The pop punk trio performed in Brazil for the first time since canceling in 2023 and relied on nostalgia to boost festival attendance
The mission of the pop punk trio 182 flashesa huge success in the early 2000s, when on the stage of Lollapalooza 2024, this Friday the 22nd, it was clear: to please a crowd of fans who had been waiting for decades (without exaggeration) for the band to visit the country.
In an energetic, loud – in a good way – and emotional performance, the singer and the bassist Marco Hoppusguitarist and singer Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker had big hits, like “All the Small Things” and “I Miss You,” and performed songs from the album Another time…of 2023, which represents this new phase of the band with the classic lineup that marked those who were teenagers at the beginning of the millennium.
The reasons why Blink-182 never came to Brazil are almost fanciful. Already established in the pop rock scene, they would come to the country in September 2005 for the now extinct Chimera Music Festival. Months earlier, however, they had announced that the group would be going on hiatus. It took four years before the reunion and another two before the release of a new album, Neighborhoods – which appears in the setlist with “Up All Night”.
Subsequently, it is said that it was Barker’s fear of flying that prevented him from coming. He would overcome his fear of him thanks to his current wife, Kourtney Kardashian. The thing is, Blink didn’t arrive and, in 2015, another hiatus was announced. Then, in 2022, the trio delighted fans by confirming their return, a new album and arrival at Lollapalooza 2023. But no: Barker suffered a finger injury and the band was replaced by the duo. Twenty-one pilots.
Blink promised they would arrive this year and rumors of another cancellation also surfaced, but nothing like this. When the first chords of “Anthem Part Two” were sung on the Budwiser stage, it was as if the message had been conveyed: we’ve arrived, now enjoy! And the audience, despite the cold, wet rain that hit the festival earlier, responded in kind.
A journey through time
Blink-182 chose to start the show on a high note, with older songs, such as “The Rock Show” and “Wendy Clear. They also shouted, along with the fans, the curse words and insults of Family Reunion, which was a hit on the live album The Mark, Tom and Travis Show2000.
The performance continued with songs such as “Feeling This”, “Violence and Dumpweed”. That’s when the trio had their first interaction with the audience, a bit strange, it must be said, with sexual and sexist jokes that would probably make more sense in a show from 20 years ago. It was a real time trip.
After “Reckless Abandon,” the group even released a few gems: “Scream if you think Blink-182 is bigger than the Beatles. What the fuck are the Beatles?” These kinds of jokes are part of the band’s shows, but it’s hard not to find them a little crude. They missed the opportunity, for example, to make references to Brazil or to thank the fans for their loyalty.
Nostalgia is, in fact, the driving force of the show, so much so that, having arrived at more recent times, with “More Than You Know” and other songs from “One More Time…”, starting from 2023, the public has become a little discouraged. The band caught their breath with “Aliens Exist,” by The enema strikes again!perhaps the most emblematic of his career.
Then, in the show’s climax, Mark Hoppus announced, “It’s time for a sad song. It’s time for some emo. Calling your mom and telling her it wasn’t just a phase.” The audience, most of them in their thirties, embraced the idea and sang the fantastic “Stay Together for the Kids.”
It was clear, however, that the trio chose to save the best for last: all of the group’s most streamed songs are found in the last group of songs on the setlist.
The most touching moment was undoubtedly “I miss you”. Fans belted out the chorus of the song, which is still a hit on Brazilian radio stations today, and applauded Barker’s solo at the end. And only then did they talk about the cancellation and the years of waiting by fans. “I hope it’s worth the wait,” Hoppus said, adding, “We had to practice a lot.”
More good moments came, of course, with “What’s My Age Again” – when they called for applause for the bands who had played the festival before them, Arcade fire AND Offspring – and “All the little things”. This Monday it was beautiful to see the fans jumping, smiling and singing a chorus worthy of the Brazilian audience.
The performance ended with “One More Time…” which gives the title to the group’s latest compilation. “Older, but nothing is different” [Mais velhos, mas não tem nada diferente]they sing.
And indeed: Travis, Mark and Tom remain the same. They delivered a classic show that fans have been waiting for. Debt paid. But the question also remains: wasn’t it time to leave aside some of the behaviors of the past? With comings and goings, Blink-182 has been alive for more than three decades. Reinventing yourself doesn’t hurt anyone.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
