Pop punk is back…well it never went anywhere but today pop punk pioneers Blink 182 announced at the Grammy Awards that they were getting back together. Perhaps the near death experience that drummer Travis Barker lived to tell brought the three back together. Regardless, I am excited. I like them boys, they make me laugh.
BLINK-182 REUNITE! Posted by Tim Karan on 08-Feb-09 @ 09:14 PM
Pop-punk legends Blink-182 are reuniting. Vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker made the announcement Sunday night as presenters at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Barker said, “We used to play music together, and we decided we’re gonna play music together again.” Hoppus said, “Blink-182 is back.”
Blink-182 went on indefinite hiatus in 2005, leading to the formation of DeLonge’s Angels & Airwaves and Hoppus and Barker’s (+44). The new album will be the band’s sixth full-length and their first since their self-titled 2003 album.
UPDATED 10:17 P.M. EST: The band has concurrently posted a message at their website stating that they are currently in the studio writing and recording a record. “Summer 2009” is also mentioned, implying either a release of that record or perhaps a tour. The band also have new merch for sale.
UPDATED 10:22 P.M. EST:
Here is the band’s statement in full:
“Hi. We’re blink-182. This past week there’ve been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us. To put it simply, We’re back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy.
Last night I was invited to see a co-worker’s band at the Outpost in Kent, OH. The band’s name is The Heights Band and they were participating in a battle of the bands with other local artists. The battle called the Saw Kick “Back To School” Battle Of The Bands was put on by local music lovers FTF Concerts & Promoters and Saw Kick Media.
I’ll be honest and tell you that last night I had no idea what to expect. When I hear the words “Battle Of The Bands” I can only think about Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I think of high school rock offs, an immature event full of young kids running around with balloons. Ok, no balloons. Seriously though I was not expecting much for the night.
I never had heard of my co-worker’s material before but did hear good things about them by word of mouth in the office. Based upon that I pretty much showed up for the The Heights Band as well as meet up with some of my fellow office zombies. I had also promised said co-worker in band that I would do my best to photograph his band’s live performance.
Before I even begin to recap the night I will confess that I did not stay for the whole thing so I will only talk about a couple of the bands I saw including the band I had intents on seeing.
The Outpost was crowded when I showed up, something I did not expect at all. I really had visions of pulling in to an empty parking lot with just a handful of folk hanging out. When I saw the amount of vehicles in the parking lot I started thinking that I might need to begin to expect a little more.
$7.00 at the door and I was in. I arrived right as the first act started playing, All Or Nothing. These kids had Warped Tour written all over them. Very scene, very emo, a little punk, and I admit, some of their songs were pretty entertaining. I got a huge kick out of the cover of “Johnny B. Goode” they dished out. I was not the only one who thought that way.
My co-worker’s band The Heights Band took stage and blew me away. I was very impressed with their performance and immediately sensed who the winner was going to be that night without even seeing the rest of the bands. Their mix of southern rock, garage rock, and blues really hit the spot. They looked very comfortable on stage and for the first time that night the floor was full of people rocking out. Their set ended with me wanting a lot more.
Professor Greenhouse was the last band I saw perform before I packed up and headed home. The folk/bluegrass was very appealing and a shocker. I was not expecting a band quite like Professor Greenhouse to be at a battle of the bands. I have a feeling if this band can keep it up they will be going places but given the performance by The Heights Band just prior I did not see the folk act taking home a win that night.
I actually said my goodbyes and took off before Professor Greenhouse finished so I was not sure who won that last night but I did discover the my initial gut feeling was right and The Heights Band took the win that night and are headed to the finals. Good for them.
It was nice to rock out to an evening of local bands. I really don’t do that much anymore these days. It was a reminder that I should check out more local acts in my surrounding area and see what is out there. Not only are they cheap shows usually but also proof how much talent that hides out there unless you are looking for it.
Here are some of the pics I took last night of The Heights Band:
BOSTON — A street artist famous for his red, white and blue “Hope” posters of President Obama has been arrested on warrants accusing him of tagging property with graffiti, police said Saturday.
Shepard Fairey, 38, was arrested Friday night on his way to the Institute of Contemporary Art for a kickoff event for his first solo exhibition, called “Supply and Demand.”
Two warrants were issued for Fairey on Jan. 24 after police determined he’d tagged property in two locations with graffiti based on the Andre the Giant street art campaign from his early career, police Officer James Kenneally said Saturday.
