Written And Photographed By Liv Foltiny

Sept. 10, 2021, was a date of multiple firsts for me: my first time seeing a concert at The Mann, my first time serving as a contributing photographer for THAT MAG, my first time working with Nick Hopton (whom I now call a friend), and my first time photographing one of my favorite bands, The Struts. Prior to that particular day, I had only photographed a single concert at a much smaller venue. Needless to say, I was excited but also a bit nervous; everything was new to me, and, considering I was about to photograph a band that I love, I didn’t want to screw things up. Long story short, everything went well and led me to where I am today as well as where I was last weekend — at The Mann covering the Tour Of The Setting SUM.

Getting to the Skyline Stage slightly after 7 pm, I had just missed the opening band but made it in time for the second band of the night, The Interrupters. Kicking off their set with “Take Back The Power,” The Interrupters got the crowd excited through their energetic performance. The band’s commanding stage presence was evident as they climbed, jumped off stands and objects onstage, and engaged with attendees, encouraging them to sing along,the band commanded their attention and incited dancing and
jumping, demonstrating the members’ strong stage presence. Although The Interrupters’ invigorating showmanship was an important facet of their performance, it wasn’t the only one that stood out.

Throughout their set, the love and respect the band members had for one another was on full display, presented in the forms of their closeness and shared smiles onstage as well as their playful teasing toward one another. The latter was mostly instigated by Kevin Bivona (guitarist) since he made sure to not only introduce Justin (bassist) and Jesse (drummer) as his younger twin brothers but also joked that they probably acquired portions of their wardrobes from their dad’s closet. These moments of lighthearted sibling rivalry coupled with the loving chemistry between Kevin and Aimee (lead vocalist and Kevin’s wife) added to the impact of The Interrupters’ set and complemented their showmanship. By the time The Interrupters reached their final song, “She’s Kerosene,” it was obvious that their performance cemented the initial foundations for what would undoubtedly be a memorable night.

Following a set change, “TNT” (song by ACDC) played over the speakers while the stage lights flashed in unison to the beat behind an enormous black curtain. Suddenly, the lights went out, and a deep voice reached out from the speakers, stating, “Gather, my children … We celebrate the beast at final curtains’ call. When day becomes night, the ritual has begun. We hold up our salutes to the Setting SUM.” As the voice and its Vincent Price-esque speech faded away, the black fabric concealing the stage dropped as the flashing lights returned, illuminating the anticipated headliner — SUM 41. After enthusiastically greeting and saluting the crowd, Deryck Whibley (lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist) and the band opened their set with “Motivation.” From Deryck’s expressive movements, dragging the mic stand, and energetically gliding across the stage to Dave Baksh (lead guitarist), Jason McCaslin (bassist), and Tom Thacker (guitarist) switching places, bobbing their heads, and, at times, coming together to play side by side, SUM 41 gave the crowd a fantastic preview to the remainder of, what would be, an incredible show.

Given this was their final tour, the band crafted a set list that represented their entire career. Songs like “Summer” (which, according to Deryck, they “liked so much [they] put it on two fucking records”), “Fat Lip,” and “Over My Head (Better Off Dead)” touched upon their early years while other songs, such as “Landmines” and “Rise Up,” characterized their more recent ones. Every song was a snapshot, a memory from the lives of the band members who were passionately performing up on the stage, giving it their all.

Like The Interrupters, SUM 41  knew how to command the crowd’s attention but, not to discredit the former band, did so on another level, especially when it came to interacting with the mass of people standing before them. Deryck spoke directly to the crowd throughout the night for various reasons: to encourage everyone to let loose, request attendees send up balloons for him to pop with his mic, talk about his bandmates, make jokes, thank everyone for coming to their show and supporting them, etc. All of these aspects demonstrated Deryck’s irrefutable prowess to connect with the masses as a first-class frontman; however, he made sure each of his bandmates — his friends — had their own moments to shine. Even though this notion was exemplified by the guitar solos from SUM 41’s set, it was best represented by the drum solo that followed Deryck’s story about how he and the guys didn’t “have all the cool shit” they have now back when they started and were performing in garages. Upon mentioning how the band didn’t always have the double-bass drums, Deryck had the stage crew bring out a smaller drum set reminiscent of their old one. Once the drum set was situated, Deryck had Frank Zummo come out from behind his large, LED-lit drum set to sit behind the smaller one for his drum solo. As his bandmates stood aside, Frank fervently played the drums, never missing a beat and performing with just as much zeal as he had behind the larger drum set. His absolute mastery of the drums, along with the support and respect of his friends, was undeniable.

After performing for around an hour and a half, they gathered center stage, expressed their gratitude to everyone there, bowed, and said their final goodbyes. Although it was bittersweet for longtime fans and newer ones, such as myself (yes, I’m regrettably late to joining the SUM 41 family), there was no denying the wonderful impression the band left on the crowd. While objects, like the confetti covering the ground and the last pieces of band merchandise being sold at the booth, physically attested the band had been there, the chatting fans with smiles on their faces evinced the genuine joy that stemmed from a perfect night, namely one full of great
music, sentimental stories, and stellar showmanship. Hell, trying to describe such an incredible show was daunting, especially since it felt like words could never truly do it justice. Let alone pay tribute to a band with an impressive career spanning nearly three decades. If I were to summarize the Tour Of The Setting SUM, I’d describe it as a celebratory event. Despite its slightly eulogistic undertones, the tour beautifully epitomized a band whose members not only inspired others but also brought together countless people through their music. In a world that, at times, seems consumed by malice, their music fostered a vibrant unity.

