Photos and Review by Max Stewart
As life marches on, we realize that many things that drive and motivate us early on are really not important. Life seems so endless in your teens and twenties, but with each birthday it becomes more evident that our time on this planet is precious and we must savor every moment with good people and fun experiences. When blink-182 announced that they were reforming the original lineup last year, it was a moment of bliss for the millions of fans that have had their music as an integral part of the soundtrack to their lives.
The reformation of the original three members came soon after bassist / singer Mark Hoppus was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. This news was a moment for Hoppus, drummer Travis Barker, and guitarist / singer Tom DeLonge to get together and remember what rock ‘n’ roll is all about: a few friends hanging out, having a few laughs and kicking out the jams.
Hoppus has luckily made a full recovery, and the band was able to move on from whatever caused tension in the past and embrace their future together with a new tour and new songs.
With openers Turnstile and KennyHoopla at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena proving that new rock bands are vibrant and packed full of power, the crowd was primed with anticipation for the high energy pop-punk. The audience was littered with millennials who (like me) probably had blink-182 CDs in their walkmen players while roaming the school hallways in the late 90s / early 00s (man… those things always skipped).
The night was full of singalong after singalong. The arena walls echoed iconic lines like “Work Sucks!” and “Where Are Youuu? And I’m Soooo Sorry” as fans joyously belted along. Their songs feature a fullness and steady groove thanks to Hoppus and Barker (who is still a monster on the drums), with a fury of DeLonge’s power chords and many hooky guitar parts (see “What’s My Age Again?”, “Dammit”, “Dumpweed”).
Sure, the show featured lots of on-stage banter and dumb jokes between Hoppus and DeLonge, which has always been a staple of blink’s live shows and part of their appeal in keeping the vibe light and fun. But before performing “Adam’s Song”, Hoppus was completely sincere and spoke of his appreciation of the fans and his band. It was easily the most powerful and poignant moment of the night.
Thank you, blink-182. I felt like I was a teenager again, in the best way possible. What’s my age again?
