Blink-182 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater

Blink-182 California Tour
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Wantagh, New York
August 13, 2016


On the hottest day of 2016 so far, with temps that felt like 110 degrees, Blink-182's California Tour rock and rolled into the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY. While the breeze helped provide some relief for the crowd at this sold out show, the palpable energy of the acts onstage and enthusiastic fans could have easily been harnessed for raw power.


First to play was All Time Low, who formed in 2003 in Towson, Maryland. Front man and lead singer Alex Gaskarth and company had a hearty show of support at the show, cultivating their fan base through years of headlining tours as well as making the festival circuit. Guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zach Merrick and drummer Rian Dawson were in fine form on hits like "Lost in Stereo," "Something's Gotta Give," "Backseat" and "Kids in the Dark." Their 45 minute set went by quickly.


Unlike road shows that pair up supporting bands who don't necessarily share a fan base, the California Tour brought together acts that share rabid fans. It was hard to find a person wandering the courtyard of the venue who was not wearing a well-worn shirt from one of the bands represented that night. When A Day to Remember came out for their 45 minute slot, the audience was ready. Colorful large and small inflated beach balls were tossed over the heads of the crowd by crew members as the set started. A large number of security guards were planted in front of the stage to catch crowd surfers before they hit the photo pit and subsequently the stage and they had their work cut out for them. Greeting the arena with the 2001: A Space Odyssey Theme, ADTR was ready for action. Singer Jeremy McKinnon positively shined on "The Downfall of Us All," "It's Complicated," "Right Back at it Again" and "Paranoia." While guitarist Neil Westfall, bassist Joshua Woodard, drummer Alex Shelnutt and lead guitarist Kevin Skaff capably charged through the set list, McKinnon engaged with the audience and photographers on site, fist bumping crowd surfers as they were deposited near the front of the stage.


At 9:30, after a short break to set the stage for Blink-182, a tall black curtain shrouded the stage, providing extra drama and theatricality. The general admission pit buzzed and fans stood in the aisles from the orchestra seats straight up to the nosebleed seats in anticipation. The curtain withdrew to reveal a flaming sign at the back of the stage as well as let out the first notes of "Feeling This, "met with raucous cheers and screams of delight.


Formed in 1992 in Poway, California, Blink-182 has undergone some changes in their history. The original trio consisted of Tom DeLonge on guitar and vocals, Mark Hoppus on bass and vocals and drummer Scott Raynor. Their humorous lyrics, on-stage antics and good looks propelled them from local pop punk favorites, signed by indie label Cargo Records in 1995, to being signed by MCA Records in 1996. They played small venues, then became favorites on the festival circuit, with their fan base expanding thanks to exposure on the Warped Tour and other festivals. Originally called just Blink, they were compelled to change it when an Irish band by the same name came forward, so they picked the random numbers 182 to add to it. In mid-1998, Hoppus and DeLonge fired Raynor because of his drinking. Travis Barker seamlessly joined the band and the trio skyrocketed to higher fame thanks to their tongue in cheek videos and exposure on MTV.


In 2005, the band took at indefinite hiatus which resulted in Hoppus and Barker working on their own project called +44. DeLonge created a new project called Angels & Airwaves and revealed his addiction to painkillers. Barker and his wife, former Miss USA Shanna Moakler starred in the MTV reality series, Meet the Barkers as well as his collaboration TRV$DJAM with his friend DJ AM (Adam Goldstein).


It took a tragedy to reunite Blink-182 in 2008. After a TRV$DJAM event, the private plane Barker was in crashed upon take off outside of Columbia, South Carolina. Barker and DJ AM were the only survivors. Four people were killed and Barker suffered second and third degree burns that resulted in sixteen surgeries. Hoppus rushed to Barker's side as soon as he heard about the crash and DeLonge, distraught, wrote Barker a letter and sent photos. After the three met up in the hospital, they reunited and continued to create and tour until mid-2014 when Tom DeLonge exited the band. In March of 2015, Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio filled in for DeLonge on the guitar and in July of 2016, the new iteration of Blink-182 released California (BMG Records, 2016) with Skiba securing official band member status.


Fans were curious. How would Skiba, a talented musician in his own right, fare live with Blink-182? Team Hoppus fans seemed to support the new version of the band but could Skiba win over Team DeLonge fans? That remained to be seen.


As Hoppus took his usual place on the left of the stage, Skiba commandeered stage right and Barker reigned supreme on a riser smack in the middle, toward the back. From a fire engulfed sign, to enormous video screens that portrayed imagery from the new album, CO2 eruptions, laser lights and confetti cannons, there was nothing about this set that was lacking in enthusiasm or creativity. Shining a spotlight on both new material as well as the classic hits that people were clamoring for, the band added a touch of humor thanks to songs like "Built This Pool," "Family Reunion" and "Happy Holidays, You Bastard."


With Hoppus on vocals for the first few numbers including "What's My Age Again?" and "The Rock Show" it sounded like a Blink-182 show in every sense. The new songs from California held their own and the crowd sang along to "Bored to Death," "Kings of the Weekend" and "Cynical." Watching Barker, especially on the new songs, is a joy. He is a complete powerhouse on the drums, truly in a league of his own. He's a machine and a hypnotic force to watch live. He commands attention and he gets it.


Hoppus led the charge, holding down the position of MC for the evening's antics, a natural position and one he has grown into comfortably. Skiba, extremely competent on the guitar and with stronger vocals than DeLonge, was quieter in his interaction with the crowd and stayed to his position more than Hoppus, who frequently traveled around the stage. The over the top jokes that DeLonge specialized in were missing but the pacing of the show was much more fluid and fast paced. Surprises like "Violence" and "Reckless Abandon" were well received. "Down," "First Date," "I Miss You" and "The Only Thing That Matters" rounded out a well-constructed set and a notably more polished sound, thanks to the new combination of musicians.


The encore, some 60 minutes later was a mix of new and old with "Los Angeles," "All The Small Things," "Brohemian Rhapsody," and their classic "Dammit" which prominently features the line "Well, I guess this is growing up." They may not have completely grown up, but they have evolved and Blink-182 fans benefit from those growing pains.


Additional article contributions: Mike Perciaccante

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