Bush/Live and Our Lady Peace bring sublime rock with the ‘ALTimate Tour’

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Bush/Live and Our Lady Peace

AVA Amphitheatre, Tucson, AZ, USA, August 11, 2019

It was a night of 90s rock with the wildly successful trio of alt-rock bands at Tucson’s AVA Amphitheatre on a Sunday night. The tour kicked off on June 6 and it has been extended through the fall. Bush and Live are celebrating 25 years since their flagship album releases Sixteen Stone and Throwing Copper. Each band had something unique to offer during the night. The common thread each band had was that they have very charismatic lead singers. The bands seemed to flow seamlessly together for the tour and the outdoor venue could be heard all over the valley.

The Canadian band, Our Lady Peace (OLP), started the show with songs spanning their 25-plus year career. The current members of the band are founding member Raine Maida on vocals, Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guitar and Jason Pierce on drums.

The set was too short lasting only 30 minutes, but they hit the high notes with their anthems “Superman’s Dead “, “Clumsey,” along with the newer “Drop Me in the Water” from their album Somethingness. Canada was well represented with Maida’s unique voice.

LIVE was up next with a lively show geared toward their 25th-anniversary album, Throwing Copper. The album sold eight million copies in the U.S. The set started with ”All Over You” and “Selling the Drama” before covering R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.” Frontman, Ed Kowalczyk is a natural showman on stage having the fans in the palm of his hand throughout the 70-minute set.

The Pennsylvania band disbanded in 2009 until 2017 as Kowalczyk pursued a solo career. It was a triumphant return for the band with Kowalczyk on vocals and guitar, Chad Taylor on guitar and background vocals, Patrick Dahlheimer on bass, and Chad Gracey on drums and percussion.

Kowalczyk introduced their cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” as a song that he believes every songwriter wishes he had written. This was one of the many highlights of the night. Kowalczyk did an outstanding acoustic version of “Heaven.” It was apparent that the band is still excited about performing ‘live’ and that is infectious.

Bush finished the night with a set emphasizing their breakout album. Sixteen Stone. It was the British band’s most successful album and certified 6x Platinum in record sales in the U.S. alone.

The band’s lineup consists of Gavin Rossdale on lead vocals and guitar, Robin Goodridge on drums, Chris Traynor on lead guitar, and Corey Britz on bass. Rossdale is the primary songwriter for the band.

The performance was as riveting as any of the best bands in the business today. Rossdale didn’t leave an inch of the stage untouched as he traveled throughout the show.

They performed “Comedown,” “Glycerine,” “Machinehead,” “Everything Zen,” and “Little Things” from the album. Bush is still cranking out new music with their newest song “Bullet Holes” written for the movie John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum.

Rossdale’s sexuality is still intact after all these years and still has a titillating effect on all of the women who were in the crowd. Luckily, his showmanship and musical talent will preempt his ‘hottie’ status and the band will prevail for many years to come.

This was a night of little banter from any of the bands. It was a fun night with many musical textures provided by all three bands. They may have had the most popularity at the end of radio-play hey-day, however, these bands proved tonight that they are still relevant and not just promoting 90s nostalgia. Don’t hesitate to spend the evening with Bush, Live, and Our Lady Peace if the opportunity arises

Check out Mary’s photo gallery from the night.

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