Blink-182 Q&A: Why Their New 'California' Album 'Feels Like Home'
On Thursday night (Apr. 28) in Los Angeles, at a cushy karaoke lounge on Sunset Boulevard, Blink-182 were the audience instead of the entertainment for a change, as Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Matt Skiba sat back and watched their friends, family and future tourmates scream every single word of the pop-punk trio’s greatest hits.
To mark the release of “Bored to Death,” the first single off their forthcoming album, California, and the announcement of their upcoming tour, which has them lapping the country on a 45-date odyssey, Blink-182 opted to rent out the Blind Dragon, queue up a handful of the songs and get loud with some lucky fans. There was no "Don't Stop Believin'" or "Total Eclipse of the Heart" action here; everyone was there to sing—and celebrate—the music of Blink.
At one point, John "Feldy" Feldmann—the Goldfinger frontman, longtime friend of the band and California producer—hopped onstage in a spiffy grey suit to kick off the festivities with "Dammit," and that's when the night started to feel like a special occasion worthy of the circumstances. Blink-182 have gone through it in the past few years, and announcing their comeback with a goofy, pseudo-fancy shindig complete with umbrella-sporting drinks and a look back on their accomplishments was a fitting start to this new chapter.
Before the room was screaming with Feldy about losing, failing and flailing now, the guys stepped away from the debauchery and opened up about California, and why this album really isn't so much the start of something new for Blink-182, but a vital reacquaintance with the spirit of the band that they had so dearly missed.
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