Blink 182
Marcus Amphitheater
Milwaukee
July 3, 2000
Blink 182
Story and Photos by Phil Bonyata
Blink 182 was clearly put on this earth exclusively for the pre and early college-age MTV generation.
Anyone older just doesn't get it.
Before entering the stage at Marcus Amphitheater on July 3rd, Blink 182 had a trick up their collective sleeves. There was a a giant video display of a 50's era drive-in refreshment commercial, smartly edited with varying degrees of female and male nudity, that got the audiences' hormonal levels coarsing with varying degrees of development.
The message that this California trio sent, probably without even knowing it, is that the raunchy humor of the seminal 80's flick "Porky's" and others like it is their idea alone. Because all of their schtick has been done many times before and in most cases far betterr.Blink 182 is not a punk band.
Guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus spent way too much time between songs blathering about thair genitals and masturbation.
At one point Hoppus shouts "Are we in Wisconsin? Do you guys make cheese here?"
The crowd loved it!
What would have happened if they would have come out buck naked like they did in their hit MTV video?
Some of Blink's poppy, three chord tunes like "Josie" and the bouncy "Aliens Exist" showed sparks of talent along with the unusual "Adam's Song" about teenage suicide.
The small highlights were again overshadowed as a pink-haired transvestite and roadies ran after the band carrying an 8 foot inflatable sex organ.
At least The Tubes did this many years ago with self-parodying intelligence.
When pop music's uncaring taste changes, and it surely will, Blink 182 will be forgotten as easily as this night's sophmoric performance.
Opening for Blink 182 were punk veterans Bad Religion. Their music, especially tight and fresh was a bright contrast to Blink's attempt at a pop/punk sound.
Stand out songs like "Punk Rock Song" came off sounding cutting edge with a bad attitude.
Lead singer Greg Graffin, sporting a military garb that looked more like a mismatched boy scout uniform, delivered a fun and quirky performance and apparently didn't take himself too seriously.
Bad Religion, while not nearly as important as Iggy Pop or The Sex Pistols, still owns a place in the punk heirarchy.