SHOW REVIEW: Sum 41′s ‘Does This Look Infected’ 15th Anniversary Tour
Words and Photos by Jen McBride
On May 17, 2018 fans packed The Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Sum 41’s album, Does This Look Infected?
Super Whatevr kicked off the show with an energetic set to warm everyone up for Seaway and Sum 41. This was the second time I’ve seen Super Whatevr perform and they were just as incredible as the first time. They were energetic and performed with passion. Vocalist Skylar McKee explained how “Someone Somewhere Somehow” was about his cousin committing suicide and how we all need to be there to support one another. This song, of course, is emotional and while they were performing I could feel a connection with the band. Super Whatevr isn’t your average band. Their lyrical content can be heavy, but it’s relatable. Everyone can find a piece of themselves in Super Whatevr’s music. I can see these guys really helping people with their music. They have such a unique sound that will keep you entertained through their whole set. Check them out, they’re incredible.
Seaway took the stage shortly after Super Whatevr. They kicked the energy up even more! Everyone was dancing and jumping around while they performed. Their pop punk sound kept everyone moving around through their entire set. They definitely warmed everyone up for Sum 41! While performing “Airhead” a fan was throwing actual airheads onto the stage, which I thought was pretty funny. Vocalist Ryan Locke used the entire stage to connect with fans while performing. Seaway has a lot of catchy songs that will keep you dancing and finger pointing through their whole set. I really loved how energetic the entire band was. I didn’t find myself looking away from them even once while they were on stage.
Sum 41 took the stage and the sold out venue went wild! During their first song, “The Hell Song,” we already had confetti cannons going off to declare that this show was a celebration. Vocalist Deryck Whibley referred to the night as a “birthday party” to celebrate Does This Look Infected? being released 15 years ago. This anniversary show wasn’t like most. They didn’t play the album front to back, as I’ve seen before. They played most of the songs off the album mixed with other songs they have. I thought this was an awesome way to celebrate where they’ve been since that album came out but still celebrated where they were when that album dropped. Before playing “Fake My Own Death” Whibley explained how that song was a mix of the old stuff and new stuff. He said that he found a riff that he loved from a previous album that they didn’t use and used it for that song, which was released in 2016. Sum 41’s entire set was fast paced and energetic. They did not slow down even for a second. At one point during the show, a fan was standing on top of other fans! The show was 100% a celebration and an amazing time. Sum 41 performed “Fat Lip” as their last song which was a perfect way to end the show. Confetti cannons went off again just to remind everyone that this tour is one giant celebration of Sum 41. If you haven’t seen Sum 41 live yet, I highly recommend that you do. They put on an amazing show.
