Nothing Complicated About Avril Lavigne Tour Stop in Raleigh

Avril Lavigne has made a career off of being the princess of high-energy pop-punk music, and Tuesday night, she brought the energy, confetti, and streamers to Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh.

The Greatest Hits Tour made its stop in the Triangle due to high demand of the first leg of the tour. She performed many songs from the early 2000’s that put her on the map including, “Complicated,” and “Sk8er Boi,” from her debut studio album, Let Go. Lavigne proved it was “never a phase” by performing “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” a catchy and rebellious song about staying young at heart from her self-titled fifth studio album.

The Canadian singer-songwriter seemed to be full of energy, mixing it up on stage between playing acoustic guitar on a stool, and running from one side of the stage to the other. In between her original songs, Lavigne performed a song that was not hers but was a big hit with fans- “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. During the show, Lavigne climbed off the stage to walk through the pit and sign shirts and posters for fans. When preparing to play “Young & Dumb” with Simple Plan, her and front man Pierre selected certain fans to join them onstage and gave them merch. The duo also threw t-shirts into the crowd.

It is evident that Lavigne continues to feel a deep love for her fans and a passion for performing. Despite the hot temperatures and high humidity throughout the night, she played two songs during her encore. She ended the night with the title track of her 2019 studio album, “Head Above Water,” and “I’m With You,” a song from her 2008 album. It was a nostalgic and emotional ending to Lavigne’s performance at Coastal.

Joining Avril Lavigne on her Greatest Hits Tour is pop-punk band, Simple Plan. The band gained popularity in the early 2000’s as well when studded belts, checkered pants, and drawing on your converse were cool. The band hasn’t skipped a beat and put on a performance that could have been mistaken for Warped Tour. Simple Plan performed throw back songs from their debut album, No Pads, No Helmets, … Just Balls, including, “I’m Just a Kid,” “Complicated,” “Welcome to My Life,” and “Perfect.”  The band has not put out new music in quite a few years, but recently recorded and performed “Young and Dumb” with Lavigne. “What’s New Scooby Doo” inspired one fan to wear an inflatable Scooby Doo costume in the crowd!

To open the show, We the Kings stirred up nostalgia with “When We Were Young.” They played a cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” an anthem for 2000’s pop-punk fans. The ended their set with their 2008 hit from their debut album, “Check Yes Juliet.”

Lavigne continues her Greatest Hits Tour in Florida and a couple other states before heading to Canada with Simple Plan and We the Kings.