd was odd. Initially, they were a decent crowd but something felt a little off about them. They seemed to be putting up with the music in places. Once the band played "Innocent," however, a lot of people left and the crowd improved tenfold.


The Front Act(Meece):(2.5/5) They were decidedly "meh." Neither good nor  bad, if dull.  It felt like they were trying to be Heartstop, (Warning: Audio embedded)  and falling short.  Some of their songs were catchy, however.  One thing that lost them points in my book is that the front man Patrick Meese only introduced the guitarist, his brother.

The Main Act (Our Lady Peace) (4.5/5):A favorite of mine. This was the second time I saw  Our Lady Peace in concert, the first being this past Summerfest. They put on a breathtaking performance there, so the bar was set high for this show, which often leads to some disappointment.   So, i expected a little let down.

I was pleasantly disappointed.

From opening number to encore, Our Lady Peace pulled off a fantastic show, that a lesser band could not have done on  the equipment at The Vic. Front man Raine Madia's unique voice carried strongly through the shoddy microphone, demonstrating good range, vocal control and the ability to use these talents to make an engaging sound that fit the tone of the songs played.  If his talent weren’t enough by itself, Madia's presence demands the eye's attention, and his gracious, charismatic demeanor makes him a striking performer.

Madia wasn't the only one on that stage whose abilities, frankly, blew my mind.  Guitarist, Mike Turner (no relationship to Tina and Ike)'s brilliant handy work complemented Madia's vocals with jagged riffs and smooth undertones. 

Let me just add a note about Madia's lyrics, they strike a cord with the inner teenager without coming across as shallow and childish. Instead, they remind you what it felt like to be seventeen (this sentiment is especially evoked in "Innocent").  Even if your inner teenager has grown up, Madia's lyrics have a lot to offer anyone who's had to push through pain. Rebirth seems to be a subtle theme in a lot of his work.

This lyrical enchantment was balanced with a mix of songs from all of their albums so that fans of any era of their music could enjoy the show.

Overall, it was an amazing show, and I can only wonder what this  fantastic band will do next.