Blink-182’s first North Texas performance since 2011 was one for the books this Wednesday at the American Airlines Center in Victory Park. The much-hyped and highly anticipated reunion tour made fans feel like kids again, with nostalgia and infectious enthusiasm in the atmosphere for over 20,000 punk rockers in attendance.
At the end of 2022, guitarist Tom Delonge announced the band was back together, along with drummer Travis Barker and bassist Mark Hoppus. The energy was extraordinary in the AAC – I’ve never seen so many screaming, sweaty millennials in one place! I was shocked to see fans even sitting behind the stage, paying quite the pretty penny just to be able to witness the concert from the big screens. The show opened with performances by the American hardcore punk band, Turnstile, and the California punk rock band, Destroy Boys.
Blink-182 is a part of the pop-punk genre, which emerged in the 1990’s and rose to fame in the early 2000’s. The music provided a voice for the younger generation at this time, who dealt with all sorts of chaotic emotions, from the classic coming-of-age story to teenage angst, rebellion, and everything in between. These songs have been passed down to Gen-Z fans, and there were even families with younger kids in attendance… passing the pop punk legacy down another generation and showing their kiddos a damn good concert.
It’s no secret that blink-182’s tour is THE tour of the summer and we’re stoked to see what the rest of 2023 and beyond looks like for these talented stars.
