Bigger Than You Think! The Sequel Tour – Hartford Healthcare Ampitheater Bridgeport, CT

Tuesday night I made my way to the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT for the Bigger Than You Think Tour! The Sequel! Featuring 3oh!3, Bowling for Soup, and Simple Plan.
It’s been nearly two decades since 3OH!3 crashed the top of the pop charts, but their spirit remains as unflinching as ever. What started as a DIY project quickly catapulted Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte’s dorm-room demos into a cultural phenomenon, soundtracking both Vans Warped Tour and Top 40 radio takeovers with a blend of hip-hop bravado, tongue-in-cheek chaos and hooks more ascendant than their Boulder, CO, hometown.
I last saw 3oh!3 on the 4th of July in 2015 when the performed with JC Chasez and Blues Traveler at Red Rocks. There’s photos floating around of one of them standing right next to me on the seats and me paying no attention because I was filming JC. I was looking forward to seeing them this time without any boyband distractions. The crowd seemed very into them and were having the times of their lives singing along. There was only a couple of songs that I knew well, their singles that had gotten a lot of radio airplay. They and their band had on Rockies shirts, which may have been a nod to the venue being a ballpark in a past life? And also because they are from CO and therefore Rockies fans.

Renowned for their fun, interactive, and unpredictable live shows, Bowling For Soup aren’t just a band you listen to—they’re a band you experience. Nobody leaves a Bowling For Soup show without a huge smile on their face. Their fans span multiple generations, with OGs who grew up on the band’s music now bringing their kids—who know every word to every song. That’s because BFS have become ingrained in pop culture, from hit songs to movie soundtracks and TV themes. Whether playing to 3000 or 50,000 people, their onstage chemistry, fan engagement, and comedic charm make every show feel personal.

I was looking forward to seeing Bowling for Soup for the first time – they have recently done a cover of Simple Plan’s “I’m just a kid” and also did a collab with Hanson covering “Where’s the Love”. I didn’t realize how many of their songs were pretty big singles, I knew almost all of them enough to sing a long with at least the chorus. In the middle of their set they said that 3oh!3 has dared them to play their biggest song in the middle of their set – and that it wasn’t Stacy’s Mom because they were not Fountains of Wayne and it also was not 1985. The whole place erupted when they went into the theme song from Phineas and Ferb.

Then it was time for the main event! Simple Plan! This was my 5th time seeing them, but they are one of my favorite bands. The energy during their performance from the crowd was electric and they kept mentioning how much they liked being in Connecticut. I was able to shoot all 3 bands for the first 3 songs and I think I made it my mission to take as many photos as humanly possible during their first 3. For Untitled, Pierre ended up coming out to play piano by the sound booth which was just where my seats were (although he was facing the other way) and then he ran through the section above me for You Suck At Love (which had the cutest Simple Plan voodoo dolls on the video screen throughout the song and I want them!) There were tons of fans dressed like Scooby and the gang that got to go on stage for What’s New Scooby Doo and State Champ’s Derek joined the band for Where I Belong.

For the encore, Jaret from Bowling for Soup lended some vocals so Pierre could drum while Chuck attempted to high five everyone he could while crowd surfing. Of course, the final song of the night was Perfect. Literally and Figuratively? The band played from about 9:15 to 10:45, a decent set but I wished it would never end! Fortunately I will be seeing them again later this year.

Thanks again to Syn for helping me out with the media pass!