On an unusually cool August evening, millennials from across the state made their way to Richmond’s newest venue for a nostalgia-filled evening.
With a pop punk lineup that practically screamed MySpace and Warped Tour days, Simple Plan‘s Bigger Than You Think tour felt like taking a step back in time.
First up for the evening was the Colorado music duo 3OH3!. With a burst of energy that ignited the crowd, the band, known for their cheeky lyrics, brought out the hits, even with a shorter set list. From starting off with “Starstrukk” to finishing with “My First Kiss” and “Don’t Trust Me,” 3OH3! knew exactly how to kick the night off. With their party-rocking anthems that had fists pumping in the air, long-time fans were off to a heart-pounding start. Duo Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte made sure to keep the tone funny and light-hearted during the set by commenting on things such as asking if fans remembered the lyrics to some of their hits, to making comments about the attire they were wearing that evening – for reference, they wore Colorado Rockies jerseys, after it was announced the team had the worst record in MLB history. 3OH3!’s set felt like a trip back in time, but the trip didn’t end there.
Next up was Texas pop punk band, Bowling for Soup. Jump-starting their set the best way, the band tore into the hit song “Girl All The Bad Guys Want,” which was met with a roar from the crowd. Although the song wasn’t around during the high school days of millennials, another popular number the band made sure to perform was the theme song from Phineas and Ferb, “Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day,” which was sung by adults and children alike. Vocalist Jaret Reddick kept the laughs going throughout the set, especially when he displayed a magic trick to make a bird appear (spoiler alert: it was his middle finger outstretched to the crowd). Between the antics of Reddick and bassist Rob Felicetti, as well as the chemistry drummer Gary Wiseman had with the crowd, it’s hard to be doing anything but smiling during such a performance. Reddick informed the crowd that, despite what everyone thinks, the popular song “Stacy’s Mom” is not theirs and belongs to the band Fountains of Wayne, who could not be there that evening because they “charge significantly more than we do,” in Reddick’s words. Nevertheless, Bowling for Soup obliged and performed the well-loved hit. Finally, they closed out the evening with “1985,” which had everyone absolutely buzzing. Finally, it was time for Simple Plan. The Canadian pop punk band wasted no time making sure to hit songs they knew would make the crowd go wild, starting with “I’d Do Anything” right in the beginning. The setlist for the evening was one of any millennial’s dreams. The band knew how to pull at the nostalgic heartstrings by throwing in what might now be known as classics, like “Shut Up!,” “Jump,” “Addicted,” and “Welcome to My Life.” At one point, vocalist Pierre Bouvier asked the crowd how many had been fans for 5 years, 10 years, 15 years. He then added, “How many of you have been fans for 20 years? You are the OG fans,” which had the crowd go absolutely wild. Although the majority of the evening’s setlist kept with the high-energy, there were a few slower hits performed, like “Untitled” and “Perfect,” which closed out the evening. And while it has found a resurgence through trending sounds on TikTok, the iconic hit “I’m Just a Kid” was one of the final songs of the evening that really sealed the nostalgia factor for those millennials reliving their teenage years. And, much like Bowling for Soup performed their children’s TV show theme song, Simple Plan also performed their theme song “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?” for the show of the same name. This tour was absolutely iconic in the world of pop punk. Millennials were able to relive their angsty teen years, while also introducing younger family members to music they grew up on. It was a tour that brought generations together for high-energy fun, while also offering the emotional factor of reflecting on the nostalgia of a different time. One thing is for sure, some of those concert-goers were probably waking up the next day with back and neck aches that were sure to need some pain relievers.The final stop of the tour takes place on September 6 in Irving, TX. If you’re looking for that nostalgia factor that takes you back to your pop punk, teen angst days, this is the tour for you.
SIMPLE PLAN
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