070703 Sum 41, Ottawa, ON

On July 7th, 2003 I went to the Ottawa Bluesfest to see Sum 41.  More accurately, I went to the Bluesfest because I already had a pass, and I was probably writing Bluesfest reviews for jambands.ca which would have compelled me to attend.  So I suppose it’s fair to say that I didn’t really go to the Bluesfest see Sum 41 at all, but see them I did.

I was waist-deep in teaching guitar at the time so I had encountered Sum 41, though the fact that I had only ever been asked to teach one of their songs (Fat Lip) told me that the band wasn’t really that popular with the kids.

If I’m not mistaken Sum 41 was the only band on the bill that night, despite Bluesfest boasting…was it eight stages at the time?  But it was a Monday and I guess the fest was content to aim solely for the younger crowd on an off night.  Could be worse…in a decade or so the fest would start stacking their lineup more heavily towards the youthful dollar, with a plethora of new country acts, DJ’s and rappers taking up space that was once reserved for boomer bands like Foreigner, Styx and KISS.

At least this was still rock and roll, steeped as it was in predictable drop-D power chords and polite Canadian anger (let’s face it, this ain’t no angsty Norwegian knit-metal).  I held out as long as I could, which was quite a while after they played their “hit” Fat Lip (go ahead, I defy you to hum a few bars), and actually enjoyed the show much more than I thought I would.  

To be honest, my good time at the show was probably augmented by my sheer joy at just being onsite at the Bluesfest.  Back in the day I was so giddy with having such a large, well-booked festival virtually in my backyard that I got a glow every time I walked through the gate.

Plus I have a soft spot for groups that have numbers in their band name.  Aside from just being an all-around numbers guy, back when I was in high school my friends and I started a band that I named Barrax 207.  This was back in 1987 or so; nobody had heard of a band with a number in their name before (except maybe 54-40…and UB40) and when the other band members (and everybody else) asked why I insisted on the “207” I had no answer, other than to reply that I thought it just sounded cool that way.  

(There was always the concern that some band would come along and call themselves Barrax 208, but that was a chance I was willing to take.)

Though Barrax 207 only lasted for a dozen or so rehearsals and never once played a gig I still take credit for starting the whole number-in-the-band-name thing.  I’m looking at you Blink 182, Finger 11, and yes, Sum 41.