Blink-182 is”Staying Together for the Kids”
That’s right. They are together again. Mark Hoppus, Tom Delounge, and Travis Barker have decided to leave all their animosity behind and bring back Blink-182. It was the news that many loyal fans have been starving to hear for four years: “Blink-182 is back!” These words from bassist and singer, Hoppus, at the 2009 Grammy Awards, were like music to the ears of fans who thought they would never see the day their beloved Blink-182 would be reunited. The trio stood on stage together and proceeded to announce the nominations for “Best Rock Album,” together as a band.
On the very same day as the Grammy Awards, a message appeared on Blink-182’s official web site announcing the end of the bands three-year hiatus. Fans logged onto their computers to see the words with their very own eyes: “We want you to hear it from us. To put it simply, we’re back. Picking off where we left off and then some… Thanks and get ready.” Fans were ecstatic with the news of the band’s return after their devastating breakup.
Even though the band was gone for four years, the members were still active and making music. Delounge went on to make the band Angels and Airwaves while Hoppus and Barker partnered up to make +44. Blink-182 fans followed these bands but they could not compare to the original Blink. In fact, these follow up bands only made fans miss Blink-182 and hope for an eventual reunion. Fortunately loyal fans who grew up listening to Blink and continued to listen to them on their iPod throughout their absence, got what they’ve been waiting for.
“I vividly remember listening to Blink back in grade school,” reminisces 21-year-old Andrew Hill of Bloomsburg University. “I just never got tired of them.”
Their major hits such as “What’s My Age Again?,” “Rock Show,” and “Feeling This” are songs that made the band popular in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. The teenagers that grew up listening to Blink-182 back in high school are older now, many still in college. The generation that grew up listening to Blink-182 really admired the band’s immaturity and hilarious stunts like the unforgettable “What’s My Age Again?” music video where the trio ran around in public naked.
“Blink-182 was unique,” says die-hard fan, Alissa Jayne from Rutgers University. “They were funny and about not being serious and being big kids that never grew up. I was really disappointed when they broke up.”
There are several factors that caused the band to announce their official hiatus in 2005. The band members were starting families, which was hard to balance while being in a band and individual side projects. Some of those side projects, like forming other bands, caused disputes amongst the trio. The band played their last show on December 16, 2004, and canceled their 2005 tour prior to announcing their separation. Unable to stand the tension within the band, Delounge announced that he was quitting on February 22, 2005, and Blink-182 was no more, leaving their fans disappointed, knowing they lost an influential band.
So what’s next for Blink-182? The band is currently in the studio recording a new album and already posed together for a photo shoot. Blink hopes to have their new album completed by summer 2009 and plan a tour to follow. Blink-182, back together and on tour will surely sell out box offices and concert venues all over the country, but fans are eager to know who will accompany the band. Rumors have been swirling that Blink will possibly share the stage with big-name bands such as Green Day and No Doubt, both of which have new music coming out this year as well. Blink paired with any one of these bands will make one of the most anticipated shows of the year. All anxious fans have to do is wait for the new music that Blink-182 has to offer and get ready to purchase their new album and concert tickets this summer.
