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blink-182

Live at Petco Park

ONE MORE TIME TOUR

July 3, 2024 Review by Jimmy Alvarez

As soon as we got the news, we heard the voices in our head: “Hey mom, there’s something in the backroom, hope it’s not the creature from above!” Sure enough, San Diego’s favorite sons (by way of Poway) blink-182 would be returning to the scene of their infamy – San Diego’s Petco Park.

Needless to say, we would welcome blink with open arms on their One More Time Tour. The June 30th show brought British rockers Hot Milk, and another San Diego favorite, Pierce the Veil, along for the ride. Fans and media from coast-to-coast and around the world were there and ready to take in the show.

The house was filled to capacity with a sea of humanity; and the weather couldn’t have been better. The Music Gods could do nothing more than give their stamp of approval as fans flocked to Petco like a pilgrimage ready to get in their Tardis to eat at Sombrero’s and wear every imaginable Blink-related outfit they could find.

In the crowd were fans dressed as The Hamburgler, Grimace, rabbits of all shapes and sizes, male and female aliens – there was at least one blow-up alien sex doll – and look-alike “First Date” Tom DeLonge. The crowd was beyond ready to take in the show.

Opening for blink was the perfect band: Manchester-based rockers Hot Milk. Immediately lead singer Han Mee came out with a burst of energy, getting in the face of the concertgoers near the stage. I will be honest; I wasn’t as familiar with Hot Milk as I should have been, but I am now because they were so entertaining. They had fans there and they opened with “Horror Show,” then “I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead.”

The duo of Mee and Jim Shaw were a perfect pairing. Shaw with his Eminem-like persona, and Mee, who displayed a very channeled, Brody Dale, Distiller-like vibe, while carrying her own magic; the crowd was immediately engulfed in their set.

Being they were openers, it was an abbreviated set, but it featured songs the crowd loved, “Alice Cooper’s Play House,” “Party on the Deathbed,” and a high-energy closing with “Glass Spiders.” The sheer energy they brought was a great way to start the show.

It didn’t take long for the road crew to get the stage ready for the next band, San Diego locals, Pierce the Veil. Immediately, it was obvious the band was part of the community as the overhead speakers played their walk-up music, “El Rey” by Vicente Fernandez.

The reaction from the crowd was truly priceless. Dancing and cheering as it was about to become a fiesta.

Full disclosure, I had only seen this band once before. It was many years ago at Warped Tour, so I was very eager to see them again.

Wearing his very cool ‘70s-style red jacket, Vic Fuentes was like a Pied Piper. He was set to take the crowd on a sonic journey of their music catalog.

Opening with “Death of an Executioner,” lead guitarist Tony Perry and bassist Jaime Preciado bolted from side-to-side of the stage like spinning tops with their hair on fire. The sound was simply electrifying and the crowd roared to “Caraphernelia” and “Circles.” Fuentes definitely knew how to work the crowd as he welcomed them and thanked Blink for the opportunity to play this homecoming show.

As soon as he asked the crowd to jump along to the song, I felt the concussion of the collective seismic movement from that many people jumping all at once. Then, a great moment for me, Perry and Fuentes let us know how they were about to get into a cover, Radiohead’s “Karma Police.” What a moment! The song sounded so grand, and with the sun setting, that song took on a larger-than-life feel; they segued into “Bulls in the Bronx” before they slowed down to momentum.

Another great moment was seeing the band take a collective breath, and Fuentes asked the crowd, “Who do you know that is your one phone call? The person you have to rely on no matter what, who’s your emergency contact? Give them a hug!” He said, for him, it was his wife and he dedicated the song “Emergency Contact” to her and his daughter. The crowd lost its mind.

Pierce the Veil closed with “Pass the Nirvana” and “King for a Day.” All I can say is that this band has come a very long way since those Warped Tour days. I couldn’t be happier to see them do so well on a very big stage.

By now, the sun had dipped itself into the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean, and out came a very happy moon. Again, it didn’t not take long for the road crew to get the stage ready for Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker. Petco Park was beyond capacity; it was bursting with people, and cartoon crazy fans ready to see their homies take the stage. And like a blink of an eye, the PA played “Rest in Peace” by Jim Johnson, the crowd knew the waiting was almost over.

With an unreal video show as the backdrop to the stage, Blink ripped off two songs that caused a roar that was deafening: “Feeling This” and “The Rock Show.”

DeLonge and Hoppus started off with their banter, as they do, and no matter how many times you see them, it never gets old.

After thanking the crowd for coming out, the two talked about how they would take the crowd through their journey of San Diego.

Immediately, their humor took front and center stage as DeLonge outlined where he had sex with a girl.

Hoppus then mentioned where they played their first gig, SOMA. The crowd went nuts as they dove into “Man Overboard.”

Then Barker, being the showman he is, took us through a crazy drum solo opening to “Aliens Exist.”

Even though the set was not as elaborate as in past tours, they still had some cool visuals.

The stage morphed as a three overhead light fixtures descended; the lights came on and started to spin as if there were UFOs invading Petco, and the crowd ate it up!

Everyone got what they came for; newer songs, mixed with Blink classics: “Dance with Me,” “Bored to Death,” “Edging,” “M+M’s,” and “I Miss You” were part of the first half of the show.

Other stand out moments included when the guys went into a +44 cover of “When Your Heart Stops Beating.” We all got a smirk out of “Fuck Face,” and then “Anthem, Part 3” brought us back to appreciate the musicianship that these talented artists possess.

What were the songs that made this the epic event it was hyped to be? Well, there was “What’s My Age Again,” “First Date,” and crowd loved-loved-loved “All the Small Things” and “Dammit.”

The one thing I have always appreciated about blink is that no matter what they have going on, new music and whatnot, they always pay homage to fans and play the songs that made blink, blink-182. Their past and their future always collide at their shows, so ending with “One More Time” and “The Adventure” was perfect.

The concert lasted just over 90-minutes, and the 26-song set was the perfect ending for an absolutely magical night of music. The tour continues; next up is SoFi Stadium, then look out world… here comes blink-182!

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