Sum 41 in LA: The Farwell Show Fans Deserve

After nearly 30 years, Sum 41 is saying farewell, and I was fortunate enough to be in the pit at their LA show, the second to last stop on their farewell tour before heading overseas to wrap up their Tour Of The Setting Sum.

Now I am not the biggest Sum 41 fan, but as a proud elder emo, I’m more than familiar with their catalog of music. I saw them perform at Warped Tour back in the day and their set at WWWY (When We Were Young) last year, was one of the best of the day. I don’t own many of their albums but I have probably blasted and screamed along to Fat Lip alone in my car more than any other song I listen to. And as I was admittedly a bit heartbroken to hear they would be disbanding.

2024 has been my year of rediscovering myself and along with that my love of music. It’s been a year of concerts and festivals, and when Sum 41 announced their Tour Of The Setting Sum, I knew I had to go. I at home, and my husband at work, we both sat patiently as the pre-sale counted down and jumped at our chance to get tickets the second they went on sale. I got stuck in the queue but my amazing husband managed to get us pit tickets.

Sum 41 was my 13th concert/musical event of 2024, and although I’ve seen a lot of good performances this year, they easily make the top five, possibly even top three, for me.

Despite personally getting stuck in a low-energy section of the pit most of the night, the show itself was non-stop energy. Deryck Whibley darted back and forth across the stage all night while the band played hit after hit, and even a few deep cuts, but never let the energy die. The crowd (almost entirely) danced and sang along to every word. I don’t remember the last time I danced so hard or sang so loud, and I will definitely be living off this high for a while.

Watching Sum 41 perform their final LA show was a welcomed trip down memory lane that reignited a love for them I didn’t have, showcased their immense talent, and left me a bit broken-hearted (but in all the right ways) that I’ll likely never get to experience this with them ever again.