Concert Review: Nostalgia Strikes at Simple Plan's Austin Tour Stop
- Lyle Fox
- Aug 11
- 3 min read
RIYL: All American Rejects, Bowling for Soup, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte
August 7, 2026 was a night of nostalgia when Simple Plan brought “The Bigger Than You Think Tour, The Sequel!” to Austin’s Moody Amphitheater. People of all ages gathered on a hot Texas night to celebrate three amazing bands playing their catalogs from the past two decades. Even though it was almost 100 degrees, that didn’t stop people from dancing the whole night and screaming on the top of their lungs to the songs that defined some of the most important parts of their life.
As someone who discovered Simple Plan when I was 10 years old and have been listening to the opening bands since middle school, this was such a incredible show to attend. Once I got into the venue, all I noticed was elder emos (and even younger kids) dressed up for the occasion. From wearing old Simple Plan merch to Scooby Doo outfits, you can tell people were excited for this show.
Opening the night was 3OH!3, a band from Colorado. They all came out wearing bright yellow construction worker outfits, holding up their signature hand sign, which the crowd also held up. They kicked off their set playing “PUNKBITCH,” then went straight into “STARSTRUCKK.” Singing all their fun songs, they were the perfect band to get the crowd moving. They ended their set with “DONTTRUSTME.”
The next band up was Bowling for Soup. Their first song was “Girls All the Bad Guys Want.” They kept the crowd on their toes the whole time, whether through their banter or by joking about how everyone in the crowd traded cool concert footwear for orthopedic comfort, with Jaret insisting Hokas should sponsor him for stage wear. Joking about how old we’re all getting, that bit fit right into their next song, “Getting Old Sucks (But Everybody’s Doing It).” Bowling For Soup played all their greatest hits just like 3OH!3, and even included a cover of Teenage Dirtbag.
The excitement built right before Simple Plan came out, starting with people wearing the sad face and heart costumes seen on their tour poster walking on stage. The band then came out playing “I’d Do Anything.” Looking around the crowd, everyone had a huge smile on their face as they sang along. They played so many of their popular songs, like “Shut Up,” “Welcome to My Life,” “I’m Just a Kid,” and “What’s New Scooby Doo?”
During the Scooby Doo song, they invited everyone dressed as Scooby to come on stage, even acknowledging that it was probably their new record for the number of people. When they launched into “Jump,” they had the entire crowd bouncing up and down together. Confetti was shot out many times throughout Simple Plan’s set, which made the experience feel a lot more high-energy.
Towards the end of the set, Pierre came out to play piano in the crowd for a couple of songs. The performance included covers of “All Star,” Sk8er Boi,” and “Mr. Brightside.” At one point, the guys mentioned that one of the first times they ever played Austin was actually opening up for Bowling For Soup. Getting to sing along to the soundtrack of my youth made it a magical night I won’t forget anytime soon!
Check out Simple Plan on their upcoming tour dates.
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