Detroit has always been known as a music city. Motown. Detroit Rock City.
From small clubs to legendary stages, the sound of rock guitars has long echoed through its neighborhoods.
For Steve Mazur, the passion for playing guitar started at a young age, when he was just a Detroit-area kid learning chords and dreaming about life onstage.
Now, as the guitarist for Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace prepares to return to the city for a special upcoming performance, that early dream once again comes full circle.
Mazur gives a lot of credit to his first guitar teacher for where he is today.
“I started taking guitar lessons from Kevin Ottenbacher when I was seven years old at Southern Thumb Music in Richmond, the sister store of Huber & Breese Music in Fraser,” he says. “I can’t imagine having a better teacher. I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for him.”
Growing up in Richmond, Mazur continued with the lessons until he was around 18 years old. Shortly after becoming a guitar teacher at the same store, he made the move to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music in 1996.
Mazur would return home every summer from Berklee and played with cover bands in Detroit area bars.
“I remember at one point even playing ‘Clumsy’ in one of my cover bands,” says Mazur.
He also remembers performing the song ‘Thief’ while doing an “acoustic thing” at the Hayloft in Mount Clemens.
“It’s funny. It was me and this other guy, Jeff Gutt, a singer,” he recalls. “Now he’s the singer in the Stone Temple Pilots.”
After graduating from Berklee in 2000, Mazur returned home for a short period during which he continued to play in cover bands and work at the music store before deciding to move to Los Angeles to seek work in the music industry.
Today, numerous albums and tours later (and even playing on the title track for the PlayStation 2 video game No One Lives Forever), Mazur now returns to Detroit after being a part of Our Lady Peace for half his life.
“It’s awesome getting to play back at home,” Mazur says. “There are a lot of emotions, especially playing a place like the Fillmore where I saw a lot of great shows growing up. Every venue has so much history and some of the biggest names have played there. You feel that when you’re there.”
He adds, “I don’t live in Michigan anymore, so it’s great seeing everybody. They’re so happy because they know I’m happy doing what I’m doing. My old guitar teacher Kevin will also be there. It’s a really special thing.”
Every music career has a turning point. For Mazur, the key moment is joining Our Lady Peace.
While living in L.A., he bounced between bands and teaching guitar until one audition led to another through a mutual acquaintance of the band, drummer Jason Sutter.
“I remember hearing ‘Starseed’ on 89X,” says Mazur. “And I had friends who were getting more into them when I was off at music college. I had no idea they were looking for a new guitar player. Nobody knew at the time. He connected me with Jeremy, our old drummer, and things kind of went from there.”
Mazur officially joined Our Lady Peace in 2002.
“They were very welcoming and encouraging from the beginning,” he says.
Our Lady Peace was already in the process of recording their next album with producer Bob Rock, Gravity, when Mazur took over on guitar.
He notes that the writing and recording side was another step that took a little bit more time due to lack of experience.
“It’s almost like there’s two worlds. There is writing and recording. And then there is touring and playing live,” says Mazur.
“And I will say that I’m a baseball fan,” he continues. “We talk about baseball and I feel for the players because it’s very black and white. You’re either striking out or you’re getting on base. And music is the shades of everything, which is great. I can feel like I didn’t have a good performance, but it doesn’t really matter. Was the audience moved? That’s the only thing that matters in all these gradients. It’s not black and white.”
When it comes to the band’s “OLP30” 30th anniversary celebration tour, Mazur says frontman Raine Maida isn’t normally one to reminisce, but they all believe their fans deserve a little bit of a retrospective.
“We feel humbled by the fact we’re still doing this 30 years later,” says Mazur. “So, we are acknowledging that during the show and we’re talking a little bit more about some of the history of the band. This is a time where we’re taking a moment to stop and give thanks and pay respect to our fans.”
Sadly, Mazur and crew arrive across Woodward Avenue from Comerica Park one day too early, missing the chance to attend the Tigers’ home opener, but says he’s very excited for the upcoming season.
“I’m home usually for a bit every summer so I love trying to get to a Tigers game because it’s such a great vibe down there,” he says.
“I don’t want to jinx anything. But man, that core of Keith, Torkelson, Greene, Carpenter, Meadows, that’s a hell of a core,” he continues. “I love Dingler as well. Obviously, Skubal and Mize are great. And the Framber thing I thought was awesome.”
Once the final curtain falls on OLP30, Mazur says Our Lady Peace will be going into the studio with a new producer in May.
“We’re firing on all cylinders right now,” he says. “We just want to go, go, go. We have no intention of slowing down or stopping any time.”
Our Lady Peace performs Thursday, April 2 at the Fillmore; 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; ticketmaster.com. Doors at 7 p.m., with special guest the Verve Pipe.
Our Lady Peace: 30th Anniversary Tour w/ Special Guests The Verve Pipe
Time Thu., April 2, 7 p.m.
Location The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit