Photos and a review of Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan in Ottawa
[Yep, Ross Macdonald was out there again. Tori Macdonald wrote the review.- AC]
Walking into the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Wednesday night was like taking a step back in time to the halls of almost any Canadian high school in early 2002. Many in the crowd were dressed in tank tops and ties, plaid skirts and fishnet stockings, and either combat style boots or converse high-tops. They had all dressed for the occasion, a night of nostalgic Canadian pop-punk music featuring the high-energy musical antics of Montreal’s Simple Plan and headliner, pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne.
The festivities started off with the covid-conceived duo Girlfriends made up of Travis Mills on vocals & guitar and Nick Gross (also of Goldfinger) on drums. Kicking their set off and setting the tone for the night, they opened with their latest single ‘Shut up & Kiss Me’, a high energy love song that had the crowd singing along to the chorus by the end.

Travis was quick to let everyone know that this was their first time playing together in Ottawa, as well as that his dad was born in Oshawa, so he was half-Canadian and so happy to be playing here. girlfriends kept the energy high playing songs from their 2020 and 2022 albums, the self-titled girlfriends and (e)motion sickness, as well as songs from the latest EP Over My Dead Body.

Travis told the crowd about how he wrote the song ‘I Thought About You While I was Taking a Shower’, completely naked, locked up at home during Covid times. girlfriends closed out their set with ‘California’ from their debut album, leaving the audience prepped and ready for the rest of the night.

As the house lights went down for the second time and the ‘Star Wars’ theme song came over the speakers, the crowd roared as Montreal natives Simple Plan took the stage. Diving right into the first track of the night from their No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls album: ‘I’d Do Anything’ before launching right into the 2004 classic ‘Shut Up!’.

Lead singer Pierre was full of energy running across the stage to make sure that everyone felt part of the fun. The high energy kept going as Peirre and Sebastien spoke to the crowd in both English and French as they literally launched into their song ‘Jump’ where they encouraged everyone to jump along.

As the set continued with hits like ‘Welcome to My Life’ and the latest ‘Iconic’ the crowd energy just kept getting higher and higher with everyone on their feet dancing along. During ‘Summer Paradise’ large beach balls were launched into the audience and when the song was over Pierre was quick to quip at the dream come true it was to be playing “in Ottawa and having everyone playing with our balls” to a roar of laughter and cheers.

Next up was a trio of covers that had everyone singing along as Chuck, Jeff, and Seb played quintessential hits from the 2000’s: ‘All Star’, ‘Stacy’s Mom’, and ‘Mr Brightside’, leading into ‘What’s new Scooby Doo?’ where the stage was taken by a storm of dancing Scooby and Scrappy Doo’s.

The entire arena erupted when Jeff started playing the melody of their very first single ‘I’m Just a Kid’. Pierre told everyone about how it’s hard to believe that it’s been 22 years since the release, and took everyone back to the time of locking yourself in your room blasting the album loudly to the dismay of your parents.

“This album is who I am! You’d cry to your parents. ‘It’s just a phase’ they’d say. But mom & dad it was never just a phase!” Pierre yelled before starting to sing, and the entire arena sang along proving that it really wasn’t just a phase.Halfway through, Chuck came out from behind the drums, and commented on how nice the small riser Pierre had at the front of the stage. After a brief discussion it was agreed that they would change places, with Pierre taking over the drumming and Chuck crowd surfing and high-fiving the crowd. Travis from girlfriends came out to sing the rest of the song.

After the great swell of sound and light, the lights dimmed as the rest of the band left stage and Pierre picked up an acoustic guitar and played ‘Untitled’ to the swaying crowd. Pierre carried on solo acoustic for Simple Plan’s their final song for the evening ‘Perfect’. But part-way through the song the band came back and helped Pierre finish out the show in full force.

The arena was buzzing after Simple Plan, and the anticipation for Avril was absolutely palpable. The arena went dark and the screen at the back lit up some stylised graphics turning into stars, hearts, and crossbones, the crowd erupted. After the band filed out on stage in the dark, Avril appeared on top of the risers at the back of the stage fully lit up, wearing a black Avril baseball shirt, fishnet stockings, and knee high Doc Martens boots. She started the night with her 2007 hit ‘Girlfriend’ with the crowd belting it out along with her, kicking off the Ottawa leg of her Greatest Hits Tour.

After the opening song Avril spoke about how the night was a semi-homecoming as “I Grew up two hours from here” in Napanee, and had her dad and some childhood friends were in the audience, before launching into ‘What the Hell’.

Next up Avril told everyone “This next song was my first single off my first album that I recorded when I was 17”, before launching into the 2002 classic ‘Complicated’. During the song, video clips of a younger Avril played on the big screen behind her, it was a beautiful juxtaposition not lost on the crowd.

Following that she picked up her red glitter strat to play ‘Smile’ and ‘Here’s to Never Growing Up’. After a brief interlude that showed a video from her Let it Go era, Avril returned to the stage singing ‘My Happy Ending’ to an arena of cellphone lights.

Once finished Avril let everyone know that this wasn’t her first time on this stage. “I remember coming here at 14 years old. I’d won a contest with a local radio station and got to sing a song on this stage with Shania Twain. I just love doing this!” much to the crowd’s delight. The arena only got brighter in the glow of cellphone lights as the beginning of ‘When You’re Gone’ started up. The crowd finished off the last chorus as Avril exited.

Suddenly a video came up on screen of Pierre and Sebastian of Simple Plan. Pierre answered a call from Avril, as she invited them to come back on stage to sing a song with her. The video continued showing the boys running through the backstage area culminating with them running out on stage as the band started playing Simple Plan’s hit song ‘Addicted’. While Pierre sang, Avril did backup vocals and threw t-shirts into the crowd. She also brought two fans up on stage and gave them autographed skateboards. Then she brought up two more fans to help sing along the chorus.

After that the stage filled with fog, flames, streamers, and confetti cannons, then more giant beach balls were thrown in the crowd and ‘Bite Me’ filled the air. The last song before in the main set had everyone on their feet and singing along to crowd favourite ‘Sk8er Boi’. Between the band and the exuberant crowd it was deafening in the arena.

After an interlude with the band playing and a video of an ethereal looking Avril in a flowing white dress walking in the idyllic Icelandic landscape, she appeared on the risers singing ‘Head Above Water’ to the cellphone lit arena.

The night ended with 2002’s ‘I’m With You’, a bittersweet end to a night of pure nostalgia. Fortunately it cooled off a little outside by the end of the concert, so that as everyone filed out the night air was welcome from the heat inside the CTC.
