Sum 41 with Special Guest Seaway Perform at the Aztec Theatre

Sum 41 with Seaway
Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, Texas
May 3, 2018
Review and Photography by Michael Mullenix

Sum 41 returned to the Lone Star State for an all-out Punk Rock Assault.  Joined by fellow Canadian Rockers, Seaway, the band is sweeping through North America on the 15^th Anniversary Tour of their Second album, Does This Look Infected?

Supporting Sum 41 on the tour was relative newcomers to the scene, Seaway, a Pop-Punk outfit from Ontario. Since last year’s release of Vacation, the band has been climbing the Pop Punk ladder and has been making some good headway touring with Neck Deep, Four Year Strong, and Silverstein, before joining up with Sum 41. The band’s latest output was on full-display with upbeat crowd-pleasers like “Apartment,” “Lula On The Beach,” “Car Seat Magazine”, and “Scatter My Ashes Along The Coast Or Don’t.”  Seaway is stripped-down, high-energy Pop-Punk and definitely worth noting as they transition into potential headlining tours.

Sum 41 took to the stage at the end of the night poised to revisit their Sophmore album, Does This Look Infected? in its entirety.  Armed with 12 songs from 15 years ago, the band launched into their Punk Rock Anthem, “The Hell Song.”  Out of order (but shouldn’t punk rock be that way?), the band played through all the hits from that album including “Still Waiting,” “Over My Head” and “Thanks For Nothing.”

Ultimately these kinds of tours –  anniversary specials of seminal albums – invite the reflective reviews on how the album in question holds up years later.  To that end Does This Look Infected? is probably the most even-handed offering from the band, but barely punching out the clock before outstaying it’s welcome.  The singles are dynamite and were scattered appropriately through the beginning of the set, carrying momentum into other songs such as “My Direction,” “A.N.I.C.,” and even the highly over-looked “All Messed Up.”  But by the end of the set, songs like “Spleen” and “Hooch” still needed a boost of momentum from Ozzy Osbourne and Queen Covers and even a Linkin Park-inspired Drum Solo.  Let’s be honest, this album did not have the level of deep cuts that we saw in later releases like Chuck and Screaming Bloody Murder.

The most interesting part of the set’s composition was the inclusion of “Fake My Own Death,” the first single off the latest album, 13 Voices.  Singer Deryck Whibley’s explanation for this inclusion was that it was originally meant as a demo during the writing of Does This Look Infected? that was revived to set the tone of their 2016 release.  An interesting case could have been made for a mashup set of the two albums, comparing the latter as a spiritual sequel of the other.

In the end, the band came back for a quick encore consisting of other fan-favorites “No Reason,” “Motivation,” and “Fat Lip,” and brought the show to a close with thunderous cheers and applauds.

SUM 41 PHOTO GALLERY

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SEAWAY PHOTO GALLERY

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Michael Mullenix

Growing up around the world, Michael developed a taste and appreciation for all styles of music. While studying film making at Boston University, he dove headfirst into a mosh-pit and never came out. It was in Boston that he combined his love of film and photography with his drive and passion for being a chronicler of the underground music scene. After graduation he headed to Los Angeles and for over a decade has worked with some of the top musicians and actors in the entertainment industry. Lured to Austin by the cultural explosion in the music and film scenes taking place there, he relocated two years ago and describes Austin as a cultural Shang Ri La!