SIMPLE PLAN AT STONE PONY SUMMER STAGE IN ASBURY PARK
Sum 41 and Simple Plan set out on the “Blame Canada Tour” this past April. They were originally set to make a stop in Asbury Park, NJ in early May, however, due to issues said to be involving an illness, the show was rescheduled to the end of the tour in August. For those fans that had to now wait, they not only still got to see them at the famous Stone Pony Summer Stage, but they got not one, but two shows back to back.
Set It Off followed them to these rescheduled shows, and they got the crowd hyped and ready for one crazy night of both old and new music. The guys came out rocking hot fluorescent hair colors and styled attire from the 80’s (like watching MTV when music videos were actually played). These dudes came out jumping all over the stage and rocking as if it was 2008 when they first started performing live. “Killer in the Mirror”, “Skeleton” and “Why Do I “ are a few of their classics they played as they opened this killer show on the Summer Stage.
After the boys from Set It Off warmed the crowd up, Simple Plan had one loud and thriving crowd ready and wanting more. From the very second Simple Plan hit that stage, they delivered 110%! “I’d Do Anything”, “Addicted”, “Crazy”, and “Iconic” blasted from the stage and the crowd screamed it right back. It was one of those shows that no matter what direction I was looking, there was just tons of energy and action. How about a little mashup of some classic such as “All Star,” “Sk8er Boi”, and “Mr. Brightside”? They did just that! As Simple Plan came close to finishing their set, Chuck Comeau would make his way from behind his throne to give thanks to the fans in attendance. With his way of giving thanks, that would mean the band would need someone to sit in on drums as Chuck decided to jump into the crowd and personally say hello to the fans. Cody Carson from Set It Off would lend his two hands (and 2 feet) to help fill in as Simple Plan played “I’m Just a Kid”. The boys would close out their night with “Perfect”. The best way for me to sum up this performance: Simply Perfect.
As the skies had finally turned dark and the stage lights went out, we were suddenly blessed with a classic tune from AC/DC, “T.N.T.”. The song continued to play and we all gathered to the front and waited for the Canadian Rockers in Sum 41 to hit the stage. Why not give the crowd some more energy and motivation by playing the classic “Motivation”?! “Over My Head (Better Off Dead)”, “Summer”, and “With Me” are a few other tunes the boys played as the night went on. Just like Set It Off and Simple Plan, the guys in Sum 41 may have all grown up, but they all still are running around that stage and playing music with that youthful energy. You have to give it to all these rock stars that do this consistently, night after night, and yet when they are in your town to perform, the delivery is at 100% if not more. From the instruments being played to the vocals being sung, everything sounded just as good as it did when they first hit the airwaves, if not better. The boys in Sum 41 would close out their night with an all time masterpiece by the amazing Queen, followed by two of their big time hits - “We Will Rock You”, “Fat Lip”, and “Still Waiting”, which in my opinion is one way to send your crowd home with something to talk about for days to come!