Blink-182
White River Amphitheater, Auburn, WA
08.31.19
Perhaps the greatest crossover of bands to tour together in 2019 was the Blink-182 and Lil Wayne concert. These two unlikely tour mates played the White River Amphitheater in Auburn Washington on Blink-182’s Enema of The State Anniversary Tour.
The crowd was a really interesting blend of music fans. Basically, at any given time, half of the crowd was dancing, echoing lyrics, and enjoying the show while the other half was a little into it, but mostly confused. It was a unique pairing of performers—whose main overlap could possibly be credited to their era of heightened popularity in the 2000s.
Blink-182 was celebrating 20 years of their third album, Enema of the State. The first half of the show was raw, direct, and fun as they played from “Dumpweed” to “Anthem” just like the full album. The stage was huge but drummer Travis Barker played right on the edge of stage, close to the fans, with bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist Matt Skiba on either side.
The rock, edge, and energy that they are so beloved for did not disappoint. The grit and vulgar banter were really present between songs when Hoppus would just spew profanities. The crowd loved it. Nothing much changed and you might just blame it on their youth.
They invited a Seattle local on to the stage to help play “All The Small Things.” A once in a lifetime chance to be a part of Blink-182 for a song, it added an extra element of fun to an already well-loved classic.
After they played through the full album, Hoppus and Skiba left the stage to perform acoustically near the back of the venue. Everyone crowded around with their phones as they played acoustic versions of “Down” and “Wasting Time.”
After Hoppus and Skiba had their moment, Barker brought everyone’s attention back to the stage with a drum solo that turned upside down. Literally! His drum set was secured inside a cage-like display that rotated and pivoted. At one point he continuously played as he was spinning upside down. Cue jaws dropped, eyes wide, and incredulous cheers—the crowd was truly struck.
The second half of the concert showcased the rest of the Blink-182 hits songs, including “First Date,” “Damn It,” and “Bored to Death,” along with a new song “Blame It on My Youth.”
The entire show was the perfect split between a stripped-down classic punk show and a show with full-on lights, fog machine, pyrotechnics, and elaborate stage production. We are so glad that Blink-182 came back to perform this tour dedicated to Enema of The State, and are excited that they are releasing new music. To that, we no longer have to say “I miss you, miss you.”
Photos by Logan Westom
Review by Allie Leaf
Blink-182
