Blink-182 got the band back together and the reunited original trio of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker sold out Desert Diamond Arena this week. The irreverent rockers might be well into their dad eras but there was still plenty of crude humor mixed in with the sentimentality on Tuesday night.
The One More Time Tour is on the road this summer in support of the band’s latest album of the same name and the band delivered true arena-level production with their circular spinning stage, delivering a 360 degree experience for the entire venue. The set started strong with “Feeling This” and “The Rock Show” to really get the nostalgia flowing for an audience teeming with millennials in merch from many tours past.
From there, the stage started its first of several rotations and every section of the crowd got the perfect view of the band as they worked through “Aliens Exist”- complete with DeLonge in his UFOs Are Real shirt- and set off fireworks for “Bored To Death”. The production for this tour is stunning with columns of flame leaping from the floor, confetti launched at intervals and even a laser light show across the length of the venue.
Blink-182 has also been sneaking in a surprise song each night of this run and Arizona was treated to a special performance of “Carousel” and “Not Now” to the delight of old school fans in the building. Naturally the audience drowned out DeLonge’s iconic vocals on “I Miss You”, putting a huge grin on the faces of the band. Midway through the show, Barker was hoisted several feet above the stage on a rotating platform from which his drum solos were all the more awe-inspiring and he stayed long enough for the whole house to get a good look at the setup.
DeLonge and Hoppus have both embarked on various solo endeavors over the years and each played a song from +44 and Box Car Racer respectively. Barker then took the spotlight on vocals for the blink and you miss it “Fuck Face” interlude. As always, Hoppus and DeLonge bantered back and forth, getting the audience involved in their jokes like no time has passed since they’ve shared a stage.
Fans of every age lost their minds at the last part of the set, jumping raucously for “What’s My Age Again” and “First Date” and there’s no doubt that Blink-182 understands their crowd. They closed out with “All the Small Things” and “Dammit”, showering the crowd in a hail of sperm-shaped confetti before launching right into the “encore” of “One More Time”.
While Blink-182 has now been around long enough to grab at nostalgia, their continuous creative efforts as a group keep them firmly planted outside the realm of only staying together for the kids. Now that the trio has seemingly permanently reunited, fans have been assured that this staple band will continue to provide the soundtrack for not only themselves, but for the next generation of fans joining this wild and crazy rock show.
