SUM 41 IGNITES TORONTO WITH AN EXPLOSIVE HOMECOMING SHOW AT THE BUDWEISER STAGE 7-14-2022

July 16, 2022
International Concert Reviews
by Dave Blass Photographer/Writer

SUM 41 exploded onto the Budweiser Stage in Toronto on Thursday night, igniting the crowd with a concussive showcase that left no doubt that the local boys have one of the top punk-pop bands in the world. While Sum 41 is on a break from the “Blame Canada” tour with Simple Plan, they have paired up with a great lineup of THE OBGMs, GOB, and All time Low. The outdoor venue had a fresh festival vibe with audiences bouncing and thrashing all night long.

The OBGMs, another Toronto band, kicked off the event showcasing the vocal talents of Densil McFarlane. The majority of their set featured hits off their classic The Ends LP with “The Cash” and “Not Again” getting the crowd rocking as most were still braving the Toronto Grand Prix traffic.

The OBGMS:

Densil McFarlane: Lead Vocals

Joe Brosnan: Guitar

Colanthony Humphrey: Drums

GOB is a Vancouver based punk band. The band has been a staple in the Canadian punk scene since 1993 and their catalogue includes 7 LPs. The band is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Tom Thacker, vocalist guitarist Theo Goutzinakis, drummer Gabe Mantle, and bassist Steven Fairweather. Thacker and Goutzinakis traded off vocal duties throughout the set keeping the energy moving from one side of the stage to the other. Their energetic, guitar-driven punk pumped the audience up, and the crowd surfers started to take their first leaps. The ample pit at the Budweiser Stages had already started filling to capacity and was now hopping.

GOB:

Tom Thacker: Lead/Background Vocals, Lead Guitar

Theo Goutzinakis: Lead/Background Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Gabe Mantle: Drums, Backing Vocals

Steven Fairweather: Bass, Backing Vocals

Setlist:

1.For The Moment

2.What To Do

3.Ming Tran

4.Custer’s Last 1 Nite Stand

5.Oh! Ellin

6.No Regrets

7.B Flat

8.Bully

9.Beauville

10.You’re Too Cool

11.Give Up The Grudge

12.Self-Appointed Leader

13.Paint It Black (Rolling Stones Cover)

14.I Hear You Calling

15.Soda

The third band on the lineup was the only one not from north of the border. All Time Low , out of Maryland, consists of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson. They took to the stage like a headliner and launched into “Lost in Stereo.” The front 10 rows of the audience were on fire as they launched into their set. There were two types of people in the audience, those that loved All Time Low, and those that left as new fans. It only took half a song before lead guitarist Barakat decided to see how much fun the audience was having and leapt into the crowd for an extended solo surrounded by throngs of fans getting an unexpected in your face experience as he ran a lap around the standing room only pit. Cell phones were popping, and jaws were dropping as he ran and played his solo, finally jumping back up to finish “Dark Side of Your Room”, but the seal had been broken on the audience and the energy level increased both on stage and in the crowd. They had a driving sound that was thick with 4 guitarists, as they had a 2^nd rhythm guitarist who also doubled up on keyboards. They clearly have a great following as the crowd was providing great backing vocals for most of the songs.

All Time Low:

Alex Gaskarth: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Jack Barakat:Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Rian Dawson: Drums Percussion

Zack Merrick: Bass, Backing Vocals

Setlist:

1.Lost In Stereo

2.Dark Side Of Your Room

3.Sleeping In

4.Some Kind Of Disaster

5.PMA

6.Weightless

7.Once In A Lifetime

8.Backseat Serenade

9.Dirty Laundry

10.Guts

11.Good Times

12.Something’s Gotta Give

13.Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)

14.Blinding Lights

15.Monsters

16.Dear Maria, Count Me in

Having seen a dozen shows at the Budweiser Stages I can easily say the first moments of Sum 41 launching onto the stage were some of the most concussive and loud that I have experienced. I could feel Frank Zummo’s thundering drum rocking my spleen. The stage then literally exploded with towers of flame as they launched into “Motivation”. The song of their 2001 All Killer No Filler album set the tone of a bouncing fun night. The set felt fresh the audience was filled with tons of young fans who clearly grew up with the band. Hard to believe with the energy and passion that they were raging the stage with, that the band has been rocking Toronto for 26 years.

Lead singer Deryck Whibley worked the stage left to right making full use of the multiple level risers to add energy to his performance. Cone McCaslin’s bass combined with Zummo’s drums to drive the syncopated rhythm at a pace that kept the audience bouncing all night. Launching into “The Hell Song” off their 2002 classic Does this Look Infected? the audience was showered with confetti as it was clear that the band was as much about the visuals as the audio.

The stage setup featured multi-level platforms allowing the band to prowl around and interact with the audience in a variety of places, mixing up the visuals. Kicking into the third song, Whibley took to the head of the stage to mention that “there is only one rule tonight… and that is, … make sure nobody gets hurt, alright? Make sure you are looking out for each other”. It’s such a little thing but that gesture is so important to set the positive tone that the band was showcasing all night. High energy and passion with control. Lead Guitarist Dave Baksh took front position leading into “Over My Head” (Better off Dead) showcasing his driving riff. After 20+ years of cranking out hits, SUM 41 was rewarded with thousands of backing vocalists singing along to every song, and it didn’t stop till the final beat of their 17-song mega-set. Looking back on the crowd it looked like it was near the full 16,000 capacity, and the entire crowd undulated with the beat the entire show. The set list kept mainly to their classics closing out the show with “Goddamn I’m Dead Again” off their 13 Voices album and their huge hit “Fat Lip” which had the thousands of people on the lawn seats bouncing till the very end.

Sum 41:

Deryck Whibley: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards

Dave Baksh-Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Jason McCaslin: Bass, Backing Vocals

Tom Thacker: Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Frank Zummo: Drums, Backing Vocals