Any aspiring band out there can tell you just how much of a dream come true it would be to be chosen as an opening act for pop-punk legends Blink-182. It’s not a gig that just any band can land. However, Red Bull Record’s new rockers, New Beat Fund, were given this incredible opportunity on September 19th at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.
This up-and-coming band from Southern California set the right mood for the hundreds of anxious Blink fans by playing songs from their EP, “Coinz,” as well as playing cover songs by bands like Sublime and the Misfits. Ending with their hit single “Scare Me” was a smooth transition into Blink-182’s set.
Once Travis Barker kicked off the beginning drum-beat of “Feeling This,” the crowd was instantly in an uproar. For Blink-182, the pool deck of The Cosmopolitan may be a rather small venue compared to the Verizon Amphitheatre or Honda Center, however, the Vegas ambiance mixed with good rock music does not let this difference in size have any kind of negative impact on the hype at the concert.
Pushing one another left and right (in a good way of course) and singing along to hits like “All the Small Things,” “Always,” and “I Miss You,” the crowd’s participation did not tire as the night continued. Playing older songs such as “First Date” and “Rock Show,” as well as more recently released hits such as “Up all Night” and “Dogs Eating Dogs,” they collectively provided the perfect balance of old school and new school, pleasing Blink fans of all ages.
Being well known as the rude and inappropriate punker kids from San Diego, Blink stayed true to their rep not only by entertaining the audience with their music, but also by humoring them through crude jokes about each other’s mothers, in addition to replacing song lyrics with sexual innuendo, and especially by performing joke songs filled with curse words such as “Family Reunion.”
Finishing their set with “Josie,” of course, wasn’t enough for the hundreds of fans demanding for an encore. Blink closed the night off with two classic 1990s skate punk hits, “Carousel” and “Dammit,” which certainly stirred a sense of nostalgia in the audience, causing an all out riot in the pit.
The chemistry on stage between Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker is a type that not very many trios can emulate. The mix of feel-good pop-punk and alternative rock that they’ve taken all over the world for 20 years is one that hits home for many, attracting all types of people, and also making them one of the biggest bands in today’s musical world. No matter how old they get, or however many times they decide to break up, Blink-182 will always touch the hearts of millions and will always keep them singing “I guess this is growing up.”
