Concert Review: Simple Plan (Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre)

BY CHRIS HOCKER

Simple Plan brought their Bigger Than You Think! tour to Charlotte's Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre on September 2nd. With 3OH!3, Bowling For Soup, and LØLØ along for the ride, the show definitely had a Warped Tour vibe.

LØLØ hit the stage first. Backed by a three-piece band, she tore through select songs from her catalog, including standout new track "the devil wears converse." She also performed a cover of Icona Pop and Charli XCX's "I Love It" before closing her set with "hot girls in hell." She was a great opener!

Bowling For Soup was next. I love this band and their wicked sense of humor. Guitarist and vocalist Jaret Reddick, drummer Gary Wiseman, and bassist Rob Felicetti packed all the band's hits in their short set. They played "Girl All the Bad Guys Want," "High School Never Ends," "Ohio (Come Back to Texas)," "Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day" (the theme to Phineas And Ferb), "Almost," "Punk Rock 101," and even had time to throw in a cover of Fountains Of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom" before finishing strong with "1985." God, I wish they were the headliners.

3OH!3 was next with their party bangers. They got the crowd moving as usual and didn't disappoint with anthems like "Starstrukk," "My First Kiss," and "Don't Trust Me." Their new song "Slushie" was pretty awesome, too.

Simple Plan finsihed out the night in true rockstar form with confetti cannons and CO2. They kicked off the show with "I'd Do Anything" and never looked back. They played hits like "Addicted," "I'm Just A Kid," and "Perfect," and they brought LØLØ onstage for a "Jet Lag," The "What's New Scooby Doo?" guys had fans dressed as Scooby throughout the amphitheater and they had about twenty or so onstage during the performance of the song. There was even a wedding proposal mid-set (she said yes!).

This is a great, fun little tour and you should definitely check it out if it hits your town. A perfect way to spend your waning summer nights!

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CHRIS HOCKER, Editor

Strange Carolinas started as a hobby for Chris Hocker who often dragged his family to offbeat detours on family vacations. Hocker decided to start photographing and writing about these roadside attractions and in June 2014, launched Strange Carolinas with a story on Myrtle Beach's KISS Coffeehouse. In addition to chronicling over 400 attractions across the Carolinas, Strange Carolinas has also become an impressive music blog.