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Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida says 'O Canada' moment in Edmonton gave him 'chills'
'It was this spontaneous Canadian moment,' fontman says after Alberta crowd celebrated Canada's Four Nations Face-Off win Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Our Lady Peace L-R: Steve Mazure, Duncan Coutts, Raine Maida and Jason Pierce. Photo by Celina Kenyon Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida isn't the kind of musician that likes to dwell on the past. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But fresh off his induction into Canada's Walk of Fame last month — alongside bandmates Duncan Coutts (bass), Steve Mazur (guitar) and Jason Pierce (drums) — reflecting on his band's 30-year reign on Canadian rock radio has been something Maida's been unable to avoid. 'It still feels like a dream to be honest,' Maida, 54, says of the honour. 'When you start a rock 'n' roll band, early on you have to allow yourself to dream. You dream about hearing your song on the radio for the first time or getting a record deal or selling out a club, but the idea of getting a star on the Walk of Fame never, ever made it in that bucket list of dreams.' In addition to OLP, eight other influential names were inducted into the Walk of Fame, including golfer Mike Weir and filmmaker Shawn Levy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Coinciding with their star, OLP is also in the midst of a 30th anniversary tour that touches down with a homecoming show at Toronto's Budweiser Stage on July 24. 'I'm not one to look back and bask in whatever we've achieved. I'm more focused on what's next,' Maida says in a video call. 'But the idea was for us to pay homage to the career that we sketched out for ourselves.' Currently playing stateside alongside fellow '90s rockers Collective Soul and Live, the trek has already taken the foursome right across Canada and Maida says there's a unique energy that comes from singing in front of a homegrown audience. Raine Maida seen during an OLP show at Calgary's Saddledome on Feb. 19, 2025. Photo by Jim Wells / Postmedia One show in Edmonton back in February found them playing on the same night as Canada's Four Nations Face-Off win. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's almost like a heritage moment,' the Toronto native recalls. 'We finished Superman's Dead and someone threw me a ( Connor) McDavid jersey after he scored the winning goal and I held it up and the arena just erupted into 'O Canada.'' Maida says hearing the national anthem being belted out by the crowd inside Rogers Place gave him 'chills.' 'It was this spontaneous Canadian moment. Every show after that felt more united. I felt like all the garbage with the politics and talk of the 51st state … that washed away. It was an incredible feeling. A lot of it had to do with that moment, to be honest,' the singer-songwriter says. Since their formation with 1994's Naveed , OLP has sold over 5 million albums worldwide and racked up more than 360 million streams. Their trophy cabinet includes four Junos and 10 MuchMusic Video Awards. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Recently, the band released OLP30 , a trio of self-titled albums that collected fan-favourite hits like Clumsy , Starseed , and Somewhere Out There , alongside new songs like No Angels In This Town and Sound The Alarm . Looking ahead, Maida says 'the path remains the same.' 'We are excited to finish a full album,' he says. 'And keep going on the road.' On a recent afternoon, Maida took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on OLP's longevity and those heady early years. You've already played across Canada and you're in Toronto this month at Bud Stage. Has the OLP30 tour given you a new perspective on the band? It's been nice. For someone who doesn't like to look back, I have really felt the kinship with the fans. We've built this friendship over a lot of years. That's the most special thing. It was one of the biggest tours we've done across arenas in Canada, and the crowds were incredible and it was different. It wasn't, 'We're going to see OLP.' It was this communal gratitude, which was really, really profound, to be honest. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. CanCon rock icons Our Lady Peace was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame last month. Photo by Celina Kenyon The band emerged in the early '90s. What was the goal for you back then in those early years? The dreams you have at the beginning are really small. For us, we were working at a studio near Weston and the 401 just making an album. I went to a college music festival in New York and handed some CDs around and got some calls. A bunch of labels came in to see us — Interscope, Geffen — and a few labels from Canada. But Sony Music in Canada said to us, 'Hey, we love what you're doing. We just want you to keep doing it.' The allure of going with someone like Interscope was massive, but it felt like they were going to take control over things, so we went with Sony. They gave us a little bit of money and said, 'Call us when it's done' … And it grew from there. You know, we (weren't an) overnight success. We toured Naveed through the U.S. and we put 450,000 miles on a tiny school bus … It took about a year-and-a-half before anything started to catch fire in the U.S. and Canada, but we worked hard. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Raine Maida seen during a 2006 show at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. Photo by Postmedia Was there an artist or musical act that you wanted to try and emulate? At the time, we were post-grunge. We came up after Pearl Jam and Nirvana and Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, and even though we didn't sound like those bands, the fact that they were doing what they wanted and it didn't cater to anything that they didn't love themselves and their fans, I felt that type of authenticity was something we tried to hold onto. When you were starting out, did you feel like you were a part of this new wave of Canadian music? It's easier to see now … At the time, though, there were so many great bands doing cool things. It just felt like (Canadian) music was so vibrant back then. Even with small indie bands like the Gandharvas. I don't know what happened with them, but they were sick. For a moment, there was so much going on. When we first came to L.A., we did a big show for KROQ and Rusty was on the show, and they were this band from Hamilton. So things were really popping back then. Looking back it was an amazing moment in Canadian music. