While the weather may have made things a little, … well… Complicated, it didn’t stop over 22,000 people from recently packing into Jiffy Lube Live to see Simple Plan and Avril Lavigne on their Greatest Hits Tour. The rain delay unfortunately meant that the opening band, Girlfriends, was unable to play their set, but lucky for us, we did get to see them come out to perform a few songs with the two headlining acts.

Though their sets were shortened due to the rain delay at Jiffy Lube Live on August 31, all our favorites were played from the early 2000s, throughout their discographies across the last 20 something years, and Simple Plan and Avril Lavigne put on a stupendous show that I won’t likely forget anytime soon.

Simple Plan started off the show with a fan-favorite, “I’d Do Anything,” then moved into the teen angst anthem of my youth, “Shut Up”, and “Jump,” where I think the entire ground may have shaken to everyone jumping in time. While the Canadian group got the audience hyped up and ready for Avril Lavigne, it was clear that that the powerhouse band had just as many fans of their own in the audience.

Personally, I could not have screamed louder when they brought the Scooby Doo dancers out for “What’s New Scooby Doo,” which they recorded for the theme song of the popular television series. This had the entire audience entranced in their nostalgia, not just for the emo anthems of our childhoods, but the cartoons too.

From there, we went to another major hit for the band, “I’m Just A Kid,” which came out 22 years ago and still hits home for most of us even though we’re adults now.

As Avril Lavigne took the stage, the anticipation was palpable, with the entire audience wondering which of her numerous hits she would start the show with. Playing arguably three out of four of her biggest hits across her albums, she started out with “Girlfriend,” “What The Hell,” and the song that started it all, “Complicated,” getting the audience roaring with excitement at what was about to come. Personally, I was right there with the audience, singing along to every song and losing myself in finally getting to see one of my favorite artists in concert for the first time.

Watch the official music video for “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne on YouTube:

I was pleasantly surprised at her care for the fans, taking the time to wave at everyone who’s eyes she caught, and even bringing three lucky fans up to sing and dance on stage with her and Simple Plan for one song, making sure they got autographed skate decks and taking pictures with them during the songs. Despite their clear star statuses and the magnitude of the stadium show, both Avril and Simple Plan made sure to engage with the audience and thank everyone for not only their patience through the night, but supporting them over the years and making tours like this possible. It was honestly a heartwarming moment for me, reminding me once again why these two artists have remained in the top five of my playlists for nearly 20 years.

Overall, this has probably been my favorite show of the year so far, and I’m hopeful to try and catch another show on this tour just to see it again. At the very least, the next time either of these bands come to town, I know I’ll be buying tickets. Hopefully in the pit for my chance to relive the excitement and joy I had on Saturday night.

See more pictures from the night below! All photos copyright and courtesy of Carol Lowe.