By Static Live Magazine – Your backstage pass to mayhem, mosh pits, and messy exes
We’ve seen a lot of things in our years of concert carnage and backstage drama—but Avril Lavigne pulling her ex-husband out of early retirement for a Warped Tour banger? That’s the kind of post-divorce energy we live for.
During her headlining set at the Vans Warped Tour stop in Washington, D.C., Avril—our forever pop-punk princess with perfect eyeliner and zero patience for your nonsense—brought out Deryck Whibley, Sum 41 frontman and ex-husband, to belt out “In Too Deep.”
Yes, the same song that lived in every high school mixtape and probably played during your first emotional breakdown in a Hot Topic hoodie.
Eight tracks deep into her set, Lavigne addressed the crowd like a seasoned riot queen:
“What do you say we bring one of the OG Warped Tour bands back out here tonight to join me right now?”
Cue crowd implosion
“Let’s hear it for Deryck from Sum f—ing 41!”
Cut to Whibley appearing like a smirking ghost of pop-punk past, tossing out this gem:
“Holy s—, goddamn. I thought I f—ing quit music. But how the f— can I miss the Warped Tour, right?”
“I’ve come out of my three- or four-month retirement for two reasons: to be with the Warped Tour family, and to be with the one, the only, the motherf—ing princess.”
We don’t cry often—but this one hit us right in the Vans. Two people who once vowed eternal love and likely threw furniture during the breakup, now reunited on stage for the culture. Honestly, it was like seeing your divorced parents getting along for once, only louder and with more eyeliner.
Let’s not forget—Sum 41 has been a Warped Tour staple, and Whibley recently announced his exit from the music scene after the band dropped their final double album Heaven :x: Hell. He’s had a rough year too, including a lawsuit against his former manager, but for one night, none of that mattered. It was about the music, the fans, and the pop-punk power of getting over your ex and then sharing a mic with them.
Lavigne celebrated the moment on Instagram like the queen she is, posting:
“This legend @deryckwhibley from @sum41 joined me for one of the best pop punk anthems of all time ‘In Too Deep.’”
We couldn’t agree more.
Let this be a lesson to all the jaded hearts out there—sometimes your ex shows up uninvited, and other times, they show up to help you slay a Warped Tour set. Either way, it’s about time Avril got more coverage than just another Christmas season meme. She’s super talented, super cute, and still killing it.
And hey—if you’re on the east coast of Florida wondering why this didn’t happen in Daytona or Ormond Beach… good news:
Download the Static Live Music Calendar App and you’ll never miss a local show, stage ambush, or ex-fueled encore again.
We’re your plug for everything live music from Daytona Beach to New Smyrna, with more cities coming soon.
🎸 Want to catch the next big reunion or surprise show?
Download the Static Live Music Calendar App—now serving Daytona Beach, New Smyrna, Ormond Beach, Flagler, and gearing up to hit more cities.
Available now on iOS & Android.