Blink 182-Nikon Amphitheater at Jones Beach. Wantagh, New York 08.25.09
Posted by Leo Rivera on 09.05.2009
After a four year hiatus and the near death of their drummer, Blink-182 returns to the stage better than ever.
During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Blink-182 were the undisputed kings of pop-punk. Leaders of the new school, that took the traditional ethos of punk to unparalleled heights of tongue and cheek. Hits like “What’s My Age Again” were accompanied by a video that showed the trio rummaging the streets stark naked in broad daylight. Other songs like “Man Overboard”, “All the Small Things” and “Dammit (growing up)” became staples of college movies like American Pie, solidifying Blink as the ultimate party band.
As Blink 182’s career progressed, they began to show signs they began to show signs of public awareness, emotional sensitivity and (gasp) maturity! Songs like “Adams Song” and “Stay Together for the Kids” proved that they were capable of dishing out meaningful songs that struck a chord with disenfranchised youth. They’re last studio effort (self titled) before their hiatus was easily the bands most mature, both in musical arrangements and lyrical content.
Unlike many top bands that overstay their welcome to the point of self-parody, Blink 182 left at the top of their game. So would they ever re-unite? If so, would they still be as good as they were in 2005? Would they still be relevant? Well those questions were answered on August, 25th 2009 to over 13,000 fans at the sold out Nikon Amphitheater at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York.
A mixed crowd of teenagers (probably at their first ever live concert) and veteran pop-punk rockers (the kid’s older brother) packed the amphitheater to witness history. This was not just any concert, oh no, this was the re-union concert that one year ago many thought was impossible. Four years ago the band took an indefinite hiatus and during that time Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker, and Tom Delonge had been busy with other bands and projects. Travis Barker even had a reality show and collaborated with a slew of hip hop artists, while Hoppus produced bands and played with Travis in Plus 44. Delonge in the mean time was the rebel who completely left his band mates to start the moody Emo band Angles and Airwaves, it looked as ever one was too busy and Blink 182 had become a distant memory.
Everything changed in September 2008, when Travis Barker was in a fatal plane crash that killed ¾ of the passengers leaving only him and good friend DJ AM (R.I.P.), sole survivors. Barker suffered third and fourth degree burns to his torso and lower body, many thought his critically acclaimed drum career was over, but they wrote him off early. With the surprising encouragement of his former band mate Tom Delone, Travis Barker was eventually able to return to drumming but not alone, this time his brothers from Blink were coming along for the ride!
After being warmed up by veteran light rockers Weezer and Taking Back Sunday the mixed crowd at Jones Beach were roaring to go. Just before 10 pm, the moment had finally arrived! Blink 182 triumphantly hit the stage like a trio of degenerates at their high school reunion. They immediately went into “Dumpweed” which is an appropriate re-introduction song, given that it was the first song of the bands breakthrough album Enema of the State.
If you were wondering if the Blink boys had grown up during their hiatus, Tom Delonge answered that with an emphatic NO! In between songs he chimed in with his now notorious profanity laced diatribes. Randomly screaming “Fuck, fucking fucker” for no other reason other than because he can. They followed up with familiar songs like “Feeling This”, “The Rock Show”, “Easy Target” and “What’s My Age Again” and at this point the crowd had been whipped into a frenzy, and it was easy to see that despite the long layoff, Blink were in top form as if they never missed a beat.
They slowed down the pace at the perfect time with the gloomy ballad “I Miss You” and then the classic power ballad “Stay Together for the Kids.”
Blink 182’s set list was perfectly crafted starting off with the familiar bang before slowing things down and then slowly building back up into a crescendo with “Stockholm Syndrome” were Travis Barker was able to let loose on the drums, banging on the drum heads like they owed him money. Blink even gave a nod to their old school fans by playing early underground hits like “Not Now” and “Josie.” They then injected “All the Small Things” and “Adams Song” into the set so as not to lose the fan who is only familiar with the mainstream hits.
By the time Blink got “Anthem Part Two” Travis Barker had hit a blistering pace and you knew that something had to give, and boy did it ever. Towards the end of the rampaging song, Barkers drum riser (which was shaped like a giant turn table) began to levitate high into the air. Dramatically rising like a modern day Tommy Lee Barker began to destroy his drum kit with primal rage that has no doubt been holed up inside of him since his near death experience. Banging to a hip hop track while spinning around in the air, you would never know by seeing him that just one year ago Travis Barker was expected to never play drums again.
Following Barkers show stopping performance Hoppus and Delonge returned for an encore to bang out on their classic rebel anthem “Dammit (Growing Up), a fitting end to a memorable night.
The 411: After witnessing the awesomeness that is Blink-182 live, I have come to the conclusion that the rock world needs Blink 182, now more than ever. Since they left the scene in 2005, whiney teen emo-bands like Fall Out Boy were left to fill a huge void and failed miserably at doing so. Blink 182 were able to make being goofy cool, and their degenerate attitude was arguably the blue print for the pop-cultural phenomenon that was Jackass and Viva La Bam and even Punk’d. In many ways Blink 182 were the voice of a generation and judging by the sold out crowd at Jones Beach, that generation is still alive and kicking. And after this triumphant show, so is Blink 182.
