Rockers hope their gym’s a hit
Our Lady Peace members launch airy new gym in old rehearsal space
It’s not unheard of for celebrities to milk their get-fit secrets for a little cash on the side. But it’s not every day they open a gym in downtown Toronto. Particularly when we’re talking about Our Lady Peace. That’s right, the Toronto band that fuelled countless fits of angst-y air guitar in the 1990s makes up most of the team behind Union, the latest self-described “fitness boutique” to populate the King West area.
The two-storey industrial space where the alt-rock stars jammed, stashed their gear and hung out for some15 years has been cleared to make way for spinning bikes, ballet barres and dumbbells.
There’s organic shampoo in the showers and juice-cleanse bottles in the fridge — vegan, of course — but nary a concert poster in sight, much less the life-size cardboard cut-outs that often accompany celebrity business ventures.
And no hint of the band’s trademark wail on the sound system, though they joke about an all-OLP playlist all the time, said “huge fan” and Union co-owner Christie Ness, who used to own and run niche studio Get Spun on Spadina.
The airy studio, which offers barre, spin, Gravity and TRX classes, is a better fit for the trendy neighbourhood now replete with condos and pricey cocktails, says frontman Raine Maida. “The neighbourhood definitely outgrew us.”
He started the gym with Ness, bass player Duncan Coutts and drummer Jeremy Taggart.
Opening the studio felt like a natural step after so long in sleek American gyms, said the singer, who now lives in Los Angeles, Calif., with his wife, Winnipegborn singer Chantal Kreviazuk, and their three sons.
He stressed the importance of “getting that un-gym-like feel.” After a lifetime of martial arts, Maida said he’s not a fan of exercise machines and absolutely hates weightlifting. He says he plans on working out at Union when he’s in town.
The band also wanted to make sure the gym didn’t look like a tour merchandise stand. “We don’t want to try to put our own stamp on it in that sense,” said Maida.
While he and the other band members have helped prep Union for its debut, Ness is “the force,” and will handle dayto-day operations while OLP continues to perform, Maida said.
The two were connected through a mutual friend when Ness realized she’d have to close the popular Spadina Ave. spot.
The whole thing came together in a few months, with the official launch in early September.
Ness calls the new venture “Get Spun but better.” Union offers roughly the same classes, including spinning and TRX which relies on body weight for resistance.
Many of Get Spun’s former clients have migrated over to Union’s sparse, loftlike space, she said.
A few finishing touches are still in the works, such as a rooftop deck for stretching, she said. And who knows, maybe an album cover will eventually make its way onto the walls, she jokes. “I’m still working with Raine on that.” Union Studio Address: 571Wellington St. W. unionstudio.ca, 416-850-0843 Cost: Drop-in classes $20 to $32, packages available Paola Loriggio is a Toronto-based freelance writer.