New York, NY – Legendary 2000s pop-punk band Simple Plan have been making waves once again, with their hit song “I’m Just a Kid” seeing a viral resurgence online. Not only does the band have millions of fans who grew up with them, but this new recognition online helped many new fans discover them as well, making the band bigger than ever. This July, Simple Plan embarked on the second leg of their “Bigger Than You Think” tour, continuing from last summer’s tour. The band hit amphitheaters across North America up until the tour’s conclusion in their home country of Canada on August 20. On August 19, the second to last date of the tour, Simple Plan paid a visit to Central Park’s Summerstage in New York for a sold-out crowd. Performing a massive 18-song setlist full of 2000s nostalgia, the many longtime fans in the crowd truly felt like kids again for a night.
The first opener to take the stage was pop-punk icons Bowling for Soup. Another staple in the early 2000s pop-punk scene, the band was a perfect choice to kick off a night celebrating nostalgia. As frontman Jaret Reddick joked, “You’re all here to see bands who still sing about high school”, and then aptly performed the track “High School Never Ends”. Throughout the set, the band played several 2000s fan-favorites such as “Almost”, “Ohio (Come Back to Texas)”, and “Girl All The Bad Guys Want”, keeping that nostalgic energy high, and even performed a cover of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag”. Bowling for Soup’s sarcastic banter makes the band stand out as well, keeping the crowd entertained while both performing and in between songs. Halfway through the set, Jaret mentioned that they were about to play their most popular song, and that it wasn’t “1985”; the band went into a performance of “Today is Gonna Be a Great Day”, the theme song from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb. After faking out the crowd by pretending to be finished with the set as “YMCA” played, the band gave the fans what they wanted and performed the pop-punk hit “1985”, and the voices of the crowd boomed throughout the venue as they sang along to every word.
BOWLING FOR SOUP: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
The second and final opener of the night was electro-pop duo 3OH!3. Despite not being a pop-punk band, 3OH!3 is historically loved within the scene in the 2000s and early 2010s, making them another great opening act for this show. Wearing neon green construction outfits, dual vocalists Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte immediately got the crowd hyped as they opened with “PUNKBITCH” and “STARSTRUKK” from their 2008 breakthrough album Want. Their energy was contagious as they continuously ran and jumped across the stage, keeping the crowd engaged. 3OH!3 is a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously and prioritizes fun, which was certainly evident as fans danced and sang along. To close out the set, the band performed their biggest hit “DONTTRUSTME”, and it was clear the whole sold-out crowd knew every word of the iconic 2000s dance track. By the end of the set, the fans were fully warmed up for the headlining act.
3OH!3: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
At around 8:30, the lights began to dim as excitement brimmed throughout Central Park. A compilation of archive videos of Simple Plan played on the screen on the stage, celebrating the history of the band. As the video concluded, Simple Plan ran onto the stage as cheers echoed through the venue. The band opened with the high-energy fan-favorite “I’d Do Anything”. As the intro track of their 2002 debut album No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls, this song set the tone for the rest of the night, taking longtime fans back in time to celebrate memories of the early 2000s. The fans had no shortage of energy either, as fans had already started crowdsurfing right as the set began.
Despite being around for over 25 years, Simple Plan proved that they are never slowing down. The band showcased an abundance of energy, especially vocalist Pierre Bouvier who continuously jumped and ran across the stage while also engaging with the crowd, getting them to clap along or wave their arms. Throughout the night, the band performed many fan-favorites from No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls, their 2004 album Still Not Getting Any…, and more, immersing the fans with nostalgia. Highlights were “Addicted”, “Jet Lag”, and “Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me?)”, all of which the crowd knew every lyric to. The crowd engagement was also a memorable aspect of the night, such as when the band threw out giant beach balls for the crowd to throw around during their performance of “Summer Paradise”.
Towards the end of the set, Simple Plan kept the nostalgic vibes high as they performed a medley of iconic early 2000s hits, “All Star” by Smash Mouth, “Sk8ter Boi” by Avril Lavigne”, and “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. Right after that, they were set to begin their most memorable recent tradition: every time the band plays “What’s New Scooby Doo?”, they bring up everyone in the crowd dressed as Scooby Doo or anyone else in the Scooby Gang to dance on stage. The band gathered dozens of New York Scoobys on stage for the song, giving the fans a memory they would never forget. After the band closed their initial set, they came back for the encore, which of course was their biggest hit “I’m Just a Kid”. For the song, drummer Chuck Comeau jumped into the crowd to crowdsurf as Pierre took over on drums and Bowling for Soup frontman Jaret Reddick joined on vocals for the last verse. Simple Plan ended the set with their other hit “Perfect”, a fitting conclusion to an exciting night. Simple Plan put on a show that would be a lasting memory for all the fans there, and was an amazing blast to the past for the longtime fans who attended.
SIMPLE PLAN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
