 "Photo: courtesy of htzfm.com")
All it took was a naked jog down the street. After that moment, the guys of Blink-182 were in the hearts and on the lips of teens across America. Whether it was their boyish charms or their crude, “suck it”-attitude, it’s hard to say. Regardless, the video for “What’s My Age Again?” became an anthem, and their image became a music industry phenomenon. In the years of boy band-goody-two-shoes, Blink was consistent with releasing fun songs that were also representative of a new era of punk.
After six solid years of mainstream success, Blink went on an “indefinite hiatus” to explore new projects. Apparently Mark Hoppus (bass), Tom DeLonge (guitar) and Travis Barker (drums) didn’t receive a fraction of satisfaction, because this summer the guys went back to their traditional antics with a comeback tour. To add to this historic moment, Blink brought along alternative gurus Weezer, Taking Back Sunday and Trouble Andrew for a night of rude mayhem Aug. 26 at PNC Bank Arts Center.
Despite the half-empty and equally chatty crowd, Trouble Andrew did their best to trudge through their set. What their Myspace page explains as Punk/Crunk/Surf, their music is…exactly that. It was fun and danceable, but contained a fair amount of modern edge. By the time their set was through, their music and charisma won over the anxious crowd. Next, Taking Back Sunday took the stage showcasing their usual hits. “Tell All Your Friends” and “Make Damn Sure” were the highlights, with the audience screaming and sometimes finger-pointing along with rage. Although the band’s instrumentation and vocal balance was strangely solid (TBS is not known for top-notch live performances), it was lead singer Adam Lazzara’s cocky ramblings that left a bad taste in my mouth.
Weezer took the stage following an instructional-style video created by the band about New Jersey. Completely gimmicky and completely hilarious. They had complete seniority over Trouble Andrew and Taking Back Sunday, but their humor and overall entertainment value trumped both. Rushing the stage in matching velour jumpsuits, they opened with a stellar version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” The bar set by the opening number never fell as the California natives played the best of their discography. “Undone…,” “Say It Ain’t So,” “Hash Pipe” and “Buddy Holly,” just to name a few. They also previewed the dangerously catchy “…I Want You To,” from their new album Raditude. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo spastically shimmied across the stage and interacted with the audience, looking suspiciously identical to 80s film star Rick Moranis. What was most heartening, though, is that as Cuomo hammed it up, the rest of the band looked like they were having a blast performing, their energy oozing into the crowd like a virus.
After a set change that seemed to last an eternity, Blink-182 finally showed skeptics and hopeful fans what they had in them. The variety was there. “Dumpweed,” “What’s My Age Again,” “Always,” “Adam’s Song,” “Josie” and “Dammit” were among the overwhelming hour-plus set of pure nostalgia. Barker was on his A-game, as always. He played with vigor, including a breath-taking solo on a rotating drum set. For a comeback tour, they did incredibly with staying in tune, both literally and figuratively. Besides a few shaky moments, DeLonge and Hoppus sang their harmonies rather well and showed in their body language that they were back to the friends they were. Although DeLonge displayed his juvenile side proudly, asking audience members if they had hot dads and giving his fair share of vulgarity, Hoppus seemed somewhat reserved. Rather, he seemed more determined and focused to play a good set than to have fun.
While it was good to see Blink-182, reconciled and eager to get back in the game, there was something missing. Sure, the love was there. They obviously respect each other as musicians and, thankfully, as friends. However, there is a small detail that is acting as the giant elephant in the room. The guys of Blink-182 are, indeed, men. They may try to bring back the penis jokes with full force, but it seems that one of them will always be coasting behind, wondering if it’s completely necessary. But I will say, it felt good to go back to the mindset of my teenage self, listening giddily to music that adults of yester-year deemed “immature” and “inappropriate.” It felt real good.
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