Thank you, SUM 41.

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photo credit: Liv Foltiny

Written by Nick Hopton

On a cool, late summer evening at the Skyline Stage at the Mann Center, one rock and roll’s hottest spectacles, The Struts, finally returned to one of the many cities they can consider home. This homecoming, however, was different.

As the world has been anything but normal the past two years, this show had the feel of old times. The times when going to a concert surrounded by thousands of people was normal. Laughter and happiness could be heard, and the excitement in the air could be felt. It had been such a long time since this had been felt, nearly two years of shutdowns, delays, and postponements, not knowing when we would all be able to be together again to experience the magic of a live show. Together. But on this night, we all were able to forget about the strange days. We were able to live in that moment that we’ve been missing for so long. We were able to just… let go.

For one night only… the strange days indeed felt over.

Opening the show in absolute groovy fury was none other than Philadelphia’s own Nick Perri & The Underground Thieves. This is becoming a regular (and welcomed) occurrence, as it seems like every time The Struts play Philly, these guys are there to warm the crowd up. It’s a perfect appetizer for the main course.

Blending psychedelic desert rock with a soundscape built for arenas, Perri & The Underground Thieves roll through some of their biggest hits while also incorporating a few surprises as well. After the band lights up the stage with electric tracks such as “Feeling Good,” and “Let You Know,” they bust out the full body of their work with a mesmerizing guitar jam in “5.0.1,” immediately leading into the Neil Young classic, “My My, Hey Hey,” which ascends into the rock and roll heavens with a fiery guitar solo unleashed by Perri.

The band ends their night with a new track, “I Want To Be Free,” destined to hit the airwaves in the near future with its infectious and memorable atmosphere. So much more is on the way from this incredible band, and it’s wonderful to watch it unfold as they evolve. Keep your eyes and ears open. The Thieves are coming.

As the sky grows darker and the lights hit harder, the crowd begins to build eager anticipation for what’s to come. A glam-rock spectacle for the ages. The blending of the old and the new. The 21st Century Dandies.

Ladies and Gentlemen… The Struts.

Wasting no time throwing the crowd into a frenzy, the boys from across the pond blast right into “Primadonna Like Me,” a bombastic tune designed to get the blood pumping and the juices flowing.

Decked out head to toe in black and pink leather, the band sends you back to a time when glitter and gold were all you needed to let loose. Luke Spiller, frontman extraordinaire and future rock and roll legend, is a modern-day Freddie Mercury. This comparison is constantly used for him… but it’s for a good purpose. Not only is the resemblance uncanny, but the magic that he creates on stage and the connection with the crowd are matched only by Freddie. It’s truly wondrous to watch it unfold and see the control he has over the audience. Always in the palm of his hands, he demands their full attention and excitement, and goddammit, does he ever get it.

They immediately segue into their full catalog of hits without so much as a breather for the crowd for a number of tunes. “Body Talks” lets the rock and roll rip with blistering guitar work from Adam Slack, followed by the full-blown dancefest that is “Kiss This.” It is very hard to find a rock band that is better on stage than their recordings, as sometimes it’s hard to capture the magic that is created in the studio. But this band blows their album work out of the water. They are a live band, meant to be seen and experienced on stage. Proper showmen. The real deal.

As someone who was skeptical of their latest album and the production that went into it, the songs of this endeavor sound leaps and bounds better than they do on the record. “I Hate How Much I Want You” has the heart that was so much desired, yet lost, on the album version. “Am I Talking To The Champagne” is a sexy, Santana-esque journey that is only taken higher live with the supreme guitar work of Slack.

“Wild Child,” originally recorded with Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, is a new rebel anthem not only for the band, but rock music in general. The electricity that the stage pulls from the crowd during these songs makes you wish that the latest album, “Strange Days,” was recorded as a live album rather than one in the typical studio setting. Hearing these songs, in this setting, creates an entirely new profile for the tracks, along with a whole new appreciation for what they created.

“Low Key In Love,” though not on the album, is a new single that the band recorded with Paris Jackson, daughter of King Of Pop, Michael Jackson. Again, the live version just creates such an intimate setting and vibe that cannot be matched on record.

The biggest song of the evening, though, was clearly the title track from that last album, “Strange Days.” Spiller begins the song in the encore, just he and his piano, gradually building the emotion through the lyrics that reflect the position we have all been in over the past two years. More than halfway through, the rest of the lads join him in what can only be described as, well, an absolute epic of a climax. They take this song to new heights that make you feel like you’re listening to an entirely new piece of art, to the point where it was putting tears in people’s eyes. That’s not easy to do. Yet, they make it look so easy, and they do it so well.

We end the night with their first hit, “Could Have Been Me,” an ode to enjoying the here and now, which is exactly what we were all there doing, enjoying being in the moment. As we have all learned over the past two years, those moments are fleeting. At the end of the day, they are all we have.

Sing-a-longs, dancing, glitter, strutting. It’s a raucous masterclass on how to be a proper rock band. It’s a welcome few hours of normalcy. It’s what we want and needs at this time. A little reminder that things can, and will, return to the glory days.

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