Dave White, JJ Wilde, and Our Lady Peace
August 7, 2024
George Street Festival, St. John’s, NL
The last night of the 39th Annual George Street Festival was a night to remember! Starting the night was Dave White. Known in the local St. John’s music scene, Dave White can often be found playing at the pubs in downtown St. John’s.
White’s set included a mixture of catchy original tunes such as ‘Remember Us’, ‘Massacre’, ‘Breathe Again’ and ‘Winter’, along with some cover tracks, White surely has something for everyone. He treated the audience to some acoustic music when he played ‘Your Life’ and ‘Missed You’, reminiscent of just sitting around a campfire with you and hundreds of your closest friends, singing along to the words of your favourite track.
This set was extra special, as White invited one of Newfoundland’s ‘Lucky 7’, Eugene Carter, on stage for ‘Sixteen For a While’ by Celtic Connection. Captain Carter was one of seven rescued at sea after the fishing vessel caught fire on route home. Videos of this performance have been circulating since that night.
White also made sure to include his latest single ‘Wasteland’, which will quickly solidify itself as a fan favourite. The set finished with a track called ‘Tequila Town’, setting the scene for the rest of the night perfectly.
Next up was the creative antics of JJ Wilde, a Canadian rock singer from Kitchener, Ontario. Since the release of her debut EP in 2019, JJ Wilde has been taking on the world by storm.
The set started with ‘Red Flags’, a catchy tune showcasing her powerful vocals and contagious energy, matching the energy of those on the street. From this, she started into her debut single, ‘The Rush’, a track that reached #1 on Canada’s modern rock, active rock and mainstream rock charts in May 2020.
Wilde’s set graced the streets with some of her hit singles including ‘Off The Rails’ and ‘Hands’. Fans were treated to tracks such as ‘Knees’, off her 2020 album, Ruthless, along with newer tracks such as ‘Best of Me’ and ‘Bad Side’ from her most recent EP, Best of Me (Part 1), released in May.
It is always a good time when an artist performs a cover of a well-known song. This aids in showcasing their creativity and showing the audience what they can do. Wilde’s powerful performance of ‘Piece of My Heart’ by Janis Joplin did just this.
Wilde also performed hits such as ‘Mercy’ and ‘Bushweed’ from her 2021 EP, Wilde. She finished off her set with ‘Best Boy’, another catchy tune that the audience will not soon forget. With her creative antics, powerful vocals, and contagious energy, JJ Wilde is one that the patrons of George Street will not forget any time soon.
Closing off the night, and the festival, was Our Lady Peace; a Newfoundland favourite. This Canadian alternative rock band consists of Raine Maida (lead vocals), Duncan Coutts (Bass), Steve Mazur (guitar), and Jason Pierce (Drums).
Our Lady Peace started their set with ‘The Messenger’ before breaking into ‘Superman’s Dead’, a fan-favourite that had the audience singing along. The band played many of their hits, including ‘Is Anybody Home?’, ‘One Man Army’, ‘Innocent’, and ‘Life’. These tracks are certainly crowd pleasers, as the audience sang along.
Our Lady Peace finished off with three of my favourite ‘Clumsy’, ‘4AM’, and ‘Starseed’. These songs are never a disappointment as the audience sings along with Maida, filling the streets with some of the most nostalgic sounds. It never disappoints!
With several millions of albums sold worldwide, four JUNO Awards in their pocket, ten MuchMusic Video Awards, and nineteen singles to have reached the Top Ten on a Canadian singles chart, you can rest assured that this will not be the last time you get to see an amazing live show from Our Lady Peace!
This closes out another wonderful George Street Festival. There was something from many different genres of music, including the ever-popular Newfoundland night. It will be interesting to see what is in store for the 40th festival during the summer of 2025.
