Blink-182 at Musink

Musink. The 8th annual music and tattoo festival was hosted by Travis Barker and featured bands like Rancid, Bad Religion and blink-182. It was a three day event lasting from March 20-22. I had the pleasure of seeing my favorite band, blink-182, at the festival for the second time that week (I also saw them at The Roxy which I blogged about in my last post). Not only did I see my favorite band, but I got my first tattoo! It's on my left wrist and it's the album art from blink's self-titled album. I was tattooed by Baba from Vintage Tattoo who did an amazing job. I'm truly in love with how it looks. How many people can say they got a blink tattoo at a festival that blink played at?

Let's make this last forever

The setlist for Musink was very similar to the setlists from the previous shows that week in Hollywood and San Diego. Restrained by a strict hour and fifteen minute stage time, blink played fast without making the night seemed rushed. Mark sported a bass named the "Bassola" which was designed by Greg "Craola" Simkins and is currently being auctioned off here to raise money for cystic fibrosis. Travis played on a tall platform for everyone inside The Hangar to admire. Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio filled in for Tom DeLonge, and while he added his own character to the band that people weren't used to, he helped make the night special to everyone who attended.

That night was Travis Barker's night. He hosted this entire festival which was filled with everything he loved: punk music, tattoos and old cars. Travis began his night by playing a 45 minute set with Yelawolf, a rapper from Alabama and close friend of Travis'. He then continued to play flawlessly for a little over an hour with blink-182. Seeing Travis play in person cannot be compared to anything else. It's easy to get lost in watching his technique and admiring his focus. It's great to see his kids air drum beside him and cheer him on.

The biggest question everyone was asking was how would Matt Skiba do filling in for Tom? He did amazing, and he did amazing for many reasons. One of the most important reasons, that I also mentioned in my review of the show at The Roxy, is that Matt did not try to be or act like he was replacing Tom. His voice was louder than it was at The Roxy and stronger than at both warm up shows. It was great to notice and visibly see him become more comfortable on stage. Since he is already a popular musician in his own band, he has his own way of performing on stage that he brought to blink. His vocal and guitar sound were neat and professional, but it was also obvious that he was having fun. The crowd gave him a warm welcome with a Skiba chant that made me happy, so I can only imagine what it made Matt feel. As I also mentioned before, there were many people sporting the Famous/Matt Skiba collab shirt that said "Who the fuck is Matt Skiba?" across the front. Some performers from the previous night were also wearing it! There was no awkwardness or tension with Matt being on stage because he put on an amazing, memorable show and that is all a fan could ask for.

Blink-182 are definitely at their best when they have big stage. I'm not saying they are bad at a small stage like at The Roxy, but they definitely seem to have more fun since they have more space to run around. Alright, I'm mostly just talking about Mark. He was all over the place that night, but it was great because the amount of fun he was having was could be seen on his face and how he played. Matt moved more than he did at the two previous shows which added even more energy to the stage.

Just as in the warm up shows, they played "Happy Holidays, You Bastard" with the lights off. I was so stunned by just how fast they played. Their strict time limit caused them to play a lot of the songs faster, but like I said, it never felt very rushed. They cut out both "Hearts All Gone" and "M & M's," but they did an impressive total of 22 songs. The songs that really stood out from all the others were "Always," "Dysentery Gary" and "Man Overboard."

I noticed at The Roxy that Matt added his own little touches to "Always," but they were even more noticeable at Musink. This is one of the songs that Matt impressed me the most. Matt also made the guitar at the end of "First Date" sound differently from what I'm used to. I'm not sure if it was how the song was supposed to be played or if it was just how Matt played it. Something that I have seen a lot of people say and I agree with is that one of the best things about Matt's performance is that we were actually able to hear what he was saying compared to when Tom performs live. So maybe that's why the guitar may sound different/clearer, because Matt takes the time to play it has accurately as it is supposed to sound. I know that Tom has the capability of playing like that, but it seems that over the years he doesn't put as much focus into how he performs. Following "First Date," Mark handed the mic to Travis who said hey to Musink. Travis is a man of many words.

In Mark's podcast where he interviewed Matt, Matt said that his favorite song to rehearse was "Dysentery Gary" and I don't think I have to guess why that is. The guitar in that song must be a fun challenge for any guitarist to learn and the song mostly features Tom's vocals. It's also quicker than most blink songs which makes it a great song to keep the audience and band energized.

Photo by Erik Voake

Blink skipped over the whole "okay this is our last song, just kidding, we have two more songs" trick in order to save time and be able to play their entire set. "Man Overboard" was a tough song to hear just like it was at The Roxy. It applies so well to the drama happening with Tom at the moment. Of course I missed seeing Tom on stage, but I'm not going to lie and say that Matt did a bad job like a lot of people are trying to convince themselves. Matt was without a doubt impressive on stage and he helped Mark and Travis put on an incredible show. All I know for sure is that I don't want blink to stop performing and touring, but I also want everyone to be happy with where they are.

It was obvious that something was wrong with Matt's guitar as they started "Reckless Abandon," and Mark even poked fun at it in the beginning of the song. However, Matt still played without pause even though his guitar was out of tune. He eventually switched out guitars near the end of the song, but I still find it fun to watch how bands handle little difficulties like that.

Blink ended the night with an encore, performing "Violence," "Dammit" and "Family Reunion." The confetti rained down on all the fans and Mark shouted "See you all next time!" Their energy never wavered throughout the entire night and it made me unbelievably happy to see all of them perform with such passion and smiles on their faces. I hope there will be many, many, many blink shows to follow this one.

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I'm still in shock that I was able to see these guys perform twice in less than one week. It's also very possible and most likely that Musink was Matt's final show filling in for Tom. The fans are left with many questions of what's next, but there hasn't been any concrete answers. In an interview at Musink, Travis said that blink wanted to record another album and there is a chance that they will go on tour with A Day To Remember who opened up for them during their warm up shows.

My blink tattoo :)

Matt Skiba will release his album "Kuts" under his band Matt Skiba and The Sekrets. In his interview with Mark, he talked about how Alkaline will be performing every single one of their eight studio albums in concert. They'll be touring starting at the end of April in cities like Cleveland, Boston, San Francisco, Santa Ana and other places then continue to do some shows in the UK during this summer. After seeing Matt live twice, I've been listening to a lot of Alkaline lately and they are a really talented band. I definitely suggest checking them out, especially their latest album "My Shame is True" and the album "From Here To Infirmary."

I'm going to wait for some definite blink news to be released, and then make a post about the recent drama and what may lay ahead.


Until next time,
Nikole

Blink-182 @ The Roxy

Six days ago. It has been six days since I attended the best concert of my entire life. I'm not even sure if I want to get into describing what an incredible show this was because there is no way I will do it justice. I'm going to try my best though...

On the morning of Monday, March 16, blink-182 surprised fans with news of a warm-up show to their warm-up show. Their announcement was that blink with Matt Skiba (better known for being in Alkaline Trio) filling in for guitarist/vocalist Tom Delonge are scheduled to play at West Hollywood's The Roxy. The Roxy is a small nightclub with a max capacity of 500 people. Long story short, I struggled and struggled until I somehow managed to get my hands on two tickets. I already planned to see my favorite band in the entire world at the Musink festival on the following Sunday and I had failed to get tickets for the San Diego show set for Friday. Now, my dad and I both owned two tickets to see the legendary blink-182 at a small nightclub.

My dad and I got to the venue a couple hours before the doors were supposed to open. I was speechless looking at just how small of a venue this was. The fact that I was going to see the world-famous blink-182 at this small place. The only merch was a blink shirt and poster that were drawn by artists specifically for this event. There was also another shirt that was a Famous brand/Matt Skiba collab that said across the front "Who the fuck is Matt Skiba?" It's great that the guys didn't have to be so serious and got to poke some fun at the situation.

A Day To Remember opened for blink-182 and there were quite a few times that I questioned my safety. It's hard to suffer through a very cramped space and people pushing you when you can't even sing along to the music you're hearing. They put on a good show, and the crowd's behavior was just as I expected. I'm sorry I'm going to skip over a review of ADTR's set, but I'm not too familiar with the band.

At around 9 p.m., the curtains were drawn and blink started to set up. There was only one person separating me and the stage (which by the way, was not blocked by any barricades - people were actually allowed to lean against the stage). I was right in front of Mark Hoppus's mic stand, literally less than a foot away from where he would soon be standing. 45 minutes later, the curtains were pulled back and the next two hours will continue to be one of the best experiences of my entire life...

Get ready for action.

Blink began the night with a song from their self-titled album, "Feeling This." I was surprised at first that they chose this to open with because it is so heavy with Tom's vocals so Matt was put to the test right away. The crowd mostly sung loud and strong during Tom's parts, but I was still able to hear Matt and I was impressed. He wasn't too loud, but I could tell that he felt comfortable on stage which was really important. His voice took on a little bit of Tom's recognizable and unique accent that he has when he sings. Mark had the energy of a teenager (despite being in his early 40s) and Travis banged those drums with so much noticeable focus and passion. I spend a lot of my time watching and rewatching blink performances on YouTube, and I'm telling you, after just hearing and seeing one song, this band had more energy than they have had in years.




After the third song, "The Rock Show," was one of my favorite parts. Mark introduces Matt to the crowd by calling him our "new mom," which Matt replies with "Hi, kids!" It was the first piece of dialogue in the night, even though it was short. I was hesitant about having Matt fill in for Tom, but seeing the energy he shared with Mark and Travis made me like him right away. Mark was already calling him our new mom!? There was very little dialogue in the show compared to every single other blink show, but it was understandable. It's difficult to recreate the kind of potty humor banter than Mark and Tom shared on stage.




Mark was extremely interactive with the crowd. He would lean into the sea of people and occasionally toss out a bass pick. After over 20 years of performing, Hoppus hasn't lost his hops. Mark would skip over to Matt's side of the stage and then hop back over to his, then sometimes he would stand on the raised platform where Travis was rocking out. The first time I saw blink was in 2011 for the Honda Civic Tour, and there is such a huge difference with seeing a musician be himself from a giant screen and seeing him right before your very eyes, barely a foot away from where you're standing. There wasn't a single moment when Mark didn't have this huge cheesy grin on his face. I can see why they didn't perform some of the sad, serious songs like "Adam's Song" and "Stay Together For The Kids" because they were genuinely having too much fun to be serious. With every move that they made, it was obvious that they were so ecstatic to be in front of a crowd and not in the rehearsal room.

The band played one song from Cheshire Cat, one song from Dude Ranch, four songs from Take Off Your Pants And Jacket, seven songs from Enema of the State, seven songs from Self-Titled and two songs from Neighborhoods. That's a total of 24 songs!! For the first time in over a decade, they performed "Wendy Clear" from Enema. It starts off with a great guitar riff and opens with vocals from Mark. Despite not playing the song for such a long time, they made performing the song look effortless, like it was second-nature to all of them. Major kudos to Matt because he admitted that he had to relearn the guitar in order to learn the songs for blink. A few songs before this one, the band played a song in the dark. It's one of the classic blink humor songs that every fan knows the words to. I'm talking about "Happy Holidays, You Bastard." I was surprised because not only did they play the song in the dark, but they played the song fast (despite there being only three chords in the song, it is still impressive).


Two of my favorite drumming songs were also played that night: "Always" and "Heart's All Gone." I absolutely have no clue how Travis does what he does. "He's a bad boy, but he's got a heart of gold," Mark told the crowd right before Travis began "Always." This song is really heavy with Tom vocals, but Matt did not disappoint. It was already noticeable that he was getting more comfortable with being on stage. He started to move around a bit, and the most important detail I loved about his performance was that he was not trying to be Tom. He didn't act like Tom (although his vocals contained some of that unique accent, but how do you sing a blink song without Tom's accent?). Matt even added some original harmonizing towards the end of the song which I thought was a nice touch. "Heart's All Gone" is an even more fantastic song to see what a beast Travis is. I didn't realize how special at the time it was to watch because it turns out that they only played this song for The Roxy. I couldn't take my eyes off him for the entire song. It blows my mind just how incredibly talented he is.


Watching them perform "Man Overboard" created a feeling like none of the other songs did. It's crazy to think about how Mark and Tom originally wrote this song for their first drummer, Scott Raynor, and it's weird to think how accurately it fits for Tom now. I'm going to save my opinion and a recap of the drama for another post, but I thought I would just include this now.


