The Masquerade in Atlanta, Ga. is housed in a building that has stood since the 1890s, that was once an excelsior mill. The venue opened in 1989 and has since become an icon of Atlanta’s rock scene. The Masquerade will relocate soon as the building was sold to become a restaurant in an area that is quickly becoming urbanized and overrun with luxury condominiums. Sum 41 played to a packed house at the famous “Heaven” stage of The Masquerade, and this setting made for a perfect symbolic evening for fusing nostalgia with new beginnings.
Openers, As It Is had no qualms about being the “warmup band,” even making jokes with the crowd about this to enliven the evening, and they accomplished their task. Senses Fail followed, and their hour long set, led by front-man Buddy Nielsen kept the crowd engaged during songs and in between as he talked politics and expressed support for the LGBT community - a choice he admits could have gone over badly playing in the south, but here among the Atlanta rock scene he found no dissenters.
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived and Sum 41 takes the stage. Immediately they make it clear the audience is not in for a mundane experience. Opening with “The Hell Song,” Deryck Whibley forced the crowd to take part from the get go by having them clap along to the beat. The audience responded overwhelmingly, singing along to every word. They stick true to their roots and play “Over My Head” and “Fake My Own Death” which are met with tremendous enthusiasm.
Photos by Andres Alvarado
They then played a few tracks from their newer repertoire, which could be risky for a band that went on a somewhat lengthy hiatus after experiencing fame in the early 2000s, however the fans showed no change in their willingness to sing along and participate despite this. The band’s energy and aura is so infectious that it was impossible not to. The set list continues with a healthy mix of old hits and new tunes. The great highlights of the night included a drum solo played to “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J (a play on the tour’s moniker Don’t Call It A Sum-Back), and a confetti cannon that showered the crowd for the encore performance of “Fat Lip.”
Sum 41’s history has been rifled with trauma. From cycling through members to front-man Deryck’s struggles with addiction and the ensuing health complications which nearly ended the bad itself - 13 voices has been a tumultuous 5 years in the making. The album was partially crowd funded from a pledge music page which allowed fans to pay for exclusive gifts from the band with funds going towards the new album.
The band’s dedicated fans have stuck by them for their now 20 year run and Sum 41 doesn’t hesitate to return the love. Several times throughout the performance, Deryck invites the most enthusiastic fans on stage to watch the show up close and personal, and he offers a heartfelt sentiment thanking those who offered him kind words and encouragement during his long road to recovery. While Deryck is a force of nature himself, the entire band contributes to the full experience of the performance and it’s clearly evident that they love what they do and are relishing the night themselves. Sum 41 definitely had a hell of a time playing in Heaven.
Be sure to check out Sum 41 in concert as they hit up markets along the northeast like Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York.
Additionally, Sum 41’s new album, 13 Voices, just hit stores and the special edition can be purchased HERE. If fans post a pic with the receipt and #13VoicesTarget, they have a chance to win custom Sum 41 headphones, a signed test pressing and more! Bundles can be found HERE.
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