Avril Lavigne brings emo nostalgia to Syracuse 

Avril Lavigne brought a heavy dose of early-2000s nostalgia to Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview on Wednesday as her highly anticipated Greatest Hits Tour 2025 stopped in Syracuse. Fans, many wearing ponchos and carrying umbrellas, didn’t let the rain stop them from dancing and singing along to pop-punk throwbacks.

The night kicked off with fellow pop-punk legends We The Kings and Simple Plan, each playing high-energy anthems with a few surprises. 

We The Kings performed “When We Were Young,” “Skyway Avenue” and “Check Yes Juliet,” plus the crowd-pleasing cover of “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers.

Vocalist Travis Clark’s infectious energy had the crowd moving early, and he only paused between songs to jokingly ask how everyone’s backs and knees were doing. 

The Elder Emo references didn’t stop there, as Simple Plan vocalist Pierre Bouvier screamed in unison with the crowd, “Mom, it was never a phase!”

Fans sang their hearts out to “I’d Do Anything,” “Perfect” and “I’m Just a Kid.” The band surprised fans with a live performance of their song “What’s New Scooby-Doo?” — complete with multiple people in Scooby-Doo costumes running across the stage. 

Lavigne opened her set with the catchy 2007 hit “Girlfriend,” as the crowd erupted with screams over the dramatic entrance. Followed by “What the Hell” and “Complicated,” Lavigne paused to thank the crowd and asked if they were ready to go down memory lane.

Fans were treated to a setlist that covered music from seven different albums over her expansive 23-year music career, along with a couple sing-along covers of Chappel Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway.” Lavigne also brought back Simple Plan to perform their newest single, “Young & Dumb.” 

Even under gray skies, the night felt like a celebration of Lavigne’s music and the emo era she helped define. Lavigne’s Greatest Hits Tour was a reminder to everyone in Syracuse that she is still the bona fide “princess” of pop-punk.