In the last issue, if you recall, I wrote about Canadian music. At the end of February, I was lucky enough to reward myself with a concert, my second ever: Simple Plan at the John Labatt Centre. It was money well spent. Let me be honest with you here, I hadn't listened to much of Simple Plan prior to the show, except for the song "Perfect." The day after the show, my iPod is full of Simple Plan songs. And then it struck me: they're Canadian.

Pierre Bouvier, Jeff Stinco, Sébastien Lefebvre, David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau make up this French-Canadian band that came out of Montreal. Bouvier and Comeau were part of a band Reset, as was David Desrosiers.

I had the time of my life at the show, listening to four bands, one after the other: These Kids Wear Crowns, Marianas Trench, All Time Low and of course Simple Plan. I don't have much concert experience, but these guys from Montreal really did know how to put on a show, complete with anecdotes, beach balls and glow sticks, leaving close to 3,000 fans mesmerised.

I won't take anything away from the other three bands that performed on that night — they were good, too — but everyone knows who the highlight of the show was. To be frank with you, I regret not learning to play the guitar earlier — who knows, maybe I would have had a band that went on tours, but that is beside the point here.

I love the initiative that Simple Plan takes through the Simple Plan Foundation, "... helping young people in need, by easing their often difficult passage to adulthood and by supporting the victims of life-threatening illnesses." That is reason enough for me, someone who isn't from Canada, to improve the outlook I have about Canadians (and no, I'm not implying that I had a poor outlook before). The band was also recently awarded the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award for their work through the Simple Plan Foundation.

I end with fond memories of the show from the John Labatt Centre, and now hold Simple Plan in ever higher regard. I know there are many people out there who aren't really fond of Simple Plan, but that is their loss if you ask me. In fact, I will end by quoting one of their song's titles that aptly sums up my feelings about the band: "Perfect."
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.