Maybe it is the fact that Sum 41 front-man, Deryck Whibley, dated Paris Hilton or maybe the number of 15-year-olds there just plain scared people away. By the lack of fans showing up to their recent show at the Electric Factory, Sum 41 proved they are yesterday’s news.
The show kicked off with Ohio’s emo-rocking band Hawthorne Heights. Whether it was the fact that they were hailing from a red state, or the people found their haircuts to be lame, the crowd was just not feeling them. Okay, that may not be the real reason. One thing was for sure – after their set, Unwritten Law sure had their work cut out for them, and it was up to them to save the day.
The minute Unwritten Law took the stage it seemed the show took an even bigger turn for the worst. Lead singer, Scott Rufo was a drunken buffoon staggering around and singing worst than an off-key grade-schooler. Many in the crowd responded by either by taking a seat on the floor or by heading for the hills, a.k.a. the bar. Just as the crowd was being taken over by boredom, the band busted out with the old favorite, “Seeing Red,” the song that helped them tap into the mainstream of 2002. The crowd showed their enthusiasm by singing the chorus, the only part in which they seemed to know. The band then showcased a few songs off their recent album, all of which were quite unimpressive. To much disappointment, the band ended with the song “Up All Night.”
Time was of the essence and it was fortunate that Sum 41 took the stage rather quickly. Before they began their performance, the crowd was enlightened with a home movie. The movie definitely set the mood for what was to come. In the movie, drummer Stevo killed the bassist Cone and then proceeded to feed him to Deryck and Dave “Brownsound.” After the movie, the band charged the stage busting into a song off their third album, Does This Look Infected.
They wasted no time playing hit after hit such as “Motivation,” “Better off Dead,” “Hell Song” and “Still Waiting.” From start to finish front-man Deryck Whibley was in full control of the sweaty adolescent crowd, encouraging everyone to sing along.
Deryck dedicated “Never Wake Up” to Nicole Ritchie because of her rather long sleeping habits. Even through this ridiculous banter the crowd stayed engaged. The most hilarious part of the show was when Deryck decided to leave the stage only to come back as Elvis. This caused some laughs and rather peculiar looks.
However, the band did get serious, especially when playing newer songs off their album, Chuck. The show was worth about $10. For those that spent their parents’ money on a $25 ticket, they probably thought it was worth it too, because Sum 41 did play everyone’s guilty pleasure, “Fat Lip.”
Rosalie Yurasits can be reached at rosaliey@temple.edu.
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