Blink 182 Receives Warm Welcome from The Woodlands

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- As the morning of September 24th rolled around, many Houston-area Blink 182, Fall Out Boy and All-American Rejects fans were weary of the weather. It rained until about 6 o'clock Thursday, but tickets said "RAIN OR SHINE." As the evening progressed, the weather began participating. The clouds lingered but the precipitation was no where to be seen or felt.

If Mother Nature participates and it doesn't rain, I will take her out to a nice dinner said Blink 182 bassist and singer, Mark Hoppus.

It was a cool evening and almost the perfect weather for an outdoor concert. Minus the mud-stricken hill where the majority of ticket holders stood or sat on plastic bags.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion was full of music fans of all ages given the diversity of the bill. The show openers included aspiring hip-hop artist Asher Roth, and pop-punk all-stars All-American Rejects, as well as Fall Out Boy.

The All-American Rejects came out loud and eager to meet the Houston crowd. Bassist and singer Tyson Ritter was in his current tour attire which included a glittered, shirtless chest. Ritter gave a history lesson towards the end of the band's hit-single influenced set, which included "Dirty Little Secret" and "Swing Swing," informing the crowd of the Houston venues the Rejects had played in the last ten years including Fitzgerald's and Mary Jane's.

With a brief intermission and set change, the pop-punk Chicago quartet, Fall Out Boy took the stage. Their set production included the letters "F-O-B" at the base of the stage, which stood almost as tall as the band members themselves. Fall Out Boy bassist, Pete Wentz, joked with guitarist and singer, Patrick Stump, about how people in the crowd wouldn't notice how they were really small and only look tall on-stage. Wentz also apologized for having to cancel their show earlier in the year.

Fall Out Boy's set was full of super hits including "Sugar, We're Going Down" and "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" as well as a fan favorite, "Saturday." The band also included their own version of Journey's smash hit "Don't Stop Believing," and the crowd went absolutely crazy.

At around 9:20 p.m., Blink 182 took the stage in Houston/The Woodlands for the first time in five and a half years. They started with "Dumpweed," the first song on their multi-platinum album Enema of the State. Their production included circular screens behind them connected by neon lights. Every now and then an animated version the band's unofficial mascot, the stomping bunny, was displayed throughout the production. In between the band's hit-singles "What's My Age Again" and "The Rock Show" as well as album favorites "Reckless Abandon" and "Stockholm Syndrome," were their infamous mom-jokes and toilet humor. Blink 182 was back in full form.

Then, there was the second moment everyone had been waiting for, next to Blink's reunion: Travis Barker's famous drum solos. Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker was once again strapped to his drum kit as it lifted in the air and swayed from side to side while rotating over The Woodlands crowd. Barker, who performed different drum solos in the past, exceeded his audience's expectations. The Woodlands crowd went nuts.

Blink 182's set officially ended with singer and bassist Mark Hoppus's solo rendition of Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" while singer, guitarist Tom Delonge danced around the stage.

It was good too see the boys from Southern California back on stage in The Woodlands, and guess what it didn't rain a drop.

Well, Mr. Hoppus, I think you owe someone a fancy feast.