Mainstream rock music ain’t what it used to be. The weepy, self-aggrandizing genre of “emo” has churned out legions of similar-sounding groups. The meathead bands dominating FM rock stations are all fronted by muscular cheeseballs who sound like they could use a bag of lozenges. Well, not too long ago the charts were ruled by a little band called Blink-182: the Southern California punk-poppers with hearts of gold and an infallible sense of humor. They said exactly what every awkward, maladjusted teenager feels and thinks. Although Blink-182 broke up in early 2005 due to internal conflict, their spot-on musings at adolescent life continued to resonate on a personal level with teens around the world. When drummer Travis Barker narrowly escaped death less than a year ago in a horrific plane crash, the trio began to rebuild a bond that had appeared long broken. This summer they reunited for a tour and are set to pen a new album. August 25th, I ventured out to Long Island with a friend to catch their performance at Jones Beach Theater. While there was hardly any range in age of those attending the sold-out show—my fellow concertgoers were all in their mid-teens to early twenties—there was another kind of diversity amongst the audience. In the row in front of us sat three hipster girls in cardigans and strategically ripped skinny jeans. Yet to our left sat a well-dressed, preppy couple. On our right were two bulky guys with gelled hair and diamonds in their ears. Behind us, a boy covered in tattoos sported a blue mohawk. The most random people ever? Hardly. When Blink-182 took the stage and guitarist Tom DeLonge’s fingers started flying across the fretboard of his golden Les Paul, playing the intro to “Dumpweed”, our identity melted into one: we were nothing more than screaming fans. Just as their audience wasn’t dressed identically, lead singers DeLonge and Mark Hoppus hardly looked like two guys fronting the same band; surely indicative of the five years they spent apart. DeLonge was undoubtedly influenced by the melancholy grandiosity of his post-Blink band Angels & Airwaves, as his asymmetrical haircut and tight black pants contrasted with bassist/vocalist Hoppus, who at 37 years old is still rocking the same SoCal skater style as ever. Employing the same lighting designer used by Daft Punk and Kanye West, their set was aesthetically stunning. But the giddy crowd wasn’t gathered for the visuals—the boys could have been performing in sweatpants, the stage could have been dimly lit and covered in toilet paper: nothing could deter from the level of excitement and adoration. The band played such mega-hits as “All The Small Things” and “I Miss You”, but also managed to squeeze in a few lesser-known fan favorites such as “Carousel” and “Josie”. Although the members of Blink may be approaching middle age, songs like “Dammit (Growing Up)” and “Going Away To College” will remain perpetually relevant to their teenage fan base. Barker’s astounding drum solo to a hip-hop track literally defied gravity: he sounded unbelievable while playing suspended in the air on a levitating drum riser, which rotated him sideways and upside-down. After the first of two encores, Mark called his bandmates together for a hug, and addressed the friendship that they are still in the process of mending. To see Blink-182 live was to their witness their diverse community of fans, all woven together by the heartfelt sincerity of Blink’s music. Isn’t that exactly what mainstream rock and roll is lacking? The key to Blink’s significance and inestimable influence is in their honest, unpretentious songwriting. Dancing in my row alongside complete strangers, there was a sense of community. At some point in our lives, Blink-182 had reached out to us as we spun their CD for the fifty-millionth time in our discmans. We had all deciphered that comforting message tucked into their songs: we’re all dorks, and as hard as growing up can be, you’ll make it through.
Final Verdict? This is a must-see show for both die-hard and casual Blink fans alike. Get psyched: Blink-182 is back for real.
