Our Lady Peace Drummer Sounds Off on Touring and Baseball
 
Jeremy Taggart, drummer for Our Lady Peace, knows what it takes to succeed as a band in the United States, and he thinks it's even harder for him and his fellow Canadians to make it big south of the border. "There are a lot of Canadian bands that would really like to work down here, but they don't have a label that is willing to spend the money to sponsor a tour," he tells Wall of Sound. While life on the road can be exhausting, Taggart says he feels that's what it takes. "You need to keep touring and touring. A lot of bands get frustrated because they don't take off quickly. But you've got to keep plugging away until people start showing up." The drummer also suggests that some Americans may have a distorted view of the Canadian scene�not all bands, he says, are like Rush, Chilliwack, or Loverboy. "Yeah, Rush is sort of like hockey in Canada. I don't like them, but I respect those guys for hanging around. As for Chilliwack and Loverboy, they're in the same pile. We are sorry about that."

Taggart has another motive for trying to spend as much time in the United States as he can; There are far more baseball teams in the States, and Taggart is a devoted fan. "I collect a lot of baseball memorabilia," he says. "And I've hooked up with a couple of heavyweight guys. I used to play, so now I'm living vicariously through them." Heavyweight may be just an expression, but at least two of the players Taggart knows are, to say the least, heavy-hitters�or throwers, that is. One of them is New York Yankees hurler David Wells, who recently pitched the 15th perfect game in baseball history, and whom Taggart describes as "kinda funny." The other is Seattle Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson, known for his incredible fastball, as well as his current contract dispute with his team. "I'll call Randy up and talk to him, and see what it's like to be a big baseball star," says Taggart. "His contract�it's not really healthy. He just wants to be treated fairly." At issue is the fact that the Mariners don't intend to renew Johnson's contract at the end of the season, and have been shopping him around to other teams. But Taggart is quick to point out just how popular Johnson is in Seattle�"He told me the way it is now, he could run for mayor." �Anders Wright