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Thirty years of doing anything isn't easy. What was the secret to your success? It's not easy no matter what you're doing. I think at the end of the day, you get better at communicating … sometimes you find a much more balanced place in terms of what's important and what everyone's expectations are. But I think at the end of the day what kept OLP going was it was always about the song first. It's always about being inspired to write songs and go into the studio and record music and go play it live … and that hasn't diminished at all … The songs we recorded for those OLP30 albums we did in Nashville … it felt like those old days … where it's not about money, and it's just about that feeling in a studio and that feeling of having the hair on the back of your neck stand up. We've always tried to keep those moments at the forefront. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Our Lady Peace show off their Canada's Walk of Fame honours in Toronto. Photo by George Pimentel Is there a Canadian artist that had a big impact on you guys? There's so many from Joni Mitchell to Rush to Neil Young to the (Tragically) Hip. But Leonard Cohen has always been this elder statesman of Canada. I started in music more as a poet. I was writing during math class. That was my vehicle to getting the thoughts I had in my head out. So, I always felt a strong connection to Leonard Cohen. I saw you guys play in a small club in Chicago back in 2000 and it made me wonder if there was an artist you never got to see that you wished you had? There's one, and it's one of the biggest regrets of my life. We had just finished a tour in the U.S. and flown home from Texas. I was exhausted. My voice was done and my body was wrecked. But we were on Sony, and so was Jeff Buckley, and he was playing the Danforth Music Hall. We got home at 1 in the afternoon and I got to my apartment and I fell asleep, and I slept through it. I don't think Jeff Buckley ever came back to Toronto because he passed away shortly afterwards. Not seeing him live is definitely a regret. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. You've been playing shows in Toronto for over 30 years. Is there a show you can pinpoint as a highlight? We did a show before we announced this OLP30 Tour at Lee's Palace. It was amazing walking back into that place. The smell of that bad draft beer. It was exactly the same. Thank God, nothing has changed about that venue. We've played CBGB in New York back in the day and now it's a fancy clothing store and the Viper Room is still here in L.A., but who knows how long that will last. The fact that Lee's is still there, smelling the same way … The show was phenomenal. That was a big highlight. It made it fun to remember. There were days that I played there on a Tuesday night and there was six people in the room. So to come full circle was pretty special. Our Lady Peace plays Budweiser Stage with special guests Collective Soul on July 24. mdaniell@ Read More Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. Toronto & GTA MMA Tennis Letters Celebrity
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Major League Baseball proves it's best in class when it comes to all-star content
Bulls-of-the-Week Article content The biggest bull market this week has been Major League Baseball, which consolidated its position as best in class when it comes to its all-star game offering in particular and all-star week content in general. Article content It's typically been the best and most enduring all-star package among the five major North American men's professional sports leagues, long after it relinquished its place as 'America's Pastime' — the most popular sport in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. Part of that has been that it approximates the real thing more closely than any of the other all-star applications. Another part especially this year — has quite paradoxically been its use of the all-star game as a testing ground for new rules and technology. Article content Article content Make no mistake, the curiosity around automatic balls and strikes helped draw a solid 7.2 million in average national audience in the U.S. Ditto for the first-ever 'swing off' that allowed Kyle Schwarber to steal the show with three home runs in as many swings as the tiebreaker to a roller-coaster 6-6 nine-inning game between the National League and American League in Atlanta. Article content Article content Those U.S. TV numbers eclipse those for the NBA all-star game and NFL Pro Bowl, both of which hovered in the range of 4.7 million this year. Yet even the MLB all-star game couldn't match, let alone exceed, the audiences for the final of the Four Nations Face-Off, the tournament that essentially replaced the NHL all-star game six months ago and drew approximately 16 million viewers in Canada (6.3 million) and the U.S. (9.3 million). Article content Above and beyond TV and radio, baseball's all-star week carried very strong fan engagement numbers on social, especially with the home run derby Monday and the game itself Tuesday setting the stage for two days of no regular season baseball on Wednesday and Thursday. That facilitated significant follow up analysis and discussion on sport television, radio and digital, with the swing off, new rules and odes to Babe Ruth's #3 and Hank Aaron's #44 benefiting from significant afterglow and air time right into the weekend. Article content Article content Bears-of-the-Week Article content Article content The National Football League is known as the Shield for a reason. It is sheer Teflon as the biggest juggernaut in the business of sport, especially in the U.S. You can already feel the build up to the pre-season ramping up. One would think that financial strength would reflect positively for both ownership and the players and, to an extent, it does. Yet it sure seems like the NFL Players Association is the weakest of the players unions in North America. It looked that way on Friday when NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr., announced his resignation after two years of missteps and general disorder. Article content In the meantime, baseball — which still has the most powerful union in professional sport and no salary cap — has most of the stage to itself for the rest of July and the month of August. It's 13 days away from the MLB trade deadline and the final stretch run to the 162-game regular season, one that ideally creates a high-water mark of pennant races and wild card chases in September. Make no mistake that the MLBPA won't be diminishing its place in pro sport labour any time soon, especially with signs of growth and heightened player recognition in this era of Shohei Ohtani.
