Concert report on Blink-182: An impressive rock show in Fenway Park | Art

As the sun set over Boston's beloved Fenway Park on July 23, Blink-182 brought their trademark childish humor to the stadium with a selection of their biggest hits and songs from their latest album, ONE MORE TIME… Featuring rich instrumentation, youthful banter, and plenty of fireworks, the band delivered a nostalgic performance honoring their past and present.

Blink-182 opened the evening with the classic “Feeling This,” a pop-punk song that explores the fiery but short-lived feelings of lust and passion in a relationship. Tom DeLonge (vocals and guitar) and Mark Hoppus (vocals and bass) took turns singing the verses and chorus of the song, with fans eventually joining in. “Feeling This” set the energy for the rest of the show, promising an evening of high-spirited entertainment and rousing music, which the rest of the set delivered.

With “The Rock Show,” Blink-182 gave their drummer Travis Barker a chance to shine. Barker delivered an exciting and skillful performance on drums, drowning out Hoppus and DeLonge at times but bringing the intensity of a true rock show. The fireworks throughout the song, while Hoppus sang the recurring refrain “I fell in love with the girl at the rock show,” made the show a celebratory event that connected the band's past with its future.

Hoppus and DeLonge took frequent breaks to work with the crowd, cracking Boston Cream Pie jokes and Dunkin' puns, making meaningless statements like “it's your fault your parents got divorced” and dedicating songs to the women of Boston “because they're hot.” Their humor, while reminiscent of high school boys' lunches, was quintessentially Blink-182 and embodied the spirit of “What's My Age Again?”, one of their most popular songs and an anthem to immaturity.

This exploration of the past continued with “Carousel,” a song from their debut album, Cheshire Cat. The song is a milestone in the band's history, something DeLonge was keen to point out after facing criticism for getting too into storytelling during the show.

“Instead of telling a story, I think we should play one of the first songs, if not the first song, we ever wrote as a band,” DeLonge said at the launch of “Carousel.”

“Carousel” is a song that looks back on the ease of high school and the difficult transition of adulthood. It deals with the loneliness and loss of community that comes with being a young adult. DeLonge's powerful vocals, along with Barker's drumming and Hoppus' bass, conveyed the angst and frustration that were central to the song.

Blink-182 “ONE MORE TIME…” Tour 2024 Photo 2 –

Blink-182 “ONE MORE TIME…” Tour 2024 Photo 3 –

Blink-182 “ONE MORE TIME…” Tour 2024 Photo 4 –

This meditation on the past was also present in several of the tracks from “ONE MORE TIME…”, which they played as the band returned to their pop-punk sound with more introspective themes. “ANTHEM PART 3” looked back at old mistakes with lyrics declaring, “This time I won't be complacent / the dreams I've given up on and wasted.” “MORE THAN YOU KNOW” leaned toward a more metallic sound, with DeLonge screaming out the song's chorus and exploring feelings of pain and numbness.

Barker's drumming was literally a highlight of the show, as he and his drum kit were lifted into the air during the drum solo of “Not Now” before coming back down three songs later at the end of “Down.” His solo was electrifying, and his drumming was a driving force throughout the set – though Barker shined just as well alongside the melodic vocals and fiery guitar riffs of Hoppus and DeLonge.

Towards the end of the show, the band returned to some of their favourite songs from their discography. “First Date”, a song about the nervousness of a first date and the excitement of wanting to capture the moment, was reprised with another round of fireworks and clips of the audience on the three large screens behind the band. The recurring lyric “Let's hold on to this forever and ever” and the song's dynamic instrumentals provided a burst of energy as the evening drew to a close.

Blink-182 always brings an element of surprise to each of their performances. The band has used the instrumental bridge of “Dammit” in cover songs, including Sabrina Carpenter's “Espresso” in New York and, more recently, Chappell Roan's “Pink Pony Club” at Lollapalooza. In Boston, the band returned to a classic they played during their first years of performing “Dammit” live: TLC's “No Scrubs.” A song about the difficulties of growing up, “Dammit” remains popular with fans today and is a fitting part of the setlist for a band that ignores expectations of maturity in favor of entertaining the young.

Blink-182's history is long and tumultuous, with multiple breakups, reunions and a number of tragedies. Yet the bond between Hoppus, DeLonge and Barker has stood the test of time, and their encore song “ONE MORE TIME” drove that message home. The song reflects on Hoppus' battle with cancer and Barker's plane crash in 2008, and reiterates that it doesn't take near-death experiences to bring them together. With the lyrics “I miss you, it took time but I admit it / It still hurts after all these years,” Blink-182 ended the show on a touching note.

Although the show was largely a walk down memory lane, Blink-182 celebrated not only what they've accomplished, but where they're going. Despite a number of childish performances and songs that say “nobody should take themselves so seriously,” the band seems to have grown from their mistakes and refocused on the music, giving fans new and old alike an impressive performance.

—Editor Anna Moiseieva can be reached at [email protected]Follow her on X at @AMoiseieva.