After performing "Reckless Abandon," the trio left for a short time while the crowd chanted "encore, encore, encore!" The came back to play two more songs, "Carousel" and "Dammit." By then the crowd was going absolutely crazy and people were crowd surfing left and right (and sometimes right above me). Their actual final song was "Family Reunion" which is another classic blink humor song that was responsible for teaching me every swear word and how to sing them (it's a detail that I know would make blink proud)! Confetti rained down over the crowd and the band and then they wished us a good night and left the stage. In a blink (ha-ha) of an eye, the show was over and it was time to go home. All I can say now is that I am truly honored to have been a part of that very small crowd that night and witness blink-182 featuring the wonderful Matt Skiba performing in a club.


In a small recap, I couldn't have imagined a better show. Blink performed songs that they haven't performed in years and they performed with such passionate energy that reminded me of why I love this band so much. I know that Tom wasn't there and now the fans are all asking "What's going to happen next??" but for the time being, it was great to see Matt take on the role and help his friends out. There might not have been a show without him. So thank you, Mark, Travis, and Matt for making the night of March 18 one of the best concerts ever.



Well, I guess this is growing up. 


Side note, I got to wave hello to the boys from 5 Seconds of Summer and meet Josh Dunn from twenty one pilots that night. It was no surprise that the club was crawling with famous musicians and celebrities. Basically, I was in a room that also held so many of my favorite people on this earth and I couldn't be happier.

I felt like that recap was all over the place, but I could honestly talk for hours and hours about that show so I wasn't sure where to start and where to end. If you didn't already know, I also attended the Musink festival and saw blink perform there on Sunday night. I'll be writing a post about that probably tomorrow. I also want to write an updated post about all the blink drama that has happened since January 26 so stay tuned for that as well.

Blink-182 is my favorite band in the entire world so I hope you enjoyed my wordy (and unorganized?) review. After this show, I actually slipped into a bit of a Tom depression. I've always been a huge huge fan of his and to not see him on stage that night was crushing. However, Matt was terrific and he grew on me pretty quickly.

Check out my instagram and twitter for more pictures of the show.


Until next time,
Nikole


P.S. I changed the url for my blog. It was previously givemeonegoodtune, but now it is himynameisnikole. I hope that isn't too confusing. :)

Sunday's Seven Songs (Week Two)

Happy first day of the month! First of all, I have to acknowledge that today was the Super Bowl. I'm not really a football fan, so I wasn't that passionate about who won or lost. Anyways, a big congrats to the New England Patriots. They came back from losing by 10 points in the fourth quarter so, needless to say, it was an exciting finish.

On Friday night I went to the Super Bowl party in downtown Phoenix where The Technicolors and Walk the Moon put on amazing performances. I've kind of been obsessed with The Technicolors this week. I recently discovered them and I am so happy I did because I enjoyed their show much more than I would have and I get to see them again on April 3 when they tour with The Maine! The music I listened to this week was also influenced by the Blink-182 drama that has been going on since Monday and has continued to escalate. I blogged about some of the situation in my last post but a lot has happened since then so it really isn't that up to date. In other big news, I got tickets to see Blink-182 featuring Matt Skiba on March 22 at the Musink Festival!

With that said, here are my seven songs for the week:


1) Sweet Time by The Technicolors

I can't believe I just now discovered this band. You know that feeling where you are trying to figure out what you want to listen to, but you can't find that one song/album/artist that fits what you're looking for? There's probably a better way to word that. Anyways, this is that band for me. The way that Brennan Smiley's voice (which my dad described as a cross between Led Zeppelin and the lead singer from Stone Temple Pilots) is perfectly reflected in the instruments and the lyrics is just what I was looking for. The music is very relaxing and calming, and also comforting in a way. The album "Listener" came out in 2012 and the band is expected to release some new music this year. Their show at the Super Bowl party was great and they didn't disappoint. I can't wait to see them again on The American Candy Tour.

