There was a time when a person was hard-pressed to go anywhere without hearing something by Blink-182. Easily one of the biggest and most influential punk rock bands at the start of the new millennium, it seemed there was nowhere to go for the young band but up.
It came as a sudden shock then when the band decided to break up in 2005. When the announcement was made in early 2009 that Blink-182 would be reuniting, the news immediately swept the nation. But even though it had only been four years since the band’s break up, the question still remained: Can they still put on the same show at their age?
On the band’s comeback tour, it seems this question has been answered with extremely satisfying results. Sunday night at Fiddler’s Green, Blink-182 managed to put on one of the most entertaining shows in recent memory. With a set list compiling nearly all of their biggest hits over their original 13-year run, the show lasted almost two hours. What seems most amazing of all is that over this large span of time there was never a slow moment.
Band members Tom DeLonge on guitar and Mark Hoppus on bass brought the same passion to the vocals as they always had before. They even appeared to have fun doing it, often changing up the lyrics slightly to make them more comedic. The two were always full of energy, consistently moving around the stage and dancing around while playing their instruments. It was easy to tell the pair loves what they do, as there were always smiles on their faces.
Of course drummer Travis Barker managed to continuously steal the show. Doing what he does best, Barker consistently astounded the audience with his talent and with what many consider the best drum skills currently in the music industry.
Fiddler’s Green was packed wall-to-wall with people, completely selling out the venue. Seeing a band manage to get the range of emotion they did out of the audience was simply a breathtaking experience. The entire amphitheater was on its feet the whole time, moving, dancing and singing to every song.
Quite often the band played to the audience, getting them to clap along and wave their arms throughout the show. Shout-outs to Colorado and its citizens were in abundance, with comments ranging from simple praise, to fantasies involving former Broncos quarterback, John Elway.
After the show, an encore was immediately demanded. Barker came out playing his own remixes of songs on the drums white sitting on a platform that hovered and rotated a dozen feet off the ground.
The band finished off with one of their biggest hits, “Dammit.”
The concert appeared to be one of the most entertaining spectacles seen and heard in years. Blink-182 not only proved they still had all the old energy from before, but also demonstrated they still have plenty more music to show the world before they close the curtain for the final time.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ryan Brooks at ryan.j.brooks@colorado.edu
