Christmas came early in San Diego last Sunday December 10th with the gift of punk rock as 91X threw down Wrex The Halls 2011. With a powerhouse line-up that include Mutemath, Everlast, Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer DMC, hometown heroe Switchfoot, Pennywise, Social Distortion (Yes, Social D) and of course, Blink 182.
The opening acts served as a welcome appetizer to what would be a fully-loaded main course served by yours truly; Travis Barker, Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge. Some significant numbers would be DMC doing an homage to his Rock and Roll Hall-of-Fame group Run DMC by performing ‘It’s Tricky’ to a crowd that does know how to rock a rhyme that is right on time. Also, SD bred Switchfoot payed tribute to the Beastie Boy’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame by doing their rendition of ‘Sabotage.’ After some great performances by Mutemath, Everlast, Pennywise and punk rock pioneers Social Distortion, it was time for Blink 182 to hit the stage.
And hit the stage they did, The boys of Blink may have a more mature sound with their latest outing ‘Neighborhoods,’ however, their stage presence and usual brand of toilet humor came in full-raunch as boobies were flashed, bras were thrown on stage, and bodily fluid and oral fixations filled their in-between banter. Christmas was in the air as Mark sang his own version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ with the lyrics replaced by “Santa Claus will ___ in your mouth.” Tom Delonge introduced ‘All The Small Things’ as a song about his genitalia which of course, put the crowd in an uproar. Classic tracks such as ‘Dumpweed,’ ‘Mutt,’ ‘The Rock Show,’ ‘First Date,’ and ‘What’s My Age Again’ (lyrics appropriately changed to “Where’s My Asian Friend”) showcased the sound that made Blink 182 the band they are today. Tracks such as ‘Up All Night,’ ‘After Midnight,’ and ‘Heart’s All Gone’ off of their new album gave a breath of fresh air to their ever evolving sound which stayed true to their unique punk rock roots but also conveyed a level of maturity that the band has gone through throughout the years. The performance itself kept the crowd on their feet and in the moshpits as Mark and Tom seamlessly transitioned back and forth from their unique vocals layered on top of power chords that blended perfectly with Travis’ signature percussion style that was just unbelievable to witness live, add that with their own brand of in-between comedy and what you get is vintage Blink 182, which was a damn good thing.