2) What Went Wrong by Blink-182

The title itself sums up the reason why I am listening to this song. This entire Blink-182 mess has me constantly thinking What went wrong?? Mark, Tom and Travis were best friends. Especially Mark and Tom who have known each other since high school. I watched their show at Big Day Out in Australian in 2000 (my favorite show of theirs) and it's amazing how so much can happen between then and now (granted that things really started falling apart only a few years later during their first split). I love this song because 1) it's from my favorite album (Take Off Your Pants and Jacket) and 2) it's a "secret" song. It's not something you can buy on iTunes. It was originally released as a bonus song on the hard copy album. It's an acoustic song and you can start to hear how the band was drifting towards a more serious tone in this album. Anyways, I love this band. To see them argue publicly like they are doing now tears me apart.

3) Not Now by Blink-182

Usually I'm going to try not to repeat an artist on the same post in my Sunday songs, but this is an exception. The main reason I chose this song was for the music video. It flashes back to some of the most memorable times in Blink-182 history and the song itself is meaningful. This was released as a single not attached to any other album and I like it that way because it stands out. Despite the drama that is happening now, the song comforts me because I'm reminded that whatever happens to the band, the music they've recorded and the shows they played will last forever.

4) There Is by Box Car Racer

Box Car Racer is a band composed of Tom Delonge and Travis Barker of Blink-182 along with guitarist David Kennedy. The band was active between 2001-2003 which marked the years leading to Blink's first breakup. Box Car Racer just might be my favorite Blink side project. The lyrics are meaningful and the songs are packed with emotion. The music video is also worth watching because the emotion of the song is emphasized by looking at the band perform outside in the rain, seeing the expression on Tom's face and the story line that goes along with the video. Also, out of every artist I have ever heard, Tom's voice is honestly my favorite. I can't explain exactly why it is, it just is. And this song, like "Not Now," is comforting. The thought that you aren't alone in how you feel and that you can still find hope.

5) Little Death by +44

+44 is made up of Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker along with guitarists Shane Gallagher and Craig Fairbaugh. They were active between 2005-2009 during the Blink haitus. Mark commented that he will never consider +44 as being "done." Their entire album (they only had one) is mostly filled with sadness and I can't help but think it was largely influenced by the Blink break up. It's nice to hear more of what Mark is capable of vocally because he tends to stick to one sound (vocal range?) in Blink. The song feels like it has a deeper meaning than what I understand it as which is really what makes the album unique. There are a lot of songs out there where they seem pretty easy to decode, but that isn't the case with +44.

6) Everything's Magic by Angels & Airwaves

I've already had one post dedicated to this band and their most recent album, but as a recap, the band was started by Tom DeLonge and is one of the huge reasons he has been less committed to Blink. This song is featured in my favorite AvA album, "I-Empire," and is definitely in my top 3 AvA songs. Like "There Is" and "Not Now," the song is really uplifting. It has the same theme of "you're not alone" within the lyrics. It's one of those songs that can instantly lift my mood. I can remember the first time hearing this song and I instantly knew that this is a song that I will never get tired of.

7) Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons

Yesterday I watched the new movie, "Project Almanac," and it was by far one of the best new movies I have seen in awhile. The reason I bring it up is because the soundtrack is probably 99 percent Imagine Dragons, including songs from their new album that debuts later this month. It got me thinking about their first album in 2012 and how much I loved it when it first came out. Hearing the new songs in the movie created some high expectations for "Smoke + Mirrors." (On a side note, I highly recommend seeing Project Almanac. You get totally absorbed in the movie and forget about everything else. Also, the actors are all new - no one famous - and they did an amazing job for their first big break.)

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I was worried that I was going to slack on the Sunday songs, and I'm glad to find out I'm not. I know this is only the second week, but I'm really happy with this weekly post idea. Again, if you have any song suggestions, leave them in the comments and I will check them out. Or if you listened to any of the songs I mentioned, you should let me know what you think of them.

Anyways, I wish everyone a good week.


Until next time,

Nikole xx

Blink-182 Lives On

Let's start with what we know for sure first.

Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker announced earlier today that Tom DeLonge "indefinitely" left the band and Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio will replace him for an upcoming show at the Misink Festival in March. Twitter erupted in chaos. It was 2004 all over again. Theories of a breakup and angry questions thrown at DeLonge were everywhere. Just a couple of short hours later, DeLonge posted an update on Instagram that read:

To all the fans, I never quit the band. I actually was on a phone call

about a blink 182 event for New York City at the time all these weird

press releases started coming in... Apparently those releases were 

'sanctioned' from the band. Are we dysfunctional - yes. But, Christ.....

