Under a beautiful maritime sky on Saturday night Sept. 13, Alanis Morissette turned the Colliding Tides Main Stage into a masterclass in intensity and spirit from one of Canada’s most enduring voices.
Before she even appeared, the video backdrop glowed with moonlit imagery, old clips, and interview snippets — a living scrapbook of her evolution — setting the tone for what was to come.
The seven-time GRAMMY Award winner and 15-time JUNO recipient headlined day one of Sommo Festival, sauntering across the stage “like a boss,” as one fan shouted, as she launched into her opener, ‘Hand in My Pocket’. The crowd roared the lyrics back before she even fully emerged into the light.
Morissette, now nearly three decades removed from her 1995 breakthrough Jagged Little Pill, hasn’t lost an ounce of power. Backed by a tight full band, her voice — unmistakable, raw, and operatic at moments — carried through Cavendish like a storm and a prayer all at once.
“Prince Edward Island… this is so amazing. It’s so great to be here, we’re having a blast with you,” she told the crowd early in her set, her gratitude as palpable as her energy.
Between songs, archival clips and flashes of text like “Lost but I’m hopeful” appeared on the massive screen, blending reflection with momentum. She moved seamlessly from ‘You Learn’ to ‘Reasons I Drink’, shifting from stillness to sudden, kinetic movement — sometimes holding yoga mudras mid-verse before spinning wildly across the stage, eventually collapsing to her knees to finish the song.
When she reached ‘Head Over Feet’, the crowd singalong could probably be heard all the way to North Rustico. The harmonica breaks drew cheers every time, a reminder of her folk roots woven into rock power.
There were small, human moments too — a pause during ‘You Learn’ to mention the ages of her children, a lyric tweak in Ironic to reference “a beautiful husband,” and a radiant smile before ‘Thank U’, which she dedicated simply: “This is for you.”
By the end, as she repeated “We love you so much. Take care of each other,” the sentiment felt more like instruction than goodbye.
Morissette didn’t just headline Sommo Festival — she elevated it, turning a night of nostalgia into something transcendent.
Here are the photos from her set by Stew Maclean of Whitecap Entertainment:
