Do you have a favorite band? I like to ask people this question when I meet them. I feel like you can learn a lot about someone just by knowing their favorite band/artist. However, it seems like people rarely have an answer for me. They usually give a response along the lines of "I listen to a little of everything" or "It depends on what kind of mood I'm in." These are fine answers, but they don't apply to me. I have only ever had one favorite band. One band that I love on an entirely different level than any other. A band that literally defines part of my personality.
That band is blink-182.
I first got into blink in my early teen years when my brother would give me rides in his car. He was a big fan of the pop-punk scene of the late 90s/early 2000s, so I got very familiar with blink-182. I would say my musical tastes were mostly formed during those car rides.
When I went off to college and the band reunited for the first time, I crossed over from casual fan to obsessed. I would listen to every blink album from front to back pretty much all day and night. That year my brother and I would even fly from Fargo, ND to West Palm Beach, FL to go see them for the first time. A trip I'll never forget.
Fast forward to 2022. I've now seen blink-182 five times total. Blink's original guitarist and co-vocalist, Tom Delonge, is once again not in the band. He was off studying UFOs and playing in his other band, Angels and Airwaves. Until last week, after weeks of rumors and speculation, it was announced that he would be re-joining for a new album and world tour. My mind is blown and I'm giddy like I was back in 2009 after they reunited the first time.
I've already bought tickets for two of their shows (Tampa and St. Paul) and wouldn't be surprised if I ended up at a 3rd date somewhere else. Even though ticket prices are absolutely bonkers (the memes are everywhere), I'm not going to miss this opportunity. The band's three members are in their late 40s/early50s, and you just never know how many more chances you'll get to see them. The band's drummer, Travis Barker (believe it or not he was famous before he married Kourtney Kardashian), nearly died once in a plane crash. The bassist and co-vocalist, Mark Hoppus, was diagnosed with Stage-4 Lymphoma just last year, but is now miraculously in remission. Point being, you just. never. know.
I can't wait to hear the new album, even though they could literally release 45 minutes of animal noises and I'd still love it. Mostly I'm just glad they're back together and having fun again. After all, their personalities are half of the reason why I love the band so much. It's so good to see them laughing and joking like they did back in the day.
If you've never given blink-182 much of a chance other than hearing their big hits like "All the Small Things" and "What's My Age Again?", I would strongly suggest you to do so. My other general advice would be to just go ahead and buy the concert tickets to your favorite band and figure out the money part later. The only thing you'd regret is not going and never getting the chance again, ya know?