Sum 41 kicked off the season at WAVE outdoor stage in Wichita on a chilly 4/20 evening. Hot off the release of their final album Heaven :x: Hell their Tour of the Setting Sum will also be their last run of shows. Their Wichita stop was yet another fantastic evening presented by the WAVE, which has been bringing the rage to Wichita for the last few years.

Sum 41 brought along Joey Valence & Brae (IG - jvbsucks) to open the show with their Beastie Boy’s-esque in-your-face hip hop. While the audience were initially confused when they took the stage as they weren’t on the bill, they quickly proved themselves and the crowd was vibing in no time. Shout out to Joey Valence for catching some serious air during their high energy performance.

The first billed band was the funky ska-rock band The Interrupters (IG - theinterrupters). They certainly had plenty of fans in attendance as they’re a heavy hitter especially for an opener. They got the cold huddled crowd engaged with lively crowd interactions. Even those that hadn’t heard of the LA-based band were taken by the catchy bounce of the rhythm (befitting of 4/20). The main crowd-pleasing song that they played was their cover of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy”.

Sum 41 then took the stage opening with their song “Motivation”. By the second song, Sum 41 put their fire and confetti cannons to good use and blanketed the crowd in a blanket of pink confetti. Sum 41 has not lost their stage presence in their 25+ year long stint in the limelight. Notably, front-man Deryck Whibley’s voice sounds good as ever and electrifies the eardrums. The raucous set included classics like “Dopamine”, “Fat Lip”, and “In Too Deep”. Fans were also treated to covers of “We Will Rock You” and “Ring of Fire”.

This final tour is cause of celebration for Sum 41 as they have been a mainstay in alternative music for decades. Deryck Whibley is also celebrating another major milestone as he is hitting 10 years of sobriety this year. This long struggle, along with other health issues as described in his recent GQ interview are the reasons behind the band’s farewell. So, if you want to see the band before the Sum sets, get tickets to one of their tour stops before their last show in Toronto in January of next year.

Review & Photos by: Mitchell Arias-Elmore

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Sum 41 Rock Out at the WAVE in Wichita