There’s never a dull moment when it comes to a Simple Plan show, expect a high energy show with crowd interaction and a lot of jumping from the band (and maybe yourself!). Playing at the beautiful North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Visa, California- a city just south of San Diego, CA.
Supported by fellow their Canadian punk rockers, Sum 41, they opened up for California rock native, The Offspring on their Let The Bad Times Roll tour. Blessed with the warm summer weather in Southern California, this outdoor venue took full advantage that as fans watched the sunset fade as Simple Plan took the stage
A count in from Chuck Comeau hitting the hi-hat on the drums, started the in your face guitar riffs for “I’d Do Anything”, coming from lead guitarist, Jeff Stinco and rhythm guitarist, Sébastien Lefebvre the same song that opened their 2002 album “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls”.
“I want to see everybody off their feet”
We mentioned to expect jumping, right? Keeping that energy up through their set, “Jump”, did exactly that as lead singer Pierre Bouvier instructed the crowd to get up, out of their seats. It’s breathtaking moments like this when I remind myself to turn around and look back for to see something out of a movie where thousands of people are jumping up and down with their hands in the air and the biggest smiles on their face.
On their nine song opening set list, they played throwback sing-along hits of, “Addicted”, “Welcome to My Life”, “Perfect”, “What’s New Scooby-Doo” and newer songs of, “Iconic” and “Where I Belong”.
Drummers are usually in the back of the stage, in the shadows, but not Comeau. Right before the bridge to “I’m Just a Kid” begins, Comeau steps off his drum platform and Bouvier swaps his microphone for drum sticks.
“I want to come out and high five every single one of you!”
Comeau says, as he tells the all standing pit crowd near the stage to get closer as he climbs the barrier getting ready to crowd surf. When Bouvier knows the crowd is ready, he begins singing the repeating bridge, “I’m just a kid, I’m just a kid, I’m just a kid…”, in comes the build up of the drum roll with a “one, two, three!” count into the final chorus kicking in as Comeau times it perfectly and hurls himself into the crowd on the count and landing when the final chorus starts.
I’ve had the opportunity to attend a handful of Simple Plan shows throughout their career. I’m always left in a gracious awe that this band, now in their mid-40s continue to have the energy they did when performing in their 20s. You can tell that vitality has never left them just like their love for performing everyone’s favourite songs.