Blink-182

Getting kicked out of high school for showing up drunk to a basketball game can yield only disastrous results; unless you're in Blink-182. The group has become one of (if not the most) popular pop punk bands ever, due to their upbeat songs with irreverent lyrics and extremely energetic tour dates. In a career that's spanned almost twenty years, Blink-182 has managed to shock and excite rock and punk fans of all ages with their albums and concert dates. Despite a semi-absence for the past few years, Blink-182 is coming back with European tour dates in 2011; and they're bringing some heavy-hitting friends. These tour dates in 2011 will thrill European residents, but will come as a crushing blow to fans in the US.

Blink-182 (which was Blink at this early date) was started in San Diego, CA in 1992 by Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Scott Raynor, who all went to Poway High School together. Blink-182's third demo, Buddha, helped them score a show at SOMA, one of San Diego's only all-ages venues. Their humorous concert dates gained them a small following and their first full-length album, Cheshire Cat, in 1994. The band's first big break came with the release of their second album, Dude Ranch, in 1997. The album's single "Dammit" became a huge success and prompted the band to head out on multiple tour dates in '97 and '98. It was during one of these US concert dates that drummer Scott Raynor was asked to leave the band. Hoppus and DeLonge asked The Aquabats drummer Travis Barker to fill in and he was soon hired full-time.

Immediately after welcoming Barker to the band, Blink-182 set to work on their third album, which would launch them all into stardom: Enema of the State. The album featured hit singles "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things", and "Adam's Song". The record was followed up in 2001 with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, the success of which proved that Blink-182 was here to stay. Hit singles included "The Rock Show" and "First Date" with the album eventually going double platinum in the US. Due to DeLonge's back problems, the band took a short break, but regrouped in late 2002 and began working on their self-titled fifth album.

Critics and fans alike praised the newest album as an evolution of the band's sound and a maturing of the band. However, behind the scenes tensions were running high as DeLonge expressed interest in canceling the album's promotional concert dates. After a heated discussion, the concert tour was canceled and the band went on hiatus, which soon led to DeLonge leaving the band permanently. It wasn't until Travis Barker was nearly killed in a plane crash in 2008 that the three bandmates reunited, both as a band and as friends. The announcement of their reunion came at the 2009 Grammy Awards, along with the news that a sixth Blink-182 album will be released in the summer of 2011.

To promote this latest album, Blink-182 is planning summer tour dates in 2011. They will be joined by a bevy of bands that have either been inspired by Blink-182 (at some point) or have toured with them before, including: Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Panic at the Disco, and The All-American Rejects. The concert tour will begin in Denmark on June 18 at the Hurricane Festival, continuing through Germany, Italy, and the UK. While fans not in Europe might be disappointed at the lack of concert dates in their area, with a new album out and the Blink-182 revolution continuing, it won't be long until a worldwide Blink-182 tour kicks off.