Creed & Big Wreck
July 30, 2024
Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON
Canadian Beats Passport
Legendary 90’s rock band Creed have returned and they’re better than ever. The aptly titled Summer of 99 tour is an awesome tour package that showcases some of the best that 90’s rock has to offer. On July 30th, 2024, the Summer of 99 tour made a stop at Budweiser Stage in Toronto. Opening the show was Finger 11 and Big Wreck.
Co-headlining the show was the Canadian rock outfit Big Wreck. Featuring Ian Thornley on lead vocals and guitars, Big Wreck has made a splash in the Canadian music scene since they reunited in 2010. Their songs are packed with plenty of hooks while also featuring intricate guitar parts. Their catchy songs bring in casual rock fans while their guitar-oriented approach will appeal to guitar/music nerds. Their setlist consisted of hits spanning their entire catalogue and as a special treat, they played Come Again from Ian Thornley’s solo career. Big Wreck is an absolute blast to see live due to their musicianship and variety in their discography. I highly recommend them to all fans of rock, particularly the Canadian rock scene.
Creed has returned at long last. Since going on hiatus in 2012, it was unclear if they would play live ever again. During their time off, their songs have become the soundtrack to many memes on TikTok and Instagram. Their presence within meme and internet culture has reinvigorated an un-ironic love to fans who were too young to witness Creed during their heyday. I was surprised to see how many young people were at this show. There was a large portion of the audience that was around during the 90’s, but there were a lot of people that were in their mid-20s who were likely exposed to Creed through memes and the last bastion of the music monoculture. Creed puts on one hell of a show. The musicianship of all members was on point and Scott Stapp’s vocal performance was pitch perfect. The entire setlist was jam-packed with their classic hits that got the entire amphitheater singing along. The recordings don’t get this across, but seeing them live showed off how much metal influence is in their sound. It was amazing to see a band come back in such good form. Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect but I really enjoyed their performance.
The Summer of 99 tour is a no-brainer for all fans of rock. Even if you are only vaguely familiar with Creed’s songs, there is plenty here to keep you entertained. Each leg of the tour contains different opening acts so depending on what region you’re in, you’ll be getting a different flavour of 90’s rock. Catch one of the dates if you are able, you won’t regret it.
