Concert Review: Making a Sum-back

Sum 41
October 25th
Union Hall
https://www.sum41.com/

On Tuesday night, Sum 41 brought me right back to my angsty teenage years. From the moment I set foot in Union Hall, I could smell the sweaty anticipation of the crowd — and lots of beer. Everyone in attendance was there for the same reason: to pull out their finest early-2000s skater ensembles, and rage to some Canadian pop-punk classics.

Even before the veteran band came out to play, I was being prepped to go to pop-punk war. Opening with an epic montage of previous shows, along with pump-up music dedicated to feeding the brewing anticipation, the crowd was buzzing. It wasn’t until lead singer Deryck Whibley hit the first note of “The Hell Song,” however, that I fully embraced the reality that I wasn’t in 2016 anymore, but back in 2009, listening to All The Good Shit with my older brother, pretending I was a misunderstood, enraged teenager — man, did it feel good to be back.

It only took three songs for a fight to break out, and Whibley to make a Donald Trump joke. Five songs in, and security was chasing a guy decked out in a blindingly studded leather vest as he made a mad dash to get on stage. The dedicated fan made it, gave a wave, and jumped into the crowd to surf his way down memory lane.

The night was filled with sick guitar solos, a drum solo, and Whibley repeatedly stopping mid-song to yell at the crowd of “Scumfucks” to get wilder — not that anyone needed more encouraging. The concert was a badass throwback, from the band’s nostalgic wardrobe choices — especially guitarist Tom Thacker’s white ensemble with the feature piece of a black fedora — to Whibley thanking the crowd for being the reason he fought through addiction recovery two years ago. The night left this long-time fan feeling #blessed.

Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, Sum 41 proved in front of the rowdy Edmonton crowd that they’ve still got it. With guitarist Dave Baksh returning after a nine-year hiatus, the group now consists of five charismatic, ready to rage, wild bros who know how to show old, and new, fans a fantastic time. At this point, it’s obvious the band is “In Too Deep” with their dedicated fans to show any signs of slowing down, and that’s more than fine with this formerly angst-ridden teen.