On my way to the rock show!

Blink 182 is coming to Milwaukee on the Honda Civic Tour with My Chemical Romance and Manchester Orchestra.  Saaaaaweeeeeeeet!

Happy April Fools Day!  Which band out there could be more appropriate to write about today than Blink 182?

My initial goal with this column is to highlight musicians who have done something recently, like released an album or performed in Milwaukee.  While has done neither, there are a few other reasons that they’re at the forefront of my thoughts.  First off, my band is playing tonight, and we open with a couple of Blink covers (see the first two songs off Enema of the State).  Second, Travis Barker is my version of Jesus (being a drummer and all).  Third, as mentioned above, no other band emerges in my mind as more foolish and immature, and that seems appropriate today.

Some fans might disagree with me here, and they’re welcome to, but Blink certainly isn’t going to win any awards for the musical depth of their repertoire.  Most songs are a catchy guitar riff, a vocal hook, some percussive pizazz and a formulaic approach to songwriting.  It’s not overly technical, and they will certainly never be the Rush of our generation.  They’re albums can be a bit overproduced, and their live shows have the capacity to be flawed.  They are not perfect, but in their defense, anyone expecting to be stunned by a band that makes masturbation jokes and shouts “Boobies!” in the middle of a song is probably barking up the wrong tree.  I think there is definite talent in those Blink boys, and while it occasionally shines through in their music, it almost always strikes a chord in their lyrics.

If Blink 182 was a country, lyrics would be the currency.  The ability to write a song about the struggles of being a teenager enduring their parents separation or the strain of growing up hits home for many people.  Their songs may be about stages in a relationship, or those suffering moments thereafter.  Of course, there are those gems like “When you fucked Grandpa did he tell you that he loved you?” which are there to reel you in when things may start getting too serious, but if I could pick the two things that Blink 182 best represents, those things would be 1) how to relate to their audience, and 2) how to have a good time.

Do you ever notice how Mark is the only one that smiles in their pictures?  I digress…

Their shows are some of the most fun I’ve had at a concert.  They don’t get too preachy, or turn into self-important assholes about the value of “the message” of their music.  They just have fun being themselves on stage, and who can blame them?  As demonstrated across their multiple albums, there are songs meant to be serious and songs meant to have fun.  Their shows are no different, just punctuated by anecdotes of recent bowel movements or each other’s siblings.  As a drummer, it’s difficult for me to hide my drummerection (not a medical term) for Travis’s two-five minute drum solos, which gives my throat a nice break from the last hour of shouting every lyric of every song.

Blink 182 won’t win the hearts of college music majors, but you can’t debate their validity in modern music over the last 20 years.  Think of how many bands that hit the scene between 1998 and today sound vaguely Blinkish.  On top of that, Mark is a successful producer, Tom pushes Modlife and new ways for music to be shared, and Travis is changing the hip hop game.  Furthermore, they each have retail lines in Atticus, Macbeth and Famous Stars & Straps.  They do huge amounts of charity work (Tsunami relief for Japan as a recent example) and have played for the troops.  They’re currently recording their next album, and I’m sure I’ll make mention of it when it arrives, but I for one am excited to see what happens next!

And one last thing: Travis survived a plane crash.  +44 awesome points, pun intended.