You might think the time apart has matured the dynamic duo of stage banter, but Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge, alongside Travis Barker, gave us exactly what we were looking for from their reunion show at UBS Arena; all our favorite songs and enough “your mom” jokes to make up for the missing years.
I’ve seen blink-182 the way people see Phish – I started at way too young of an age and I’ve been to more shows than I can count at this point, but there’s a noticeable difference between this tour and any other I’ve seen. Yes, they are the same goofy men playing “crappy punk rock” they’ve always been, but there’s a very open gratefulness and understanding that, for many reasons, we all might not have been in the same room again. Peppered in between giant inflatable bunnies and sperm confetti are quick, but powerful moments from Mark, Tom & Travis alongside graphics flashing through old tour footage. There’s a lot of room for something like this to feel like a nostalgia grab, but I’d say they’ve found the balance between acknowledging the way things were and how they’ve developed along with the fans. Kicking off the show with hits like “Anthem Part Two,” “The Rock Show” and “Family Reunion,” blink-182 reminds us why they’re back in arenas, and bringing along a newer powerhouse act like Turnstile shows that they’ve stayed in the know as artists and fans themselves.
I’m thrilled to add this show to my list (alongside the three other times I’ll see them this run, but who’s counting). Check out some highlights from the show below:
