RECAP: CREED BRINGS 'SUMMER OF '99 TOUR' TO VANCOUVER

Rogers Arena hasn’t sounded this loud in a long time. On Saturday night, Creed returned to Vancouver for the first time in more than a decade, and the nearly sold-out arena showed that the 'Summer of ’99 Tour' is a full-on revival. The band’s anthems, once radio staples of the late ’90s and early 2000s, rang out like they never left, filling the air with nostalgia. With Mammoth and Big Wreck setting the stage, the night was stacked with three generations of rock woven into one lineup.

All photos by Caroline Charruyer / Backspin HQ

Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth opened the night with a tight, six-song set that made their half-hour fly by. They’re a younger band, but their sound is already battle-tested. Van Halen led the charge through “Another Celebration at the End of the World” and the brand-new single “The Spell,” set to appear on their upcoming record The End this October.

Though Wolfgang tends to play it humble between songs his introduction was a casual “We’re Mammoth, here to play some rock and roll before you get some more rock and roll”, the performance itself was anything but modest. His riffs were meaty and his solos sharp. Bassist Ronnie Ficarro was the most animated on stage, egging on the crowd with endless movement and headbanging that would make a chiropractor wince. By the time they closed with “Don’t Back Down,” the audience was more than warmed up; Mammoth had carved out new fans.

Next up was Big Wreck, the Canadian veterans who have been a staple of alt-rock since the mid-’90s. Ian Thornley’s voice hasn’t lost its weight, and the band’s bluesy, riff-heavy approach worked well as the bridge between Mammoth’s youthful thunder and Creed’s arena-rock bombast. Songs like “That Song” and “Albatross” hit especially well with the hometown crowd, many of whom grew up with Big Wreck blasting on MuchMusic in the late ’90s.

Thornley, calm but precise, let his guitar work do most of the talking. It was a reminder that Big Wreck have always thrived on musicianship rather than flash. They don’t need pyro or video screens to sell their sound, and Rogers Arena seemed to appreciate the straightforward, no-frills set. By the end, the building felt fully primed for the main event.

At 9:15, the lights dropped and Creed stormed the stage. Flames erupted from behind the drum riser as the opening notes of “Bullets” tore through the arena. Scott Stapp, flanked by original members Mark Tremonti (guitar), Brian Marshall (bass), and Scott Phillips (drums), wasted no time reminding the crowd why these songs once defined an era. The addition of Eric Friedman on rhythm guitar thickened the already massive wall of sound.

Stapp, now 51, looked and sounded energized, striding across the stage like a man out to prove something. His baritone voice was locked in from the first note. During “Ode” and “Torn,” he leaned into the mic like a preacher delivering fire and brimstone, then stepped out on a catwalk to connect with fans in the floor pit.

The setlist leaned heavily on their first three albums, and the pacing was sharp. Heavier cuts like “Are You Ready?” and “What If” did great with the fans, Tremonti’s riffs slicing through the arena like chainsaws. The softer moments, though, were just as effective. “With Arms Wide Open” became one giant singalong, Stapp letting the crowd handle entire verses while he stood back, smiling.

Midway through the night, Tremonti took a pause to do something that felt bigger than the music. He scanned the crowd, pointing out a young fan in the lower bowl, and invited her and her father on stage. Handing over one of his own guitars, Tremonti called the kid “the new generation.” The moment drew one of the loudest cheers of the night, not just for the generosity, but for the symbolism: this music still resonates with kids who weren’t even alive when Human Clay first came out.

The final stretch of the set played like a greatest-hits barrage. “What’s This Life For” bled into “With Arms Wide Open,” and the arena’s roof felt like it might lift during “Higher.” Thousands of voices shouted “Can you take me higher?,” a moment that perfectly captured why Creed still works in 2025.

For the encore, they returned with “One Last Breath” and closed with the cathartic punch of “My Sacrifice.” Sparks rained down from the rafters as Stapp leaned into the mic one last time, Tremonti’s guitar soaring over the crowd’s final roar.

It’s easy to dismiss Creed as just another relic of late ’90s rock radio, but their reunion has revealed something else entirely. Time has been kind to these songs. They haven’t mellowed; they’ve hardened. Tremonti’s guitar playing feels sharper than ever, and Stapp, who’s had well-documented struggles over the years, seems to have found his footing again as a frontman.

What’s missing, of course, is new music. Creed haven’t released a studio album since 2009. That left some fans wondering whether this reunion is a bridge to the future or a comfortable place to park nostalgia. But for the two hours they owned Rogers Arena, those questions didn’t matter.

Creed may have entered the cultural lexicon as the butt of jokes about “earnest” rock, but standing in a packed arena with 18,000 people screaming along to “My Sacrifice,” it’s clear the band’s impact has outlived the cynicism. For many, Saturday wasn’t just a trip back to 1999, it was proof that Creed’s music still belongs in the present.

Upcoming Dates:

August 19 - Edmonton, AB at Rogers Place

August 20 - Calgary, AB at Scotiabank Saddledome

August 23 - Mount Pleasant, MI at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort

August 24 - Cincinnati, OH at Heritage Bank Center

August 27 - Providence, RI at Amica Mutual Pavilion

August 28 - Manchester, NH at SNHU Arena

August 30 - Halifax, NS at Halifax Citadel National Historic Site

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