"Tuned Into Pop Culture" guest contributor Nick Carrabine is a News-Herald staff writer.




Blink-182



Weezer


(***Update: The Blink Tour will roll into Blossom Wed. Sept 2. Openers will be Weezer, Taking Back Sunday and Chester French, there will be a variety of different openers for other tour dates)

As I so impressively predicted in a blog in January, Blink-182 are back together.

Taking full credit for their reunion — because I know they read this blog — they officially announced an end to their four year hiatus at the 2009 Grammys in February.

Yesterday, they announced they will be touring with Weezer starting in July, and I for one — nor should you — wouldn’t be caught dead missing this show.

The downside: Fall Out Boy is also involved in this tour. Not cool.

It’s OK, I’d settle for sitting through Yanni rapping to hardcore metal music if it led to three hours of Blink and Weezer afterward.

There is also a surprise guest that will officially be announced next week, which is heavily rumored to be the The All-American Rejects.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Weezer live three times in my day, and while its incredibly uncomfortable and awkward watching Rivers Cuomo have panic attacks performing in front of people, they are an exceptional live band. They’ve also toured with great bands all three times I’ve seen them (Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional and Foo Fighters).

I’ve had two opportunities to see Blink-182 (who by the way, are nowhere near one of my favorite bands, I feel I should clarify that as I’ve written about them three times already in this blog. But I do like their music) but turned down tickets both times because I wasn’t too much of a fan of theirs until around 2000 or so.

What should be the most interesting part of this tour is how these two main acts will interact with each other.

The boys from Blink-182, in their mid-to late 30s are about as immature as it gets and the guys from Weezer, who are pushing 40, are about as nerdy as it gets.

Cuomo is a weird dude. I don’t see his personality mixing well with anyone from the Blink camp.

When Weezer toured with Foo Fighters in 2005, the Foo’s lead singer Dave Grohl later stated Weezer was one of the weirdest bands he’s ever toured with.

Well hey, if it makes dollars, it makes sense. I guess.

It doesn’t get too much bigger than Weezer and Blink-182. Two bands who have been around for 15 years and have sold millions upon millions of records across the world and inspired multiple successful bands who are prevalent today.

Dates will be announced next week.