Fairey, 38, of Los Angeles, is scheduled to be arraigned on the misdemeanor charges Monday in Brighton District Court, said Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk District Attorney. Wark said Fairey would also be arraigned on a default warrant related to a separate graffiti case in the Roxbury section of Boston.
Fairey has spent the last two weeks in the Boston area installing the ICA exhibit and creating outdoor art, including a 20-by-50 foot banner on the side of City Hall, according to a statement issued Saturday by the museum.
The museum said Fairey was released a few hours after his arrest, but authorities did not immediately confirm that.
Fairey’s Obama image has been sold on hundreds of thousands of stickers and posters, and was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington before Obama’s inauguration.
The image is the subject of a copyright dispute with The Associated Press. Fairey argues his use of the AP photo is protected by “fair use,” which allows exceptions to copyright laws based on, among other factors, how much of the original is used, what the new work is used for and how the original is affected by the new work.
A California lawyer who has represented Fairey in the copyright case didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the arrest.
Ticket purchased. If you are thinking of going you better grab a ticket now. I make the mistake of waiting a few minutes after tickets went on sale and did not get the $224 tickets, I had to pay $234….
I am very stoked for this trip and I think my buddy Matt is too from the looks of his latest blog. We both wait on RADam now to see when he gets a ticket.
So after talking to my good friends Matt and Adam, the gentlemen I have attended the last two Virgin Mobile Festivals with, we agreed to switch up tradition a tad. This year we thought we would start off our summer with a bang by hitting up Bonnaroo 2009.
I just posted the Bonnaroo 2009 line up the other day and you can view that HERE. From what I saw I was overly excited. NIN, Beastie Boys, Coheed & Cambria, Elvis Costello, Snoop Dogg, Jenny Lewis…the list goes on. The biggest acts announced would have to be Phish who will be playing two sets (and I could care less) and also someone who I have wanted to see live for years, the boss, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band will be there.
Needless to say the line up is incredible. I still do not think it can top the 2006 line up with Radiohead, Beck, Tom Petty, and Ben Folds just to mention a couple, but it comes in at a close second. Of course that will be determined once I am on site at the farm grounds enjoying myself.
Last night while deciding if I could afford it I decided to check out nearby hotels. You see, I am what they call a metrosexual of sorts (nothing extreme) and I am ok with it. I don’t camp anymore and I need to look my best and smell my best daily. I admit it, I take care of myself. There is no way in hell I could camp out for four long hot days in a tent surrounded by 80,000 people most of which party until the sun comes up That is not my style. I need A/C, I need a soft bed, and most of all I need internet so I can update all you wonderful readers of my adventures.
Just thinking about my past adventures in 2006 made me want to go even more. I decided that this year would be a Bonnaroo year.
Before a ticket was even purchased, I found a hotel and booked it immediately. The hotel is about 40 miles south of the festival grounds and happens to be a Holiday Inn. In 2006 when I first went to Bonnaroo my friends and I stayed in a dump hotel called Executive Suites, it was gross. In 2007 when my friends and I went to Baltimore to see the Virgin Festival we found a Motel 6 to stay in. One of the beds was missing from the room and the other had a huge hole in it. At that moment I declared never again would I stay in a dump motel. Nothing but the best for me and my friends.
I know it is going to be hot, humid, hopefully not rainy, and also amazing. I look forward to being surrounded by all sorts of people and checking out a huge array of musical talent. I know that when there is nothing going on at one stage tent, that you can move on and find another. You can also visit the merchants inside Centeroo (gated area where the bands play) as well as venture out into the camping grounds to check out other vendors.
It’s a controlled environment even if many of the attendees are on not-so-much controlled substances. The main party starts around noon and sometimes goes all the way till 4am. There is a good vibe throughout the day that I can not wait to be surrounded in again. I also know that when it is late and I am tired I can go back to a hotel for the night and catch up on sleep well away from the partying.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow. Once the ticket is purchased we have 4 months until showtime!
If anyone else is planning on going, let me know.
Here’s some pics I took (well before I had a good camera) from the 2006 Bonnaroo:
Main stage @ BonnarooSome of the only running water found on the camp grounds.Heading out to the camp grounds to look for vendors.
Oh, in case you are wondering about the hotel room in 2007, I made some ads of my own and sent them to Motel 6. Enjoy:
