Review by Samira Villagomez
Simple Plan gave an absolutely nostalgic thrill on August 27th alongside Sum 41 headlining, and opener Set It Off at the Stone Pony. The crowd’s energy began to form from the moment doors opened with fans excited to see the bands that made their teenage years rock!
Opener- Set It Off (which I was vaguely familiar with during a pop punk deep dive in my emo middle school days) came in with a BANG! From their new album “Elsewhere,” they performed “Skeletons” and “Loose Cannon.”
As the sun began to set on the Jersey Shore, the next band on stage was Sum 41 in the same wild and chaotic fashion that stole our hearts from the first moment we met them. They sang the hits, including “In Too Deep” and older classics like “The Hell Song,” “Fat Lip” and “Still Waiting”, when the crowd quickly began to start an insane mosh pit and crowd surf.
There wasn’t a single frown during their performance because of the strong and interactive presence the band held onstage. Guitarist David Baksh stood out immensely with his beautiful solos of “Smoke on the Water” and “Seven Nation Army.”
And then- the band everyone was most anticipating: Simple Plan. The crowd pushed forward to the barricade out of excitement as soon as they teased coming on stage. The band came in strong with their hit “I’d Do Anything,” which got the crowd absolutely pumped and, unlike Sum 41’s set, the mosh came to a pause and everyone’s eyes glued to the stage, mesmerized by the band that was once the only thing that understood them.
We got to hear the evermore iconic “What’s Up Scooby Doo,” which was something I never knew I needed to hear live until I had it in front of me! We also got to hear a mashup of “All Star,” “Sk8er Boi” and “Mr. Brightside” that created an early 2000’s party within the whole crowd. Besides the long wait outside the venue and crazy heat, the performance and crowd made the Blame Canada Tour well worth it and an experience I hope to catch again soon.