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Major League Baseball proves it's best in class when it comes to all-star content
Bulls-of-the-Week Article content The biggest bull market this week has been Major League Baseball, which consolidated its position as best in class when it comes to its all-star game offering in particular and all-star week content in general. Article content It's typically been the best and most enduring all-star package among the five major North American men's professional sports leagues, long after it relinquished its place as 'America's Pastime' — the most popular sport in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. Part of that has been that it approximates the real thing more closely than any of the other all-star applications. Another part especially this year — has quite paradoxically been its use of the all-star game as a testing ground for new rules and technology. Article content Article content Make no mistake, the curiosity around automatic balls and strikes helped draw a solid 7.2 million in average national audience in the U.S. Ditto for the first-ever 'swing off' that allowed Kyle Schwarber to steal the show with three home runs in as many swings as the tiebreaker to a roller-coaster 6-6 nine-inning game between the National League and American League in Atlanta. Article content Article content Those U.S. TV numbers eclipse those for the NBA all-star game and NFL Pro Bowl, both of which hovered in the range of 4.7 million this year. Yet even the MLB all-star game couldn't match, let alone exceed, the audiences for the final of the Four Nations Face-Off, the tournament that essentially replaced the NHL all-star game six months ago and drew approximately 16 million viewers in Canada (6.3 million) and the U.S. (9.3 million). Above and beyond TV and radio, baseball's all-star week carried very strong fan engagement numbers on social, especially with the home run derby Monday and the game itself Tuesday setting the stage for two days of no regular season baseball on Wednesday and Thursday. That facilitated significant follow up analysis and discussion on sport television, radio and digital, with the swing off, new rules and odes to Babe Ruth's #3 and Hank Aaron's #44 benefiting from significant afterglow and air time right into the weekend. Article content Article content Bears-of-the-Week Article content Article content The National Football League is known as the Shield for a reason. It is sheer Teflon as the biggest juggernaut in the business of sport, especially in the U.S. You can already feel the build up to the pre-season ramping up. One would think that financial strength would reflect positively for both ownership and the players and, to an extent, it does. Yet it sure seems like the NFL Players Association is the weakest of the players unions in North America. It looked that way on Friday when NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr., announced his resignation after two years of missteps and general disorder. Article content In the meantime, baseball — which still has the most powerful union in professional sport and no salary cap — has most of the stage to itself for the rest of July and the month of August. It's 13 days away from the MLB trade deadline and the final stretch run to the 162-game regular season, one that ideally creates a high-water mark of pennant races and wild card chases in September. Make no mistake that the MLBPA won't be diminishing its place in pro sport labour any time soon, especially with signs of growth and heightened player recognition in this era of Shohei Ohtani.
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Major League Baseball proves it's best in class when it comes to all-star content
The biggest bull market this week has been Major League Baseball, which consolidated its position as best in class when it comes to its all-star game offering in particular and all-star week content in general. It's typically been the best and most enduring all-star package among the five major North American men's professional sports leagues, long after it relinquished its place as 'America's Pastime' — the most popular sport in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. Part of that has been that it approximates the real thing more closely than any of the other all-star applications. Another part especially this year — has quite paradoxically been its use of the all-star game as a testing ground for new rules and technology. Make no mistake, the curiosity around automatic balls and strikes helped draw a solid 7.2 million in average national audience in the U.S. Ditto for the first-ever 'swing off' that allowed Kyle Schwarber to steal the show with three home runs in as many swings as the tiebreaker to a roller-coaster 6-6 nine-inning game between the National League and American League in Atlanta. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Those U.S. TV numbers eclipse those for the NBA all-star game and NFL Pro Bowl, both of which hovered in the range of 4.7 million this year. Yet even the MLB all-star game couldn't match, let alone exceed, the audiences for the final of the Four Nations Face-Off, the tournament that essentially replaced the NHL all-star game six months ago and drew approximately 16 million viewers in Canada (6.3 million) and the U.S. (9.3 million). Above and beyond TV and radio, baseball's all-star week carried very strong fan engagement numbers on social, especially with the home run derby Monday and the game itself Tuesday setting the stage for two days of no regular season baseball on Wednesday and Thursday. That facilitated significant follow up analysis and discussion on sport television, radio and digital, with the swing off, new rules and odes to Babe Ruth's #3 and Hank Aaron's #44 benefiting from significant afterglow and air time right into the weekend. The National Football League is known as the Shield for a reason. It is sheer Teflon as the biggest juggernaut in the business of sport, especially in the U.S. You can already feel the build up to the pre-season ramping up. One would think that financial strength would reflect positively for both ownership and the players and, to an extent, it does. Yet it sure seems like the NFL Players Association is the weakest of the players unions in North America. It looked that way on Friday when NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr., announced his resignation after two years of missteps and general disorder. In the meantime, baseball — which still has the most powerful union in professional sport and no salary cap — has most of the stage to itself for the rest of July and the month of August. It's 13 days away from the MLB trade deadline and the final stretch run to the 162-game regular season, one that ideally creates a high-water mark of pennant races and wild card chases in September. Make no mistake that the MLBPA won't be diminishing its place in pro sport labour any time soon, especially with signs of growth and heightened player recognition in this era of Shohei Ohtani. Tom Mayenknecht is the host of The Sport Market on Sportsnet 650 on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Vancouver-based sport business commentator and principal in Emblematica Brand Builders provides a behind-the-scenes look at the sport business stories that matter most to fans. Follow Mayenknecht at:
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
NHL's Gary Bettman humiliates NBA's Adam Silver with Four Nations masterstroke that left America hooked
Gary Bettman's bold move to replace the NHL All-Star Weekend with the Four Nations Face-Off paid off handsomely (Image via AP) In a year packed with All-Star fluff and viral dunk clips, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made the most daring call of his tenure—and it paid off in spectacular fashion. Scrapping the traditional NHL All-Star Weekend for a bold, high-stakes Four Nations Face-Off wasn't just a gamble. It was a message. A direct shot at the NBA, its declining midseason format, and Commissioner Adam Silver's lukewarm grip on fans' attention. Gary Bettman humiliates Adam Silver as NHL proves America wants blood, not dunks 'Talk about the state of the sport,' Pat McAfee told Gary Bettman during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, praising the February 2025 event as a cultural pivot. 'It feels like that was a real, like, kickstart to hockey becoming a huge part of Americana.' Bettman didn't dodge. 'There was so much demand for international best-on-best competition,' he said. 'The Four Nations was really important to our players, and you could see how much it meant to them.' While Mac McClung's third Slam Dunk Contest win barely cracked 3.3 million viewers, the NHL's Four Nations final between Team USA and Canada exploded with over 9.3 million U.S. viewers—the biggest non-Olympic hockey broadcast ever. The tournament opener saw a fight nine seconds in. Anthem standoffs went viral. The final saw Connor McDavid net a sudden-death winner. The NBA simply couldn't compete. Even Adam Silver admitted the NBA's All-Star Game has 'grown stale,' while hockey delivered a moment that felt like war for the sweater—not brand deals or social media moments. It wasn't just about numbers. NHL stars returned to their clubs injured because they cared that much. Bettman underscored that point: 'They showed it even after Four Nations was over… based on the number of players that came back to their NHL teams injured.' Also Read: Who is Lanny McDonald? Hockey legend retires as Hall of Fame chairman after a decade of behind-the-scenes brilliance With the NHL headed back to the Olympics in 2026 and the World Cup of Hockey planned for 2028, this wasn't just a one-off—it was a cultural reset. One that exposed how stale and safe American sports can be—and how raw, patriotic, and real hockey still is. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
