Presented by KROQ and Goldenvoice. Reviewed Jan. 23, 2002.
Band: Deryck Whibley, Dave Baksh, Cone McCaslin, Steve Jocz. Also appearing: Unwritten Law, Gob.
You can almost already hear the members of Sum 41 speaking on some future episode of "Behind the Music," declaring how they had become far too big and much too soon.
After all, these young Canadian pop-punks have gone platinum-plus with their 2001 debut album, "All Killer No Filler" (Island/Def Jam), and they are already headlining their own sold-out U.S. theater tour.
But it only took a few songs at the packed Palladium Wednesday to reveal that this bunch could use much more time in a support role, maybe another run on the Warped Tour. The teenage crowd was psyched when the show started, but soon lost most of its excitement when it became clear these guys don't yet have their concert pieces in place.
The undistinguished songs mostly slipped uneventfully from one to the next.
Making matters worse, Sum 41 is mining musical territory long-since picked clean by the likes of Green Day, the Offspring and Blink-182. The band's hourlong set covered most of the material from "All Filler," yet from opener "Motivation" to the closing rendition of its big hit, "Fat Lip," none of the songs contained the originality to suggest the band will enjoy much more spotlight.
They tried to stir the crowd by inserting riffs from songs by Megadeth, Iron Maiden ("Die With Your Boots On"!) and Metallica into and between their own tunes, but few of the youngsters seemed to know the heavy metal nor seemed to care much. Singer Deryck Whibley brought some girls onstage and asked them to "make out" while the band played "Handle This," then he scolded them when they mostly just danced with each other.
The highlight for many was the guest appearance of Tommy Lee, who slammed away on the drums during "It's What We're All About," from Sum 41's 2000 indie EP "Half Hour of Power."
San Diego County's Unwritten Law, on the other hand, is a punk band that finally seems ready to make its well-earned move to a higher level after a number of years on the club circuit. Playing a well-balanced mix of tracks from their ambitious new album "Elva" (Interscope), as well as a few from their three earlier releases in an assured 45-minute set, the quintet served notice at the Palladium that they are willing to modify their sound in order find success.
And it appears the move has paid off, as new cuts "Up All Night" and "Seein' Red" have enjoyed significant alt-rock radio airplay, and both were highlights of the group's opening turn, as was the hardcore "C.P.K.," from UL's 1994 indie release "Blue Room."
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Date in print: Mon., Jan. 28, 2002