The summer of throwback shows at Darien Lake continued on August 20, as The Offspring’s Let the Bad Times Roll tour stopped in Western NY. With the tour carrying the name of their 2021 album, and 10th studio cut, Canadian punkers Simple Plan and Sum 41 tag along and create a little nostalgic tour.
After starting out in the mid 80s, I am sure that Dexter Holland only dreamed of the success he has had with The Offspring. 10 studio albums, nearly 1600 concerts, and a number of punk/alternative hits, these guys found their niche and rolled with, and never really cared what the naysayers were naysaying.
With no shortage of energy and fans, Simple Plan took the stage and shredded it for nearly an hour, hitting the stage to the Star Wars theme music. With that kind of entrance, you know you are in for a killer show.
From Montreal, the wrecking crew of Pierre Bouvier (vocals, bass, percussion) Chuck Comeau (drums, percussion), Sebastien Lefebvre (rhythm guitar, vocal, bass), and Jeff Stinco (guitar, backing vocals) were all in sync from the start, pumping the crowd up, running around the stage in classis 90s alternative/punk fashion. From the opening notes of “I’d Do Anything” to the finishing tunes on “Perfect,” Bouvier had fans jumping bouncing around like a mechanical Tigger toy and giving everyone around them the middle finger, or the Simple Plan salute as he stated. He gratefully thanked fans often as he recalled the last time Simple Plan was in town, back in 2005 for a Warped Tour stop and raved about how he loved Darien Lake and the fans (if he only knew about the parking issues).
With a new album out recently, the band played “Iconic” and dedicated to anyone and everyone who has struggled or is struggling with acceptance. Bouvier urged those individuals to proudly extend their hands and offer up the finger and let others know that they will be Iconic.
As the set was coming to an end, and about halfway through “I’m Just a Kid”, Bouvier took a seat at the drums as Comeau took to crowd surfing, in an attempt to high five as many fans in mosh pit as possible.
Setlist: (entered to Star Wars theme), I’d Do Anything, Shut Up!, Jump, Addicted, Welcome to My Life, Iconic (new song), All Star/Sk8er Boi/Mr. Brightside, What’s New Scooby Doo, Where I belong, Im Just a Kid, Perfect
Following up Simple Plan and preceding The Offspring is no easy task, but Sum 41 came out and absolutely crushed any doubts that anyone had. Another solid entrance, this time to AC/DC’s “T.N.T”, Sum 41, with frontman Deryck Whibley racking up the steps on his Fitbit, was just as motivated at their predecessors and continued to amp up the crowd in preparation for the headliner.
Guitar and bass solos by Dave Brownsound, Tom Thacker, and Cone McCaslin were huge part of this set, with Frank Zummo doing his best Animal impression on the drums. These Ajax, Ontario natives came to play and did just that for the next hour for fans of all ages. Near me was a father, probably in his late 40s, having the time of his life with his young child. The kid was dancing and having just as much fun and was all smiles for the entire set of Sum 41, even more so during their cover or Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Memories that are sure to last.
Setlist: T.N.T (entrance music), Motivation, The Hell Song, Over My Head (Better Off Dead), We’re All to Blame, Walking Disaster, We Will Rock You (Queen cover), In Too Deep, Fat Lip, Still Waiting.
With the opening acts done for the night, the packed house in Darien was riding a musically induced high that wasn’t going down anytime soon. With some time to kill, the tour had a blimp floating around the seating area with special camera such as ‘kiss cam’, ‘fuck you’ cam, and of course a “headbanging” cam where fans could pose for the camera doing the assigned task. It was the first time I have seen this at a concert, and the crowd absolutely loved it. The “baby got back” cam and the “fuck you” cam seemed to be the most popular as women were shaking their rear ends to the infamous Sir Mix-a-Lot song and giving double middle fingers as the blimp floated by or camera team was nearby. Definitely a great use of dead time as the stage was prepared for the headliner.
Taking the stage around 9:30pm, Dexter Holland and the rest of The Offspring showed Darien Lake why they have been around nearly 40 years, as they helped bring punk rock into the 90s alternative vibes.
With 10 studio albums to pull from, the setlist could have been arranged in any form and fans would have still left smiling and riding that musical high. Tonight, “Come Out and Play” was the first song. Inspired by gang and school violence in the mid 90s, as well as Holland commuting through East LA for grad school, this and many track on 1994s Smash were about what was happening in front of him. Yet 30 years later, this particular track seems to fit to landscape just the same. Regardless, still a fan favorite as displayed on this night.
As the night went on, Holland was reminiscing just as Sum 41 did about playing Darien Lake on the Warped Tour and marveled at the number of fans that poured into the venue. Bills fan, Sabres fans, and music fans alike. According to his calculations and his people, the attendance at this show, which he called the ‘best thing to happen to rock and roll’, was just under 1.48 million people. This, of course would be a new world record for a concert. I would venture a guess that either he counted wrong, or he had people from the Board of Elections tallying the tickets.
Showcasing guitar skills, Noodles and Todd Morse both were demonstrating new tracks they have learned. With opening chords from classics like Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and GNR’s “Sweet Child O’Mine”, they both were dueling for bragging rights as Holland went right into his rendition of “Blitzkrieg Pop” from Ramones. This little number, paired with animated show on back drop screen was quite the display of talent from these punk rockers, as the sync was perfectly timed all night.
Let’s talk about that animation screen behind the band. A seizure inducing light show to rival the best, thought provoking animation (think classic 80s music videos, A-Ha, New Radicals artwork), and nonstop beats the entire night. The screen added an element to each set that took you back the first time you heard any of the bands. Truly a memorable show for those hovering around 50, and for those younger fans who are in the punk phase of their musical lives.
Setlist: Come Out and Play, All I Want, Want You Bad (with organ), Let the Bad Times Roll, Staring at the Sun, Original Prankster, Hassan Chop, Hammerhead, Bad Habit, Iron Man/The Trooper/Sweet Child O’ Mine/In the Hall of the Mountain King, Blitzkrieg Pop (Ramones), Gotta Get Away, Gone Away, Why Don’t You Get A Job?, (Can’t Get My) Head Around You, Pretty Fly (for a White Guy), The Kids Aren’t Alright, Encore: You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid, Self Esteem
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