Joey Valence & Brea, The Interrupters, and Sum 41 at The Ryman
I caught a punk rock show at a church a few days ago and it was as kick as this sentence alludes to. I thought maybe I had heard wrong when I found out about Sum 41 and The Interrupters were playing at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on a Tuesday night. The roughly 2500-seat venue was originally erected as a church in the late 1800’s and now it is home to some of the top musical acts in the world. But was it the right spot to host a high energy rock show. The answer is mostly yes. The sound inside this old building is absolutely incredible. The stage is large and there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. The only problem is the fixed row seating, that does not allow the crowd to rush forward or for a mosh pit to form. However, at 50 years old, I’m not as mad as I would’ve been at twenty-five.
Sum 41 was the headliner on this night with So-Cal ska-punk The Interrupters setting the tone as the opener. Sum 41 announced one final tour across North America. Last year, the Canadian pop-punk group told the world that they’d be parting ways, after releasing a closing album and embarking on a farewell tour. The record, a double-LP of post-punk and metalesque sound, titled Heaven :x: Hell, came out in March.
However, we aren’t there yet. Let’s start at the beginning of the billing. Let’s talk about Joey Valence & Brea. They were the opening opener. You know that band that’s on the line-up card but doesn’t make the marquee.
Did you see the movie High Fidelity? If you haven’t, you need to. Not only to get this reference that I am about to make, but because it is a must see for music enthusiasts. Anyway, there’s a part in the movie where these two skate rats shoplift the record store that Rob (John Cusack) owns in the film. Cusack’s character comes to realize that these young punks and unassuming street kids know way more about “good music” than he thinks they have the capacity for. Then he finds out that they are really good musicians. He ends up producing their record. Anyway, this opening act reminded me of those two “kids”. When I saw them on the bill and looked them up, I thought they were an odd choice for the show. They looked like they didn’t fit in, and I didn’t think the music matched the sound of Sum 41 or The Interrupters.
Boy was I wrong. They came out on stage as people were still entering the auditorium and finding their seats and announced “Hello. We are Limp Bizkit!” The small crowd chuckled for sure. Then Brea, said, “I feel like I am at my high school talent show. Can you guys move around or is this assigned seating?!”. Then they broke into their first song, and it was hype to say the least. It was as if they were playing in front of 100,000 people at a huge festival. These two, along with a dj, are a Beastie Boys style rock-rap-metal deluge of energy and straight fire lyrics. Hailing from Pennsylvania, this tandem electrified the room and had folks bouncing in their seats, even if they were assigned. They ran around, engaged the audience, banged their heads and shot rhymes of incredible skill and they were fantastic. If The Beastie Boys, Anthrax and Lil’ Dicky had kids these would be the offspring. Also, if you love the Offspring, I highly recommend Joey Valance & Brea. Que the houselights. Grab another beer. It’s time for the Interrupters.
This is the reason for my late “school night” outing. This will be my fourth time seeing Aimme Interrupter with Guitarist Kevin Bivona and his twin brothers Justin (bass) and Jesse (drums) live in concert. I saw them twice in Seattle and now I have seen them twice in Nashville. The Interrupters are hard to pin down stylistically, like a lot of bands. I absolutely love that. They blur the line between a ska band, a punk band and an absolute rager of a dance party. I don’t know how many steps Aimee gets in during a show, but her fit-bit must go haywire. If you don’t know the band, let me try to break it down for you.
They are a So-Cal based band and seemingly the new West Coast torchbearers for the up-tempo altercation on the classic Jamaican-Punk Rock sound. Combining the electric energy of classic punk with the traditional rhythms of contemporary ska, the Interrupters’ vicious sensory attack and instrumental strength come from the precision of the backing brothers. The rest is all Aimee. She is a rock-star frontwoman if there ever was one. She is Gwen Stefani and Kim Gordon and Kathleen Hanna personified. She embraces you with her smile, she lulls you to eques with her voice and her energy will put you in the most happiest state of euphoria that you will ever reach. Tonight was no different. I knew it wouldn’t be. They are modern day showman and consonant professionals.
