Happy 182 Day ( July 1) to those who celebrate.
As the band is currently on its massive 2023-2024 world tour, a tour that the band has described as about “healing” post -Mark Hoppus cancer battle , and the return of Tom DeLonge, the shows have gotten rave reviews from fans and have sold out arenas and stadiums all over the world. You couldn’t think of a better opening song for a tour like this, and with the current state of the world in turmoil than “Anthem Part 2.” I decided to go back in time and remember and rank the top blink shows I’ve attended /covered as a music journalist at Hearst Media, and as a fan from over 20 years’ worth of shows. The ranking is based upon stories associated with the show, setlist, and overall memories.
If this invokes nostalgia, please check out my book “Hey Suburbia: A guide to the emo/pop-punk rise,” which includes interviews I’ve done with Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, Matt Skiba and other similar acts like New Found Glory, the Descendents, Taking Back Sunday, Good Charlotte, and more.
5. Musink Costa Mesa, California March 22 2015
This was the first “big” show with Matt Skiba( the trio played a couple of warm-up gigs in Los Angeles at The Roxy prior), and at the Travis Barker curated tattoo and music festival Musink. This show was also on my birthday, and I traveled to California and met up with two other friends from Houston, Zach and Jamie.
Seeing blink in its home state is something every fan should try to do at some point, as the SoCal weather and vibes always elevate the experience. This was one of the first times I covered a show out-of-state, but I fronted my own travel expenses to do so. Before blink’s set, we were in the VIP viewing area, and Mark Hoppus was walking by. He stopped by to take a photo and wished me a happy birthday.
So, how did blink-182 with Matt Skiba sound? The set opened with “Feeling This” and sounded great. “Going Away To College,” “Carousel,” “Easy Target,” “Reckless Abandon,” and others all were highlights from this historic show.
Other notable highlights 1. As soon as I got off the plane, I knew it was going to be a great time, as I ran into and talked to Bad Religion’s Brian Baker who was playing the festival that night.
2.As we went into the venue, we then ran into H20’s Toby Morse- a friend of the band, and front man of one of the best hard core acts.
4. Enema of the State 20-year anniversary show July 31,2019 The Woodlands, Texas
Album anniversary shows are somewhat of novelty, but a smart move for bands and a chance for fans to relive special albums, and this tour was celebrating a special album- the breakout “Enema of the State.” This was one of the better tours of the Matt Skiba-era, as Tom DeLonge was still away from the band working on To The Stars related projects.
It was an interesting time since blink was doing this anniversary tour and never properly got to tour the album they just put out “Nine,” since the Covid-19 pandemic would shut everything down just months after this trek.The band also tapped hip-hop star Lil’ Wayne and U.K. pop-punkers Neck Deep as support, which made for a diverse, yet somewhat divisive lineup on some message boards. The show itself was great- Lil Wayne delivered as he always does complete with a full band. The night was all about nostalgia as blink celebrated a special album by playing ‘Enema in full and time (the 1999 punk rock scene). The acoustic set with “Down” and “Wasting Time” ( the night’s deepest cut) was memorable.
Pre-show: Blink soundcheck to “Man Overboard” and “Aliens Exist,” which included Travis Barker adding a new variation to the bridge. Also, at the VIP meet and greet my wife and I were able to tell Skiba that our wedding song was Alkaline Trio’s “Everything Thug Needs A Lady,” which Mark Hoppus found particularly cool.
3. X-Games Austin, Texas June 4, 2016
Punk rock and skateboarding have always gone together perfectly like the Tony Hawk video game soundtracks and the Warped Tour, so it was fitting blink-182 finally played the action sports olympics known as X-Games.
The show itself was my favorite of the Matt Skiba era with a setlist that included songs perfect for a skating event like “Josie,” “The Rock Show,” “Carousel,” and even featured “Not Now” for the first time with this incarnation of the band.
Career highlight: I’ve interviewed all members of blink-182 before, but this was the first time that I got to sit down and interview all 3 at the same time prior to their performance. This was right before “California” came out, and the band was riding the momentum of the arena-sized single “Bored To Death.”
2.Wine Amplified, Las Vegas, Nevada October 11, 2014
Attending shows as a fan, and not having to “work” them is nice, but this trip was special for other reasons.
I decided to go at the last minute, as my friend Zach and Jamie were already there and said I could crash at their hotel with them. I booked a flight and got my tickets pretty close to the show. There was a snow storm that threatened my flight, but I was able to be switched to fly to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then I would fly out first thing Saturday morning from there to Las Vegas. The airlines scored a W here, as they bumped me up to first class, and paid for my hotel stay. On barley any sleep, I arrived in Las Vegas early in the morning and headed to the mall to a Travis Barker event where he was giving out Famous swag, taking photos, signing, and talking to attendees. I got there just in time with my suitcase still in hand. Barker was really personable and relayed to us that he was bummed that a festival blink that was supposed to be playing in Houston was canceled. After that, I went with a fan I met inline, as she got tattooed by Mike from TSOL. The whirlwind day continued, as Zach and Jamie and I went to dinner and then the show, which was a really nice festival on the Las Vegas strip that included wine tasting tickets with entry, and beautiful weather.
This may be my favorite blink setlist ever, as “Dogs Eating Dogs” even made the set. Oh, this was also Tom DeLonge’s last show with the band. He would be replaced by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, before the band officially announced DeLonge ’s return 9 years later on…October 11.
Spooky October Misfits connections: My hotel room in Salt Lake City was room “138.” Travis Barker was giving out his Famous Stars and Straps Misfits collab stickers at his signing event. Blink-182 performed its awesome cover of the Misfits “Hybrid Moments” that night- one of the few times they ever played it.
1.Honda Civic Tour Sept.26, 2011 with My Chemical Romance and Matt and Kim -The Woodlands, Texas
The Honda Civic Tour celebrated its 10-year anniversary with blink, as they were the first band to do the inaugural run that in 2001 was centered around blink and revolving door of pop-punk upstarts like Sum 41, Alkaline Trio, The Ataris and others. In 2011, the lineup was as solid as ever as blink was touring off “Neighborhoods” and was supported by My Chemical Romance, an emo act that was emerging as one of the biggest names in rock music, and Matt and Kim- an infectious indie-dance duo.
Why is this No.1? It is hard to pinpoint an exact reason, but there was an intangible quality about this night. The “Neighborhoods” era was one of my favorites (hot take!), and this show really pulled from all eras with “Josie,” “Dumpweed,” and “Dammit” as obvious standouts.
Good time, good cause: Before the show, I took part in the Macbeth Footwear sponsored “Boomer Loves Boobies” event, which was a Tom DeLonge meet and greet that featured a personalized lithograph, photo with DeLonge, and the proceeds (I believe this was $100, which was unheard of at its time for a concert upgrade) went to cancer research.
By MIKE DAMANTE
If you are a fan of pop-punk, Mike Damante’s latest book “Hey Suburbia: A guide to the emo/pop-punk rise” is out now, and features interviews with blink-182, New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio, Descendents, and others.