Blink-182’s California Tour Review
September 1, 2016
The famous pop-punk trio known as Blink-182 returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the first time since 2002. The band brought their California Tour to Van Andel Arena on August 31, 2016.
But there was one thing missing that night.
Tom DeLonge, a founding member of the band, called it quits last January due to wanting to expand his horizons. DeLonge is currently involved in a production company, writing, animation, and his other band, Angels & Airwaves. Matt Skiba, Alkaline Trio’s vocalist, is taking his place in Blink. Fans have welcomed Skiba with open arms, but some still complain that the band “isn’t Blink-182 without DeLonge.” Mark Hoppus, who is now the only remaining original member of the band, is happy to have Skiba on board. The trio released their new album, California, on July 1st, which is the first album not featuring DeLonge. The album returns to some of the band’s roots, including a couple joke songs (which is what the band is known for). To promote the album, Blink-182 decided to go on a tour across North America.
This stop (Van Andel Arena) was added due to the band selling out at DTE Energy Music Theater in Detroit the night before. Even though Van Andel Arena didn’t sell out, Grand Rapids was ready to experience Blink. Anticipated fans were lined up outside the venue hours before the show even started.
Once everyone piled into the venue, DJ Spider got the crowd excited for the opening bands. After that, All Time Low hit the stage. Their set was very fun and energetic. They even took the time to slow things down with an acoustic song. All Time Low suggests what young Blink-182 was like, calling each other names and yelling out jokes in between songs. Next up was metalcore band, A Day To Remember, which is a total turn around from the pop-punk theme. The crowd was really excited for this performance. Jeremy McKinnon, the vocalist of the band, was jumping all around the stage and interacting with the audience. Giant beach balls were even thrown around while the band entertained the fans.
Last, but not least, Blink-182 took the stage at about 9:30. Matt Skiba started playing the beginning riff to one of the band’s popular songs, “Feeling This,” before the curtain fell to reveal the band and the stunning graphics behind them. Pyrotechnics were also behind the band’s drummer, Travis Barker. The group then immediately transitioned into their biggest hit, “What’s My Age Again?”
Hoppus continued to introduce every song. There wasn’t much interaction onstage between the members, unlike what has been seen in past years. The audience did get a chance to play “Sing-A-Long with Matt”. The game led into a fan favorite, “Reckless Abandon”. The band even played an entire song in the dark with only ten thousand cellphone lights to illuminate the venue. Later on in the set, they treated fans to “Man Overboard,” which they haven’t played at all while on tour this year. They played a variety of their songs from 1994 to 2016. This provided an explanation to how the band has matured over the years, but are still the same deep down.
The most beautiful thing that night was that a room full of people of all different ages were singing along to every song. Blink-182 has stuck around since 1992, which is longer than some listeners have even been alive. It is so assuring to know that this band is still cherished by many, even after 24 years.
