Sum 41's current "farewell" tour feels and sounds like a celebration of three decades of pop-punk/metal hits for the Canadian band.
Saturday night (Jan. 11), the lower bowl of Rogers Arena was pretty much filled when the Deryck Whibley-led group headlined with Pup and Gob along for the ride.
This spring, the rink in Vancouver is where Sum 41 will be celebrated as Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees during the 54th JUNO Awards on March 30, with Burnaby-raised crooner Michael Bubl茅 hosting.
Sum 41 announced their split back in May 2023, nearly a year before the release of a final double album (Heaven :x: Hell) and publication of Whibley's candid memoir, , and book tour last fall.
On stage, Whibley mentioned the book and some of its stories, including how he managed to retrieve a beloved guitar from a guy who did him wrong.
Sum 41's 25-song set was full of power chords, catchy melodies and high energy that created a growing mosh pit, with the frontman checking to make sure everyone was OK as the night moved along.
No surprise, most of the songs were pulled from the band's early-2000s heyday (In Too Deep, Fat Lip, Still Waiting) but also featured newer crowd-pleasers such as Dopamine.
This month includes stops in all the big cities, ending at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena with a pair of final concerts, Jan. 28 and 30.
