By Hannah Gordon
Training Editor
On its first tour without its original front man, Blink-182 didn’t disappoint.
After Tom DeLonge’s January announcement of parting ways with Blink, Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio stepped in. DeLonge complemented bassist Mark Hoppus for over 20 years with on-stage antics, and many didn’t believe the trio would ever truly be Blink-182 again. Despite the doubts of fans, Skiba shattered expectations. Coming from a band with a similar punk-rock flair to Blink, his vocals and guitar slid right into the empty space DeLonge left on California, Blink’s July album release.
The band played only seven songs from the new album and, to my surprise, filled most of its set with old fan favorites and a few deep cuts. While Skiba brings his own vocal style to California, if you closed your eyes during the “Tom songs,” you could barely tell the difference between the two.
The familiar banter between longtime friends DeLonge and Hoppus was missed, but it may be better this way. On its last tour, DeLonge seemed disinterested in pulling crude jokes; he was too serious for the silly punk-rock band.
Contrary to my predication, Blink didn’t begin nor end the show with a California song. “Feeling This” came first, then they jumped right into the well-known “What’s My Age Again.” Its set ended with the California hit “Los Angeles,” but its encore ended with the Dude Ranch classic “Dammit.”
Midway through its set, drummer Travis Barker began his solo. It wasn’t the typical Barker solo fans expect with the drummer wowing the audience embellishing and improving pre-recorded rap beats. Barker played a bit, then brought out his son Landon who took over. You know you—and your punk-rock idol—are getting old when his 12-year-old son can rock a packed Darien Lake amphitheater. It was impressive and heartwarming for fans who have watched Landon and his sister Alabama grow up in the semi-spotlight under their superstar father.
Blink shared the stage with A Day to Remember and All Time Low. Both put on good sets. A Day to Remember pulled more crowd appreciation, but neither outdid Blink. They played solid sets, warmed up the crowd and got off the stage—which is exactly what you want an opener to do.
I walked into the show expecting to have fun after quelling my initial doubts of Skiba. I left ecstatic that I went and mad at myself for ever doubting Blink’s abilities to put on a fantastic show. It’s no longer the Mark, Tom and Travis show, but the Mark, Matt and Travis show seems to be headed in the right direction.
gordonhr13@bonaventure.edu