They opened with “Take Back the Power” and enthralled the crowd with raw potent power that sent shockwaves through the old holy house of God. Kevin teased the crowd with snippets of Van Halen’s “Erruption”, John Denver’s “Country Road “and Violent Femmes “Blister in the Sun” throughout the night but it was this group with their originals that transcended us into a stratosphere of magical ecstasy.
The ensemble played renegade troubadours whenever they could, channeling their inner Johnny Rotten or Eddie Vedder, by climbing on everything that they could to appear bigger than life. Amps and monitors became soapboxes for an amplitude of individuality and expression. I could ramble on with adverbs and adjectives to try and capture a verbiage that correctly transcribes the emotional context of what The Interrupters are, but it’s this… they kick ass.
I was so happy with the setlist that was chosen for this showcase. The Interrupters are now four studio albums deep into their career and show no signs of slowing down. Seeing them at the Ryman was certainly different, but the veracity they perform with is a constant thrill. After the set, I caught Aimee Interrupter as she skipped off the stage and she was nice enough to take a selfie with this old dumb idiot. House lights. Another beer.
Sum 41 was the main draw tonight. I have never seen them live, but the fans I talked to have seen them multiple times. One woman I ran into claimed this was her 20th time laying her eyes on our neighbors from the Great White North. This will be the last time, however, for us to hear them live according to the band and their management. Their “Tour of the Setting Sum” started in North American on January 19th 2024 and will conclude in Toronto, Ontario, at Scotiabank Arena on January 30, 2025.
Sum 41 announced their breakup after 27 years of making music together. Their newest album, the aforementioned, Heaven :x: Hell is aiming for nothing shy of magnificence, it really is a spectacular album and is a perfect parting gift from the band to the fans that have supported them endlessly.
Looking back at the band’s storied career, Sum 41 has firmly etched out their place in rock history with over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard Charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, 2 Juno Awards (7 nominations), a Kerrang! Award in 2002, multiple Alternative Press Music Awards, and countless other accolades. They are the real deal, and I was glad I was there to see the finale.
While I wasn’t completely familiar with all their catalogue, I did have a hand in pressing their latest release. By day I work for Nashville Record Pressing and get to lay my hands on and occasionally an ear on certain titles before they are sent out to the public. To quote Lou Reed, “My life was saved by rock and roll”.
Sum was the complete package tonight (I know what I did there). They easily played for over an hour and gave every drop of sweat they had to the people who came from all over the globe to catch a glimpse of this last showing. The faction led with the song “Motivation” and then careened into “The Hell Song” and “Over My Head”. They played together as if this were their first tour and not the very last. Not a note was wasted, and the performance was riddled with smiles and reverence. They knew that these tunes were to be their swan songs and they didn’t cheat us. There was absolutely no phoning this thing in. The lead singer, Deryck Whibley was obviously capturing these moments in his mind and cherishing every voice that sang his lyrics with him.
The singer suffered a bout with pneumonia late last year and said this on social media, “I wanted to take a min to say thank you to everyone for so much love and support,” he wrote. “Although I’m not out of the woods of this pneumonia yet and have been told to be prepared for a bit of roller coaster sickness over the next couple of weeks, I’m staying positive and doing my best to get through all of this.”
Deryck had a compelling sense over the past five years. He wanted to leave Sum 41 — the band he established with his buddies from Ajax, Ont., in 1996 — but he didn’t want to be ungrateful. It wasn’t until they finished making the latest album that Whibley came to the realization that it was time.
The band played with heart and I completely respect that. It’s that old rock adage of, “Sometimes it’s better to burn out than to fade away”, which I think is kind of silly, and I don’t think that Sum 41 necessarily “burned out”. They’ve do a lot and left us with a myriad of incredible tracks. Maybe they’ll come back one day for a reunion tour?
They ended their initial set with Queens “We Will Rock You” and a cover of “Ring of Fire”, then returned to the stage to do an encore which included “Fat Lip” and “Still Waiting”. The crowd roared in appreciation for what they gave us that night and over the course of 30 years. They shouted for more, but Sum 41 had already given us everything. I am glad I was there to witness the historic concert. Now go get some rest boys. Well, after the tour.
