Despite the fact that my brother and I had previously seen OLP earlier this year when they stopped in Cleveland, we did not hesitate to jump at the chance to see them again in a smaller venue.  We were more than happy to make the 2-hour plus trip to Clarion to see the guys and we were not disappointed.  We arrived about an hour and a half before the show began (I owe you Josh!) and waited outside in the cold with the dedicated fans that decided to arrive early.  We were awarded by being able to be in the front row which would turn out to be an amazing and unforgettable experience. 

The show began with a rousing performance by fellow Canadians, Theory of a Deadman.  Tyler and the rest of the band presented the crowd with a nice mix of older as well as new material.  They all appeared to be having a genuinely good time and were successful in pumping up the crowd for OLP.  Theory played an energetic 45 min set in advance of the main attraction.

It was about 9:30 when OLP took the stage and launched into Picture followed by Is Anybody Home? allowing the crowd the first opportunity to participate in the music by singing the chorus.  From the initial moment that Raine and co. took the stage the atmosphere became electric and the crowd was into the music as was the band.  This is one of the best parts of an OLP show.  All you have to do is look around and you can see the crowd becoming involved in each and every song by singing the lyrics and feeling the emotions that are behind them.  This concert was no exception.  It was great to look around and witness numerous amounts of people singing word for word.  Hearing Car Crash live was incredible, as Raine seemed to be consumed by the song as he sang it with intense passion.  The bands ardor and zeal was contagious.   During “Wipe” Raine appeared to be a bit reticent to make any political references, but gave in near the end and mentioned something about Cheney though I was not capable of deciphering exactly what he said.  As the song reached its conclusion, he made a general reference to all “those f***ing politicians” which got a cheer.  The transformation of the band has become obvious both in the music they create as well as the message that they are sending.  Raine spoke to the crowd about the ability to change the world beginning with us.  The main set ended with Superman’s Dead which provided Steve to display his great guitar skills.  An extended ending really enhanced the song and added to the experience.  Raine also snuck in a partial rendition of  “Life” which nice to hear.  The encore began with 4am.  Raine allowed the crowd to sing the entire song.  No matter how many times I have experienced this, it never looses its appeal.  It is truly a unique experience and one that is unforgettable.  This allowed the fans to give a little back to the band that had been rocking us all night long and we all did a great job.  Throughout the entire show Raine maintained a connection with the crowd and at one point when someone shouted, “this crowd sucks” Raine responded by stating that the crowd didn’t suck and that in fact the crowd was great.  Though it would have been nice to hear some of the older songs, especially “Thief”, the new music sounded great with “Will the Future Blame Us” and  “Wipe That Smile…” standing out. 

This was the 6^th time I have seen OLP and they never cease to amaze me.  I have never been disappointed by any of their performances in the past and this time was no exception.  This is obviously a band that finds encouragement and strength in the music they create and are enthusiastic about sharing such emotions and visions with their fans.  Though they are a band that has been around for over a decade, it appears as though they have plenty of life left in them which personally makes me very happy.