Simple Plan performs at Radius in Chicago on May 15, 2022.
Co-headlining tours can be tricky. When not done right it can feel like fans of one band or the other are waiting for their favorites to start, but The Blame Canada Tour is different as Simple Plan and Sum 41 compliment each other perfectly. Each group is a pop-punk powerhouse with hits for days and enough on stage energy to bring down any house. And, no matter who plays the closing time slot on any given night, each band has an incredibly tough act to follow.
The sold-out Chicago performance, taking place at Radius on May 15, found Simple Plan – Pierre Bouvier (vocals), Chuck Comeau (drums), Sebastien Lefebvre (guitar), Jeff Stinco (guitar) – playing the final set of the show to an absolutely packed house. After kicking off their set with “I’d Do Anything” from No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls, their debut studio album which turned 20 this year, “Shut Up!” kept the party going. The entire crowd, and the band, bounced through “Jump” and Bouvier shared his love and appreciation for fans in between almost every song.
While their debut reached a milestone anniversary, Simple Plan’s latest album, Harder Than It Looks, gave everyone even more to celebrate.
Sum 41 performs at Radius in Chicago on May 15, 2022.
Sum 41’s set, which also found the band – Deryck Whibley (vocals), Dave Baksh (guitar), Jason McCaslin (bass), Tom Thacker (guitar), Frank Zummo (drums) – leaving everything they have on the stage, felt like a trip down memory lane. Their debut album, All Killer No Filler, was a frequent source for the setlist with “Motivation” and “Fat Lip” book-ending the performance.
“We’re here. We’re back. Finally this is happening,” said Whibley noting how happy he was seeing everyone’s faces on their first tour back since the pandemic. He also gave fans a sneak preview of the group’s forthcoming album Heaven and Hell explaining how it will feature one side of songs in the classic style of old school Sum 41 and another side of heavier material.
Set It Off performs at Radius in Chicago on May 15, 2022.
Set It Off was also on hand to get the party started with a high-energy set of their own featuring “Ancient History,” “Why Worry,” “Projector” and more.
The Blame Canada Tour will continue its trek across the U.S. through August before Sum 41 and Simple Plan once again join forces for slew of European performances in the fall. Check out photos from the Chicago show below and click here to pick-up tickets to see Simple Plan and Sum 41 in a city near you.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
