Intimate OLP Show a Hit! - All they did was save St. Patty's Day.

Not that the shamrock-inspired festivities would have fizzled without them. But two members of hip Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace made this St. Patrick's Day in Tecumseh particularly memorable -- by staging an intimate and acoustic noon-hour concert at the newly opened Spitfire & Firkin Pub.

Lead singer and heartthrob Raine Maida and lead guitarist and Detroit-native Steve Mazur took only a couple of guitars into the jam-packed bar Wednesday to play four songs to the appreciative and appropriately green-clad audience.

"You guys all drunk already?" Maida asked to start the show, eliciting cheers, before launching into a rhythmic version of All You Did was Save My Life.

Some 200 people waited in line in vain to see the short set -- the full Toronto-based ensemble of Our Lady Peace plays at the Fillmore Detroit tonight -- but about 150 people inside did the cheering for them. Another 90 or so stood on the patio, trying their best to lean up against the window for a look-see.

"This is amazing," said Marisa Pelle, 24, who arrived at 11 the night before with her friend Tracey Toth, 19, who both snoozed in sleeping bags and lawn chairs through the night to ensure their first-place position in line. "I'm so excited. They're my favourite band. It's great."

The crowd listened to the Our Lady duo perform Innocent, Paper Moon, and their signature Clumsy -- with a lot of jazzy guitar fills from Mazur.

With 89X program director Dave Hunter taking audience questions -- well, mostly breathless statements of adoration -- Maida and Mazur provided some answers on important issues, such as their favourite bands (Led Zeppelin, U2, Rolling Stones made the list). They seemed to appreciate the Windsor-area reception.

"It was fun, when you get a chance to be in front of your fans on a personal level like that," Maida said afterward. "There are no smoke and mirrors, there are no lights. ... But it's as much of a show and has as much value as a big rock show."

"It's almost kind of like being a jazz musician," Mazur said. "We can sort of stretch things and do different things."

The bandmates said they planned to take advantage of their "day off," and enjoy some St. Patty's festivities, perhaps inspired by the green clothing and green beer and green sour cream at the Spitfire & Firkin.

"I'm ecstatic," said Kyle McDonald, co-owner of the pub with Mike Galanopoulos. "It's pandemonium in here. I can't wait till next year." - Windsor Star


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