Blink-182: Feeling This In Portland |

Music

July 18, 2024

Blink-182: Feeling This In Portland

By Kevin Hoskinson

Entertainment Editor

Blink-182 performed at The Moda Center Saturday night in Portland Oregon in front of droves of fans of all ages. They played classic hits and new favorites that catered to everybody. Ever since their reunion last year they have been hitting the road in support of their new album One More Time… and have been selling out stadiums across the country. When the announcement that Tom DeLonge was joining Mark and Travis again after a highly publicized break up, fans were ecstatic and ready to see them together again.

In support of the band, Landon Barker and Pierce The Veil were the opening acts. Barker, son of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, started the show and set the vibe for the rest of the evening. Along with his band he brought a unique and modern alt rock flavor to the that echoed through the massive arena. Having never heard any of their music before I was pleasantly surprised by what they had to offer. It got us pumped and we were ready for action. Being somewhat familiar with Pierce The Veil, it was really cool seeing them live. They followed up Barker’s set and brought the house down, getting us even more excited for the main event. Their musical style was more akin to Blink, energetic pop-punk, and it was a blast. They played a cover of Radiohead’s Karma Police that was amazing. After they were finished it was time for the main event.

Coming on stage to a thunderous applause and massive cheering, Mark, Tom and Travis started the set by diving into Feeling This. It was the perfect song to start the evening because everybody was waiting for this moment. I got my tickets as a Christmas gift last year from my family. To say that I was anticipating this moment for seven months is an understatement. Being a fan of the band since I was in high school in the late 1900’s, they were a band that always seemed out of reach to see live. For one reason or another it never happened and when they broke up I was devastated. It became possible to see them live over the years, but the lineup I was hoping to see felt gone forever. But as we all know life happens and something brought them back together. It was time to finally see them after decades and my excitement couldn’t have been more palpable.

Following Feeling This, they eased into The Rock Show and Man Overboard before Tom got the crowd really hyped. “Did you know UFO’s are real?!” was the question asked before the lights went down and Aliens Exist bursted to life on the stage before us. For those of you who don’t know, Tom is the co-founder of To The Stars, a multimedia company composed of aerospace, science and entertainment professionals. A focus of the company is the promotion of UFO’s and other fringe science. It was To The Stars that pushed the United States government to finally shed some light on the UFO phenomenon in front of congress in the summer of 2023. This moment of the show felt like a well deserved humble brag for Tom and it was absolutely perfect.

The rest of the night was incredible renditions of songs throughout their discography. They played the singles from their latest album including DANCE WITH ME, EDGING and a visceral rendition of MORE THAN YOU KNOW, showing the side effects of cancer on the screens towering above the stage. One of the things the band has credited for their reconciliation was Mark Hoppus’s announcement of his cancer diagnosis in 2021. That same year he also announced he had beat it and was cancer free, leading the way to healing with Tom. They also played hits ranging from Dammit, What’s My Age Again? and All The Small Things to I Miss You, Always and Up All Night. One of the most emotional moments of the show was when they asked everybody who grew up in a broken home to turn on their flashlights. The venue lit up and I was included in that crowd. Although it’s been decades and I’m over it by now, it brought so much back and was a healing experience, even through the band’s trademark banter and humor. With this they started playing Stay Together For The Kids and I couldn’t help but tear up a little.

As a whole, our first visit to The Moda Center in downtown Portland was a wonderful experience. After living here for over ten years I couldn’t think of a better way to finally check out the arena. To see one of my favorite bands live was incredible and a bucket list item checked off of my list. While the boys might not have the energy they once had (Mark is now in his 50’s with Tom and Travis not far behind) they still put on a great show. It was a night filled with nostalgia and a celebration of what they have given the world so far. It was so much fun and I hope they come back to Portland again.

Complete set list: