Photos and story by Shannon Shumaker
FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE.
To say that the lineup for Sum 41’s Does This Look Infected? tour was diverse would be an understatement, but it also goes to show that fifteen years later, they’re still taking risks and changing the game. With support from Canadian pop-punk band, Seaway (who provided the perfect vibes for summer) and California alt-rockers Super Whatevr, the night was filled to the brim with a wide variety of sounds for fans of all ages – whether you were a teenager just introduced to Sum 41, or a long-time fan looking to relive the summer you first fell in love with punk to begin with.
Although most would assume that a band like Super Whatevr wouldn’t fit the bill at a Sum 41 show, they were quick to win over the crowd with their first song, “Telelelevision” (which kicked off with the line, “I wanna kill myself / But I’ll go read a book instead”) and vocalist Skyler McKee’s dark sense of humor between songs. And although there was a large contrast between Super Whatevr and Seaway’s upbeat, catchy-as-hell sound, both openers were well received.
Throughout the night though, it was apparent that everyone in attendance was eagerly awaiting the main event, and boy, did Sum 41 deliver. Kicking off their set with confetti and “The Hell Song,” the band dove straight into the old material that fans were excited to hear, and they did so with such ease that it was hard to believe that Does This Look Infected? was 15 years old. With more energy than both opening acts combined, Sum 41 charged forward into a hit-filled set that made the venue feel like a dirty, intimate club, rather than a 1,600 capacity room with a massive production.
Rather than playing Does This Look Infected? front to back, the band peppered songs from the album into their career-spanning setlist, which even included Black Sabbath, Queen and Pink Floyd covers. Ultimately, the most impressive thing about Sum 41’s set was the amount of unbridled energy the entire band had on stage. Throughout their massive twenty song set, the band took few breaks, their largest coming halfway through “Still Waiting” when a fan was injured while crowd surfing (he was okay!). They were also were quick to assure fans that this won’t be the last they hear of them, promising more new music soon. Throughout the set, frontman Deryck Whibley even joked that they “don’t have any slow songs” and by the end of the night, that much was apparent. Even those who didn’t go anywhere near the pit left the show exhausted and went home with the reminder why Sum 41 are still one of the biggest names in punk music.