Photo of Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley by Colin Williams
Live action Scooby Doo and a twerking Gorilla weren’t on my 2023 bingo card, but here we are. Let The Bad Times Roll featuring The Offspring, Sum 41, and Simple Plan brought all that and more to Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on the 27th. The show saw a stunning light show with confetti clouds and more air time than satellite radio. Seriously, I think members of the opening bands spent more time jumping and spinning than they did on the ground, keeping an already excited crowd on their feet.
Most shows we catch in Maryland Heights steadily fill through the evening ahead of the main act, but that was not the case Sunday, with the stands packed to the brim before Simple Plan opened the night with their hit “I’d Do Anything.” The band formed in the ‘90s (hey, we have that in common!) and remain a powerhouse foursome with impressive stamina, their energy and use of the stage just as dynamic as it was decades ago. The band has weathered the years with their original lineup, which is a testament to their friendship and dedication to their art. The third song of the night, “Jump,” lived up to its name with the crowd and band getting their cardio in for the night with nearly everyone jumping for a solid three minutes. A beautiful throwback made its appearance mid set with a mash up of “All Star,” “Sk8er Boi,” and “Mr. Brightside” that tickled every elder emo’s heart. Everyone’s favorite furry great dane made its appearance next with Rooby Rooby Roooooo joining the band on stage for “What’s New Scooby Doo?” Simple Plan closed their epic nine-song set with “Perfect” and you could feel the childhood trauma exiting the building in the screams of the crowd, several shedding tears. This show was cathartic and healing for a lot in attendance, myself included.
I was in way too deep and definitely over my head when Sum 41 took the stage. Also formed in the ‘90s, Sum 41 has seen their share of accolades through the years. Their debut single “Fat Lip” hit #1 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and to date remains the band’s most successful single. Sum 41 opened the night with “Motivation,” also off their debut LP All Killer No Filler. Frontman Deryck Whibley encouraged a circle pit and the crowd gladly obliged. The band stuck to their older stuff, playing through hits like “Over My Head,” “In Too Deep,” and “Still Waiting” which has the nostalgia at a ten for me. The set was feisty and energetic like the band themselves, and the only thing I really missed was a bit of pyro. With the vibrant red and yellow backdrops fire would’ve made for an aesthetic dream, but with tour costs being wildly prohibitive I’m not surprised we missed pyro this round. Sum 41 has said this will be their farewell to touring, and I personally feel like they did their band name proud with this final show in St. Louis.
While the crowd eagerly awaited The Offspring’s arrival we were treated to the “Booty Cam” which bore witness to a twerking gorilla and more white boys shaking their butts than I’ve seen in my lifetime. I have to say, it was pretty fly for some white guys. After the crowd was thoroughly hyped up, I glanced to my right and saw a grown man exclaim to his wife with absolute giddiness “BABE IT’S THE OFFSPRING” before making unintelligible sounds because he couldn’t form words to describe his excitement. It was honestly one of the most wholesome things I’ve seen, and I was equally as excited to watch this stranger watch The Offspring as I was to see them myself.
The crowd was treated to graphics featuring Dia de Los Muertos dolls that eventually morphed into a countdown clock. A large circular LED backdrop showed various images and words through the night, asking the crowd “Are You Ready for The Offspring” before their run out onto the stage. Reaching ten seconds on the countdown prompted those in attendance to scream out the final seconds before the band took the stage with “Come Out and Play” off their 1994 album Smash. The title track off their most recent album Let The Bad Times Roll made its way into the set for song #4, followed by “Staring at the Sun” and “Original Prankster.” The heavy crowd interaction prior to the set was lost in the concert itself, but a variety of old hits still kept the crowd engaged. A cover of the Ramones’ “Blitzkreig Bop” weaved its way into the lineup mid set before a piano was brought to the stage for a dialed-in version of The Offspring hit “Gone Away.” It’s difficult to believe a band with hits like “Pretty Fly for A White Guy” could produce such an emotional melodic song, but “Gone Away” checks all those boxes and more. The band encored with “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” and “Self-Esteem” with confetti cannons blanketing the crowd in paper rain and drawing tears from Offspring guy next to me. | Erica Vining
