Pop/punk band Blink 182 announced last week that they have signed on to play a 16-show residency at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas. Until now, all of the Las Vegas residency acts have been big, mainstream artists. Celine Dion is pretty close to a permanent fixture on the strip. Shania Twain had a lengthy run, as did Brittany Spears. Blink 182’s show is dubbed “Kings of the Weekend” after a track bearing the same name from their latest album California.
Kings of Select Weekends
Of course all of the show dates fall on Friday, Saturday and some Sunday nights – “weekend” nights. Wouldn’t 182 dates in Vegas be more relevant? Although 182 holds no real meaning anyway and was only added to the band’s name following a legal dispute with an Irish band also called Blink. Sixteen dates seems like a light commitment and perhaps an afterthought, squeezed in to an already hectic touring schedule. Not to mention, summertime is prime music festival season. However, after the first two Vegas shows in May, Blink 182 plays three random concerts in Iowa, Ohio and Windsor, ON before returning to the Palms for most weekends in June. After June 24 in Vegas there are no Blink shows … anywhere. Until October 26 when they return to the Palms. A four-month concert hiatus when a band is still riding the promotional wave for an album is almost unheard of, but the boys from Blink are known for doing things their way.
California to Vegas
The California-based trio formed in the San Diego suburb of Poway and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Blink 182 went through various lineup changes during the band’s rise to fame with the exception of founding member Tom DeLonge, who was a constant fixture in the band. In 1998, Travis Barker took over from Scott Raynor on drums, while bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist Tom DeLonge shared vocals. In 2015, Tom DeLonge, who refocused his career path toward proving the existence of UFOs and aliens, left the band. More on that in a moment. Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio filled the hole left by DeLonge’s departure and is going into his third year on guitar and vocals with the band. The new Blink 182 sounds very much like the original Blink 182 we first heard in the 90s. The songs on California with vocals by Hoppus and Skiba speak to the listener who’s at that awkward stage between quarter and mid-life crises. The songs are comfortably reminiscent of the teenage angst anthems belted out by Hoppus and DeLonge in the 90s.
T.D. Phone Home
It’s not really a secret that Tom DeLonge has held a fascination for the extraterrestrial, but he has turned mere interest into a full time job. DeLonge started a media company called To The Stars, Inc, which encompasses all of his creative pursuits, including current band Angels and Airwaves; novels and comic books written or co-written; and of course the UFO reconnaissance. DeLonge claims he’s working with the highest levels of government. He is quite serious about all of this and it seems unlikely that we’ll see Tom return to Blink 182. DeLonge also maintains that he was burned by the band rather than the other way around. For more info, including explanations from the man himself, click here.
Vegas, Baby. Vegas.
So, who’s the target audience for the Blink 182 Vegas shows? Thirty-something guys in town on a raucous bachelor weekend? Yeah, probably a safe bet. Thirty-something moms wanting to reconnect with their former skater boy-loving selves? Also yes. Whether you prefer the original lineup from the 90s or you’re down with the new one, Blink 182’s Las Vegas residency is sure to be a high-energy show and at least inject some punk rock fun into a city currently saturated with power ballads and glitter.
i feel old