Mention the word "change" to most rock fans, and they will cringe and think of Van Halen's evolution from Sammy Hagar to Gary Cherone, and the transformation of thin, cool Elvis to fat, Vegas lounge lizard Elvis.
But change can also revitalize and rejuvenate. For Our Lady Peace, it came in the form of new lead guitarist Steve Mazur.
About 150 fans and a handful of invited guests packed inside Scottsdale's Lucky Seven nightclub Saturday afternoon to hear the Toronto-based band perform a free unplugged set that, though short, had a newness and energy rarely seen in past performances. The acoustic set was a pre-cursor to their sold out Nita's Hideaway concert later that night.
"Steve has been awesome," drummer Jeremy Taggart said. "He's a great musician — he is taking us to a new level."
In the midst of recording the band's fifth album "Gravity," longtime guitarist Mike Turner and the band amicably separated. When Mazur, 24, auditioned to fill the void, band members knew the Detroit native was a perfect fit.
"I'm really happy with the way the album turned out; to me it feels like a whole piece of music when played all together," lead vocalist Raine Maida said. "We've never had an album that has felt that solid, that together."
And their Phoenix friends and fans could tell, too.
With two acoustic guitars, mini-congas, an electric bass and Maida's vocals, Our Lady Peace played "Do You Like It" and "Innocent," Maida's self-proclaimed favorite track off the new album, in their afternoon set.
Hit song "Somewhere Out There" served as their energizing closer, with the whole bar singing along and Maida tipping his microphone to the crowd every time the chorus came around.
The raw, stripped-down sound of Our Lady Peace's usually electric, aggressive sound allowed fans to get more up close and personal than usual. There wasn't even a stage for the band — just five feet of space between fan and musician.
"It's great to hear yourself, it's really a test of the song," Taggart said of playing the mini-congas instead of his usual drum kit.
Even though Maida was the usual fan-favorite after the show, plenty of fans were sold on Mazur and ready to accept him as a rock star by asking him to pose for photos and autograph band memorabilia.
"It's been absolutely fabulous, the greatest thing in the world," Mazur said. "I was always a fan, and for fan to join the band whose music you love is incredible."
Greenwheel and Audiovent opened for the Nita's concert. Our Lady Peace's evening performance didn't fail to please the fans expecting the band's hard-hitting rock and loud, distorted guitar melodies, even with the many sound and light problems on-stage.
Maida even told the audience he was "still fucking pissed off" at the re-occurring problems but thanked everyone for their patience.
Many of their hard-rocking songs sounded like one another, but a few stood out as exceptional, especially when performed live.
Mazur's understanding of both his guitar and Our Lady Peace was evident in his long, surrealistic solo in "Naveed."
Maida picked up an acoustic guitar for a handful of songs, including the strong rock ballad "Are you sad?"
They even played their WWE theme song "Whatever," written for Canadian wrestler Chris Benoit.
And they, of course, had to play their 1997 hit "Superman's Dead," much to the crowd's delight.
They saved "Somewhere Out There" for their encore, and appropriately closed with "The Birdman."
Our Lady Peace has already been on the road for two months, and they have at least a year of touring left.
"Being on tour has been great," Taggart said. "It's what we want to do."
The band will perform on the "Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" Tuesday night.
Reach the reporter at kristina.davis@asu.edu.
