Blink-182 bring rock back to the Coachella festival in a big way – variety

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Over the past two decades, Coachella has maintained its reputation as a trendsetter, hosting special guests, surprise sets and unexpected reunions before other festivals took over. But never before have the three come together like they did tonight, when the reunited classic Blink 182 line-up played their first show in nearly a decade for an hour-long set in the Sahara Tent, announced just a day before the festival kicked off.

Entering “Also Sprach Zarathustra” — aka the “2001” theme — Travis Barker, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge, playing together for the first time since DeLonge left the band in 2014, waste no time reminiscing about the young, funny , a ridiculous punk-pop duo from the times that made them breakthrough radio stars in the late 90s and early aughts, starting with “Family Reunion” — a song whose lyrics are unprintable in a family publication. The band shared the same Jackass-esque casualness they did 20 years ago in their prime, with DeLonge and Hoppus dishing on genitalia, the Dalai Llama and UTIs as they blasted through their set. The Rock Show was an early highlight: as the biggest rock band in international pop style, it was almost nostalgic to hear a giant screaming sing-along, and the crowd only screamed louder as the set made its way to the brooding “I Miss You” and seminal hit “What’s My Age Again.” Although Barker injured a finger earlier this year, forcing the band to postpone their tour, there were no signs of injury here – his playing felt crisp and precise, and the band felt tight and rehearsed.

It’s pretty incredible that Blink, once the stepchild of bubblegum pop punk, have become forerunners of the genre, but it’s also undeniable: the set brought together both the younger and more classic Coachella showcases in a way that Blackpink or even Frank Ocean are unlikely to do later this weekend. Was it a sign that rock was ripe for a Coachella comeback? Maybe — or, more likely, it’s proof that regardless of generation, it’s nice to hug your friends and sing at the top of your lungs to a hit you’ve always loved, played by the original artist for the first time in a long time.