Though Avril Lavigne was the headliner, I attended this concert for Simple Plan and GOB, as I was fortunate enough to catch their show three weeks earlier in Philadelphia. I was looking forward to another night of high-energy Canadian Rock!
The Petersen Events Center is a brand-new, arena-sized venue located on the University of Pittsburgh campus. The crowd primarily consisted of 7-14 year-old fans (mostly female), accompanied by their mothers. The venue was full, but not sold out.
GOB started the night off with a high-energy performance that got the crowd jumping and screaming from the beginning. They tore through about 6 catchy, punk-pop flavored rock songs during their performance, performing tracks from their brand-new album, "Foot In Mouth Disease". Highlights included the infectious "Oh! Ellin!", the guitar-driven "Ming Tran" and their current Canadian Modern Rock chart-topping single "Give Up The Grudge". The 4-piece band is sure to be the "next big thing" in coming months - you heard it here, first.
MTV's TRL favorites Simple Plan took the stage next, and completely captivated the Pittsburgh audience. Performing to thousands of screaming fans, SP started their 45-minute set with the cheerfully self-abusing "God Must Hate Me", off of their debut CD, "No Pads, No Helmets..Just Balls". The band made sure the energy flowed through songs like "The Worst Day Ever", "You Don't Mean Anything To Me" and current single, "Addicted". The quintet took advantage of the large stage as they performed with intense, non-stop energy. SP's choreographed jumping, guitar-swinging, and synchronized spinning kept the audience glued to the front of the stage throughout the night. Drummer Chuck Comeau's playing was fast and furious during MTV favorite, "I'd Do Anything". Singer Pierre Bouvier played to the audience and pumped up the fans to an even higher level during an impromptu hip-hop medley featuring Eminem, 50 Cent and, yes, even Vanilla Ice (though the Iceman didn't translate as well to the younger crowd - boy, did I feel old!) Other songs included "One By One", "Perfect" and the crowd sing-along "I'm Just A Kid". Another great performance overall from Simple Plan, and, though I drove nearly 4 hours to see this show, it was certainly worth the trip.
Due to the fact that I chose to hang out with Simple Plan and their crew after their show, I was only able to hear part of Avril Lavigne's set from backstage. I honestly couldn't give you a solid review, but she opened her set with the popular "Sk8er Boi". I do remember hearing her murder Green Day's "Basketcase", though, and she performed "I'm With You" about 4 steps lower than the original recording. (I was wondering how she would be able to hit those ridiculously high notes every night, and I guess I got my answer.)
- Carrie Rapaport
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