Article and Photos by Kyle Brown
Edited by Morgan Kohler
Pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne has been around the block a time or two. With a career that spans over 20 years and seven albums, Lavigne has earned the right to put on a greatest hits tour. And boy oh boy, did she ever do that Friday night at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Fans in the age range of 30–40 dressed in fishnet tights, Avril hoodies that spanned her entire career, and colored hair. They piled into the sold-out venue to enjoy a night of great music.
Girlfriends hit the stage first and really got the crowd moving. Although a band I never knew of, they had great on-stage chemistry and played to the crowd’s liking of music very well. The pop-punk band used the stage to their advantage, walking back and forth, jumping, and dancing along the way. The short 30-minute set definitely had me wanting to check out their music on streaming platforms.
This is my second time covering Simple Plan. Both times, it has rained like never before. The poor crowd who sat in the grassy hill behind the seating area did not catch a break all set. However, they did get quite the show. With the crowd-pleasing guitar riffs and anthems like “I’m Just a Kid,” “I’d Do “Anything,” “Welcome to My Life,” and “Perfect,” the crowd was able to dance and sing to some really great hits from Simple Plan’s discographies.
Avril Lavigne, in her spare time, crafted a time machine. She programmed it to take us all back into the past to relive some of her greatest hits, and then named it The Greatest Hits Tour. It doesn’t hit you with all the emotions until she’s singing those songs right in front of you—songs that made your childhood. It takes you back to the good times or the bad ones. The memories all come rushing into your mind and you can be fighting back tears out of nowhere or sing at the top of your lungs. That’s what Lavigne’s tour did to us all Friday night. That is why she is so loved.
The set began with “Girlfriend” while Lavigne popped out of a risen platform stage. Fans in both the seated area and the pouring rain all in one motion rose to their feet and began signing along like nobody’s business. Lavigne was able to command the crowd so easily. All she had to do was make a request, and the crowd did it. The fan engagement Lavigne had was top notch.
Speaking to the crowd early on in the set, she asked who was 30 and over, which was nearly everyone in attendance. She responded with “well tonight you are 17 again!” and the crowd erupted in cheers. Between songs, Lavigne would make quick side notes or say things that popped in her head. For example, asking if the crowd liked to camp. She’d go on to say she went camping the day before on her day off and really enjoyed it.
As par for the course at one of her shows, Lavigne was pretty stiff with stage movement. She’d move around the stage, but not in the same fashion as the two bands prior to her. However, that was okay by me due to her connectivity with the crowd. Sometimes getting the fan interactions can be just as powerful as what you do as a performer on the stage. That was certainly the case here.
The set continued with hit songs like “Complicated,” “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” “He Wasn’t,” and “When You’re Gone” before bringing both Simple Plan and Girlfriends up for songs back to back. That was when the peak energy level hit for the night. Simple Plan and Lavigne brought the energy with a lot of confetti, pyro, smoke, and even brought three fans on stage and signed skateboard decks for them. This was all while singing “Addicted,” a Simple Plan song. Lavigne’s voice was still as good as it was 20 years ago. Avril has a signature sound, and song after song, it just sounded so pure and easy to listen to.
A few more songs were played including “Bite Me” and my personal favorite, “Sk8er Boi.” During “Bite Me,” beach balls were tossed around in the crowd and it was during “Sk8er Boi” you could begin to tell Lavigne was getting winded. Her notes got a bit shorter and she just seemed a bit tired from everything prior. Not to mention how difficult some of the songs earlier are to perform.
The two encore songs came as Avril had a costume change into the beautiful, hooded, white, long-sleeve dress that complemented the one she wore in the music video of “Head Above Water.” She sang that song so peacefully and took the venue to a place it wasn’t before. The crowd got quiet, allowing Lavigne’s vocals to show. The dress’s long train blew in the wind created by fans while waves on a screen crashed behind her. Ending the song with a huge applause, the train was removed and one last song was performed, “I’m With You.” Sparks flew and white confetti fell as the crowd erupted into the loudest cheer of the night, showing appreciation for everything Lavigne has done and continues to do.
In all, Lavigne was able to capture all of the feelings of nostalgia for the sold-out crowd. It was authentic, creative, and fun to watch. She created such an immersive experience that I forgot it was only for a little bit of time and that it would eventually end. Reality was in the back of my head, and I am sure most people’s heads, for that time. Everyone let their guard down for a bit and had fun. The visuals, like the pyro, and every little detail that went into the set design was flawless. Between the costume designs and bringing the bands back on stage to sing with her, everything seemed to mesh very well.