Sum 41 performing at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, CA at The Warfield. April 27, 2018. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel.

Sum 41
'Does This Look Infected?' 15-Year Anniversary Tour
w/ Seaway, Super Whatevr
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
April 27, 2018

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel.

Oh what a difference five years can make. Not only was this particular run infinitely better than the ten-year anniversary tour Sum 41 initially did for Does This Look Infected? five year ago, but they sound better than they did when the album first his store shelves in 2002. Last night, Sum 41, the pop-punk band from Canada best known for tracks like "Fat Lip", "The Hell Song", "In Too Deep", and "Still Waiting", kicked off what is poised to be a legendary run of tour dates in the band's career, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of their sophomore album, Does This Look Infected?.

The show was kicked off with opening sets from Super Whatevr, a four-piece project created by Skyler McKee, who weren't afraid to delve into darker topics while maintaining a radiant and positive tone throughout the evening. It wasn't what I had expected from an opener on a Sum 41 tour, particularly one with an album that's as rowdy as DTLI?. It paid off well, and it made for an engaging set that stood out from the rest that evening.

Seaway, an up-and-coming five-piece pop-punk quintet from Canada, took the stage next. They seemed to be the act that made the most sense as an opener, while still bringing forth a newer brand of pop-punk that's been prominent in recent years with bands like Neck Deep, Real Friends, The Story So Far, and State Champs.

Sum 41's headlining set began around 9:30, and didn't end for another ninety minutes. A refreshing aspect of this tour was that the band didn't play the album straight through from start to finish. The lineup was shuffled around, keeping fans on their toes throughout the night as they wait for the various riffs from songs like "Still Waiting" and "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)" to make their way through the speakers.

About halfway through the evening, after an impressive solo from drummer Frank Zummo, the band made their way back onstage amidst a dark atmosphere. Two lights that looked scarily reminiscent of glowing eyes lit up behind Zummo, and it was revealed that the gigantic "41" skeleton had made its way into the show, towering over both the band and crowd for the duration of the show.

Once the initial set list from Does This Look Infected? was concluded, the band played through a number of songs from past records like "Motivation" (All Killer No Filler) and "Fake My Own Death" (13 Voices, the band's most recent record). The show concluded amid a massive cloud of confetti and CO2 cannons that went off as the band dove headfirst into their iconic track, "Fat Lip".

This is the Sum 41 tour that the fans truly deserve, and I can't even begin to stress how fun it is to watch this band live. Don't miss this one.