In early May of 2023, Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41 publicly announced on social media that the group had made the decision to disband after a wildly successful 27 year long career. Known for their high-energy live performances, and catchy 2000s punk rock hits, Sum 41 produced some of the most iconic hits of the 2000s.

Ever since the band’s beginning in 1996, Sum 41 took the music industry by storm with their infectious mix of punk, rock, and metal. With the explosion of the 2001 sophomore album “All Killer, No Filler,” tracks “Fat Lip” and “In Too Deep” quickly became defining hits for not only the band themselves but the punk genre overall.

Even though the Canadian rockers made their announcement just over a year ago, they also made it known that they wouldn’t be splitting up without celebrating their legacy with a few last hoorahs. “Heaven :x: Hell,” a 20-track-long double album, was announced to be the band’s final record, partnered with a farewell tour. The “Tour of the Setting Sum” took off on March 1, 2024, in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is set to wrap up with a full circle performance on January 30, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario, the band’s hometown.

On May 18, Sum 41 was set to take the stage in Philadelphia for the very last time. As a huge fan of not only Sum 41, but the punk genre as a whole, I couldn’t not see them for the first time before the band retires.

Starting off the night was duo Joey Valence & Brae, a pair that went viral on TikTok, amassing close to one million followers. With a sound largely inspired by The Beastie Boys, their punk infused combination of rap and hip-hop is nothing short of catchy. It was clear that the two had fans in the crowd, some of the younger attendees matching their energy and singing along with the boys, while the older fans didn’t seem to know how to feel about the upbeat tracks centered around clever lyricism and pop culture references.

The second opener of the night was The Interrupters, a ska-punk group from LA with a distinct sound reminiscent of the ‘90s and early ‘00s, despite the band being formed in the early 2010s. Lead singer Aimee Allen is a vocal powerhouse, while brothers Jesse, Kevin, and Justin Bivona carry the instrumental backing with drums, guitars, and bass. It seemed as though most of the crowd was familiar with the group’s hits like “She’s Kerosene” and “Take Back the Power,” and even those who weren’t were still having a great time, with a surprising cover of “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish turning out to be a huge hit.

Growing up, my parents were always huge rock fans, and I can’t remember a time when my father wasn’t playing one of his own CD mixtapes in the car featuring the likes of U2, Green Day, Blink-182, Simple Plan, and of course Sum 41. Regardless of Philadelphia being a popular city on their touring schedules, this was the first time I’ve gotten to see them live.

It wasn’t long before AC/DC’s “T.N.T.” blasted through the venue’s speakers as the curtain in front of the stage swayed in the wind, ready to be dropped at any moment. Having kept mostly the same lineup since “All Killer, No Filler,” the group is led by frontman Deryck Whibley, bassist Jason McCaslin, drummer Frank Zummo, guitarist Dave Baksh, and multi-instrumentalist Tom Thacker. Sounding punk as ever, Sum 41’s stage presence is simply unmatched. Regardless of the smoke machines, pyrotechnics, and confetti cannons, the band’s high-spirited energy set the stage ablaze as they jumped in head-first with “Motivation.”

Regardless of how much I enjoy Sum 41’s discography as a whole; “All Killer, No Filler,” “Does This Look Infected?,” and “Chuck” bring me an undeniable sense of nostalgia, and I was very happy to see that most of the setlist, aside from “Heaven :x: Hell,” was made up of tracks from those albums. The audience seemed to feel the same way, as people of all ages were jumping around and singing along as the band ran around the stage. Accompanying the group on stage were a few different large banners decorated with album art, a huge skeleton prop, lasers, and a catwalk, aiding the vibrant atmosphere.

The first half of the set was hit after hit, keeping spirits high with punk-rock and metal tracks like “The Hell Song,” “Over My Head (Better Off Dead),” “Landmines,” and “We’re All To Blame,” with Whibley taking frequent breaks to speak to the crowd, encouraging everyone to jump around, let loose, and shout out heartfelt “thank you’s.” Whibley even went as far as to say that Philadelphia may be the best show of the tour so far, remarking that he isn’t an artist who says that often. Big balloons were tossed into the air for the crowd to keep up during “Dopamine,” before slowing it down a few songs later with a crowd favorite and certified flashlight waver, “With Me.”

Even with the fast pace of the set, each band member still had their own moments to shine; my personal favorite being Frank Zummo’s drum solo on a small drum resembling one that the band started out with, after Whibley spoke about how back when the band was starting out performing in garages, they didn’t “have all the cool shit” that they have now.

With such an energetic and interactive performance, it’s tough to pick out just one moment that stood out to me the most, but if I had to choose, I would pick the band’s cover of Social Distortion’s cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” To take after Social Distortion’s style, Whibley brought out a beautiful vintage guitar specifically for the cover, that was used on Social Distortion’s album “White Light, White Heat, White Trash.”

Closing out the night with hits “Fat Lip,” “Still Waiting,” and “In Too Deep,” the show as a whole felt very full circle, and a perfect, yet bittersweet, way to say goodbye.

Leaving with handfuls of black and pink confetti, commemorative t-shirts, posters, and other pieces of merchandise, as cliché as it sounds, the most special takeaway of all was the joy and nostalgia felt throughout the night.

I heard another fan on social media mention that, even though they are, Sum 41 is at a position in their career where it doesn’t have to be objectively “good” live for its fans to show up and have a fantastic time. It truly is a testament to the type of fans the members have, and the legacy they have created for themselves over the years.