#Awkward #BabyBackRibs

About two hours ago, Rolling Stone released a new interview with Hoppus and Barker clearing up all the rumors. Hoppus even tweeted a link to the interview saying "This is the real deal." In summary, Hoppus and Barker explain that Blink-182 have been trying for the last two years to get in the recording studio to work on a new album. On Christmas Eve, the three of them signed a new record deal. Things were looking up for the band until over time Delonge distanced himself.

There's a flurry of e-mails going back and forth for clarification about

the recording and the show and [DeLonge's] manager sends [an e-mail]

back saying, "Tom. Is. Out." Direct quote. This is the exact same e-mail we

got back in 2004 when Tom went on indefinite hiatus before. -Hoppus

The fans could see that the band wasn't doing that great. We've been hanging around since December 2012 (September 2011 since their last full album) for a taste of something new, but we've been left with nothing. It's not that the band left without saying goodbye. It was obvious to see who was and wasn't dedicated to the band just by looking at the time they saved to go to a studio or what they posted on social media. 

It's hard to cover for someone who's disrespectful and ungrateful.

You don't even have the balls to call your bandmates and tell them

you're not going to record or do anything Blink-related. You have

your manager do it.... Why Blink even got back together in the first 

place [after the first hiatus] is questionable. -Barker

Everyone knows that when Travis speaks up, things are serious. When I first heard all of this news, I couldn't see how Blink-182 could continue. That was before I realized just how committed Hoppus and Barker are to keep the Blink legacy going. If they are this willing to keep going, keep recording, keep playing, then there is no way in hell that I could ever stop supporting this band. Blink-182 means more to me in more ways than I can even explain. There has never been nor will there ever be a band that could be compared to Blink. They began my love for music which I will someday combine with journalism to make a career. I don't know who I would've become or where I would be today if my dad hadn't started playing "What's My Age Again?" or "All the Small Things" during car rides. That may sound dramatic, but we all have that something that means so much to us that we just can't find the right words to explain how it makes us feel. 

I just want to go out and play Blink songs. I want to go out

and play the songs that we've been spending the last 20 years

of our lives writing. That's what Travis and I want to do. -Hoppus

Reading that Rolling Stone article brought up so many mixed feelings. I'm overcome with pride towards Hoppus and Barker that they have finally decided to say something about the matter and directly confront DeLonge in a way that he can't ignore. Also, the fact that they want to continue doing Blink. There are no words to describe how much that means to a fan. We all saw an ending coming, but (for me at least) this has the chance to become a happy ending. Blink-182 is not over. On the other hand, I am overwhelming disappointed in DeLonge. I understand that he has other projects that he may be more committed to, but he could have at least had the decency to directly tell not just his bandmates, but his friends, what the situation was. Mark and Tom have known each other since high school. I don't know any of them personally and I may just be a fan, but I am pretty confident that Mark and Travis deserved better than this. There was no need for his manager to speak for him. Then he posts on Instagram talking about how everything is fine when that entire statement was just one huge lie. Even in the Alternative Press magazine, only Tom was quoted and he directly said that Blink-182 were going to get an album out this year. He just failed to mention that Blink did not include him anymore. 

I just wish Tom does whatever makes him happy and stops

holding back Blink-182 from what we all agree that we're going

to do: play shows, record music, continue this legacy and have

a good time doing it. -Hoppus

To Mark and Travis: I will never stop being a fan of Blink-182 and I could never stop supporting you guys. I wish you and Matt Skiba the best of luck at Musink and I hope I get the chance to get tickets and see you guys. 'Thank you' isn't enough to express how grateful I am that Blink-182 is not dead. Let's continue the legacy.

Long Live Blink, 

Nikole xx

(*I understand that there is Tom's side of the story. Even on Twitter and Instagram, a lot of people have been picking 'sides.' After this Rolling Stone release, I felt I understood more of the situation and it explained a lot of questions I had about the band during the last two years. As far as I know, Tom hasn't released any official statement other than his Instagram post. 

**All of the quotes I used besides Tom's came from the Rolling Stone article which can be found at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/blink-182s-hoppus-barker-blast-ungrateful-disingenuous-tom-delonge-20150126 )