"You should never grow up!" said Simple Plan lead singer Pierre Bouvier during the band's show Sunday night at the Sphere. As they rocked a house full of fans, the band proved they live by their words.
Fans were prepped for the headliner by the lineup of Mad Cap, Gob, and
Diffuser. The three bands each played half-hour sets, displaying their best high-energy songs and gelled Mohawks.
Madcap was a typical opener. Their time was filled with genre-suitable punk tunes, but their set seemed like filler while the audience waited for the next band to play. In comparison to the other groups, Mad Cap's style was neither effective nor recognizable.
Next up was the outstanding hardcore/punk Canadians Gob. The best of the three openers, Gob displayed both showmanship and an ability to get participation from their audience - not to mention the purr-worthiness of their dark-haired bass player.
Diffuser, a Long Island-based group of blonde boys, scores high as far as openers go thanks to their mellow songs, but they lose points for less-catchy tunes.
Though the crowd did not lack excitement during the opening bands, the venue became even more rambunctious the moment A Simple Plan came on the scene - especially where teenybopper girls were concerned.
Devotees of A Simple Plan screamed the lyrics to every song, jumped on command, and even sacrificed their bodies for the purpose of moshing and crowd surfing. So eager were fans for a sense of connection with their entertainers that the mass of hot, sweaty bodies welcomed even backwashed water sprayed on them by the band.
"I used to work at the f---ing McDonald's," said David Desrosiers, A Simple Plan's bass player and backup vocalist. Menial jobs and bad days served as inspiration for "The Worst Day Ever." The song's sentiments were perfect for the crowd, which was primarily made up of younger teens who could easily identify with Desrosiers' roots in the McDonald's workforce.
UB students will have heard "Addicted," the theme song to MTV's "Fraternity Life." The members of Sigma Chi Omega - this season's featured fraternity - even made an appearance at the gig, doing a little of their own moshing. The MTV-viewing audience gave some much-appreciated recognition to the Sigma Chi guys, as well.
The band continued to excel in humor and friendliness throughout the night, with such crowd-pleasing cracks as Desrosiers', "I can face my amp and see my own a--!" Their easygoing humor kept their fans solidly amused.
In a similar vein, the band inquired as to the audience's feelings about life on other planets.
"Does anyone out there believe in aliens? They're real ya know," said one of his band-mates, pointing at bald lead guitarist Jeff Stinco.
"I'd do anything to come back here and chill with you guys!" said Bouvier during the band's encore, punning on the title of the band's hit, "I'd Do Anything," proving that newfound fame can provide not only name-recognition, but also the confidence to spout corny lead-ins to each song.
A Simple Plan doesn't seem likely to grow up any time soon, and their talent as live performers should mean they won't be going away in the near future, either. Their sound is addictive, and their show Sunday night was evidence of their impressive repetoire of music, which also includes the songs "You Don't Mean Anything" and "Perfect."
A Simple Plan begins their new tour on April 7th, and they will be playing at Six Flags Darien Lake on August 7.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
