The concert tickets for August 29, 2009 Hartford, CT Blink 182, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, and Chester French listed the doors opening at 5:30pm and the concert at 6:30pm. As a current New Jersey resident I knew the track to Hartford would be long and we would probably hit traffic so I added an extra hour to the two and half hour drive to Hartford. After driving three hours to get to the Comcast Theatre there was another hour wait getting off of Rt.91 to get to the parking lot. The first opening band Chester French ended up hitting the stage at 6pm and Taking Back Sunday at 6:30pm. We didn’t get into the venue until 7:15pm missing the first two bands of the concert.
The frustration and disappointment subsided once Weezer hit the stage. The last time I saw them was in NYC at Madison Square Gardens about a year ago. That was a good show but this performance outdid it by far with their energy and stage presence. Weezer jumped on mini trampolines and worked the crowd while playing their newer and older songs that sprouted my love for them including “Beverly Hills,” and “Say It Aint So,” “Hash Pipe,” “Buddy Holly,” and many more. Weezer was the perfect leadway into the much anticipated Blink 182 performance.
I have been waiting for the moment to see Blink 182 hit the stage again since 2005 when they announced they were taking a hiatus. Blink was the band that opened up my love for music and I have been a fan since 1999, when I was a junior in high school. They the one band that I have been following closely throughout the years and knowing that they were close friends with Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, I was worried that they weren’t going to be able to go on with the performance. To my delight, they hit the stage playing an hour and half set.
From the moment that they hit the stage I could hear the sadness in their voices and in their performance. Tom DeLonge, guitar player and co-lead singer, kept telling the crowd that they were doing the best that they could and were giving all that they had to the show. Bassist and co-vocalist, Mark Hoppus explained why by conducting a moment of silence for “DJ AM.” All three members of Blink cried on stage and stepped off during the moment of silence. Despite their mourning of their good friend, Blink was able to bring up their moods by feeding off of the crowd to play an amazing set. They played songs including, “Down,” “All The Small Things,” “What’s My Age Again,” “Rock Show,” and “Dumpweed.” Travis Barker, the drummer, always has a long drum solo but only performed a short one without the special effects since he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Tom and Mark Hoppus, however were able to project their normal banter of potty mouth jokes like no time at all passed since their last tour. I can’t wait to catch them on their next tour!