Live Bring Back Fond Memories at TD Coliseum in Hamilton, ON [Photos]

Live kicked off their 2026 touring year with a run going across Canada, joined by Big Wreck and Econoline Crush. And nobody was more excited to travel across Canada than frontman Ed Kowalczyk.

Thousands of fans gathered in TD Coliseum for a night of ’90s and 2000s rock music, and all three bands of the night didn’t fail to deliver a night fans won’t forget.

The night began with Econoline Crush, a Canadian electronic rock act best known for their hits from the late ’90s. They are arguably one of the hardest touring bands in Canada. It doesn’t matter the capacity, the time or the date, if you have a place to play, Econoline Crush will be there.

The band came out with the most energy of the night, frontman Trevor Hurst was having the time of his life interacting with fans in the front row and the photographers, helping both groups have a great experience.

The energy stayed high throughout the entire set, before they finished after song #7, where they played “Sparkle & Shine,” a track off of their 1997 album The Devil You Know.

Big Wreck is another hard-working band. This past summer, they headlined the Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, Ontario, just a short drive from TD Coliseum (if you don’t get stuck in traffic!)

When I covered them in Burlington, they were missing guitarist and backing vocalist Chris Caddell, and comparing the sound of the band across the two shows, it was a wild difference. Caddell contributes so much to the backing vocals, and with him, Big Wreck filled TD Coliseum and warmed everyone up for the final band of the night.

Fans of ’90s music know Live’s songs, even if they don’t think they do. Their album Throwing Copper featured a plethora of hits, and they know how to spread them across the setlist to ensure no one wants to leave for a drink or a bathroom break.

The theme of tonight was travelling through time. Live provided the time machine to take the crowd back to the ’90s, and the first stop after learning about it was “The Beauty of Gray” off of their debut album, released all the way back in 1991.

You could make a strong argument that the time machine did more than just transport the crowd back to the ’90s; it must have impacted vocal cords as well because all night long Ed Kowalczyk sounded just like the studio albums.

You also can’t avoid looking at the bassist, Chris Heerlein. All night long, he was running around the stage, having the time of his life. I hope he had an Apple Watch on so he could show us just how many steps he takes per show.

Later in the set, Kowalczyk tugged at the heartstrings of those in the crowd. Before kicking into “Heaven,” he dedicated the song to all the mothers and the daughters in the crowd, due to the song being written about the birth of his first daughter, and only his first daughter, in his words.

Right after “Heaven,” Kowalczyk got into some cowboy gear and educated the younger people in the crowd, explaining what a CD secret track is. People around me knew what was coming next. Live kicked into “Horse,” the secret track off of Throwing Copper. Older fans who owned the CD were loving it, with a couple of people telling each other it was the first secret chat they’ve ever noticed.

The show ended with a three-song encore, the last two being the remaining of the big hits off of Throwing Copper, “I Alone,” and “Lightning Crashes.”

Fans in TD Coliseum got to experience a lengthy setlist of Live’s entire discography, with a secret surprise throwing “Horse” into the setlist during the current Canadian tour. Live is just getting the year started, and after seeing them twice, they haven’t disappointed me yet. The band delivered and brought along some solid supporting bands who complemented the evening.