Live from the Hard Rock
Culled from a concert/MTV broadcast recorded at Orlando's Hard Rock club, Montreal's Simple Plan ably show here why they've bubbled to the top of a crowded pack of contemporary punk-pop contenders. No hand-wringing, emocore angst or mock street ‘tude for vocalist Pierre Bouvier; he's too busy prodding the crowd into good-natured singalongs of band hits like "Addicted" and "Worst Day Ever" like a hyperactive cheerleader. His bandmates thrash and harmonize away behind him with equal zeal, interjecting an infectious energy to even the band's darker moments – though "darker" is a decidedly relative term in the impossibly effervescent Simple Plan universe – like "Me Against the World" and "God Must Hate Me." Simple Plan bristles here with enough boundless energy to make Green Day envious, even if they scrupulously avoid the latter's penchant for provocative smarts in the bargain. But then songs like "Crazy" (also featured here in an earnest acoustic version exclusive to this set) underscore that Simple Plan succeeds by tapping into the timeless, innocent hopes and fears of its largely teen audience with music that's both punk anxious and bubblegum sweet. This CD/VDC edition includes a video of the entire show, as well as additional acoustic performances of "Welcome to My Life" and "Perfect," as well as an archive of concert photography and some additional band patch/pin swag.--Jerry McCulley