Blink 182 concert editorial

Here is a story on the Blink 182 show in Buffalo 2 weeks ago. I got free tickets from the local paper to report on it, but I will drop the editorial off here first. I figured there was a lot of interest in this topic as reported below and wanted to let you know my opinion on it. Click the button over here to read the LONG article.

CONCERT REVIEW: BLINK 182, BAD RELIGION, FENIXTX AT DARIEN CENTER JUNE 3rd, 2000

As I walked away from the parking lot at Darien Center I started to realize what I was in for. Everywhere I turned there were girls from age 10-20 with "I love Mark" and "Blink Rules" written in paint on there body. Everywhere I turned there were rowdy frat boys wearing the sacred mark of Abercrombie & Fitch. Everywhere I turned there were a lot of people who paid a lot of money to come see the band of the day, Blink 182. Why was I there? Well, my favorite band Bad Religion was opening for Blink 182 on this huge festival tour and I had received some great tickets to the show.

The crowd spanned from the lucky kids standing within a barrier around the stage to the seats, to the poor folks standing out of view on the lawn. FenixTX opened the show in front of a packed audience. This band plays melodic punk with a definite pop influence. The similarities don’t die their thought. The four boys from Houston are also managed by Mark Hoppus from Blink and seem to share the same skate company wardrobe, the same American Pie sense of humor, and basically the same haircuts, music, stage antics, ect. FenixTX makes no apologies. They even thanked Blink 182 in the sleeve of their album for, "making music fun again". The bathroom comedy and sexist comments got real old real quick to anyone with a valid sense of humor. Nonetheless, the laughs kept a’ coming, so FenixTX pressed on. To their credit, FenixTX can play very well live, but aren’t exactly a band most parents would want to take their kids to see. They played most of the songs off of there self titled album which is in its 2nd round of production after the band changed their name from RiverFenix and moved up to major record label MCA. Crowd pleasers included, "Minimum Wage", the charming "Rooster Song", and the MTV Total Request Live standard, "All My Fault".

Then came the moment I was waiting for. 20-year melodic punk veterans Bad Religion were about to hit the stage. A banner containing the fantastic artwork from their latest album, "The New America" raised slowly as the sound of helicopters swept through the Darien Center. The band strolled on stage, with lead singer Greg Graffin coming out late in olive drab military fatigue. Bad Religion stormed through the powerful "Don’t Sell Me Short", the last track off of their amazing new record. Then they played some older tunes including, "Do What You Want", "Them And Us", "21st century Digital Boy", and an alternative rendition of, "Generator". The trademark vocal harmonies were perfect thanks to bassist Jay Bentley and guitarist Brian Baker. The musicianship was flawless as well. Drummer Bobby Shayes was dead on as usual but appeared somewhat sluggish. Nonetheless, the band ruled the stage from start to finish. They finished up with the title track off of the new album, "The New America".

After they left the stage I was put back into place. The tens of thousands in attendance did not pay to see Bad Religion. The majority of these fans still didn’t know anything about Bad Religion’s 12 remarkable albums and strong sociopolitical commentary. Most of this crowd did not know that they had just witnessed founding members of hardcore legends Minor Threat (Brian Baker) and The Circle Jerks (guitarist Greg Hetson). But that’s the breaks when it comes to a concert in this impersonal environment.

I decided to leave my restrictive seat at this point and proceeded to the lawn area for Blink 182. I could not believe the poor view that these people were getting. Fortunately, big television screens showed a closer view of the Blink boys at work for they're screaming minions. Guitarist Tom Delong and bassist Mark Hoppus hammed it up with some dirty jokes in between songs taken from their three albums. Accompanying the music were humorous clips of old movies. For those unaware, Blink 182 plays standard melodic punk music along the lines of FenixTX (yes, they do sound A LOT alike). The band seems to have improved from my last encounter with them as far as live musical performance. But a Blink 182 concert seems less about music and more about three knucklehead mall rats acting like bufoons and making vulgar requests to an oversized crowd. A crowd that seemed to swarm with macho tough guys trying to dance (ex. Shove each other around), underaged girls trying to get attention, and a few embarrassed parents waiting to take their kids home from their first "punk" concert. But no, this was no punk show.

Blink 182 are marketed like candy and a lot of people are eating it up. The lyrics are nonsense, the music is nothing spectacular, but you see the faces and names of Travis, Mark, and Tom. You see, they have publicists that realize that imagery is the key in the major music industry. This is the day and age of MTV and teen pop music, and like it or not, Blink 182 and FenixTX are heavily marketed towards these demographics. Substance is not mandatory for success; just the proper look and a catchy hook or two will do the trick.

If you are interested in the musical style of Blink 182, FenixTx, or Bad Religion and you live in this area you might be surprised to find that a strong music scene exists and many garage bands are active as we speak. You can catch a concert almost every week in Olean or Cuba at places like The Castle Rathskellar, The Olean American Legion, and The Wright Place in Cuba. If you want to find out when the next show is, call (716) 968 0067 and ask for Kip.