Blink-182 Review: Mark, Tom & Travis Bring The Rock Show to Fenway
Just a brief Blink-182 review of their Fenway Park show, the latest in a series of show reviews for our Summer of Rock on ROCK 92.9.
And the Summer of Rock isn’t just show reviews. It’s a chance to win your way into the season’s biggest concerts. It’s also long post-show sets from the headliners as you head home from the venue on the ROCK 92.9 Encore. Download the app and get into it.
I got into Fenway for the second time in three nights, as Blink-182 were headlining just two days after the Foo Fighters blew the roof off the park. Actually, I can’t say that. Fenway Park doesn’t have a roof. Here’s what I had to say about the show, though.
Blink-182 Review: The Appetizer
The Blink crowd at Fenway was much different than it was for the Foo. A bit younger, with lots more ink. Which explains the band’s choice of opener. Pierce The Veil brought the 2000’s Hot Topic-core vibes. They also covered Radiohead’s “Karma Police.” Confusing.
Blink-182 Review: The Main Course
There’s no standard set schedule for these summer Fenway shows, so I had no real idea of when Blink would take the stage. They ended up coming on right at 8:30, just as the sunset was waning. Perfect timing, Mark, Tom & Travis.
Right out of the gate, the energy was there. The opened with “Feeling This,” went straight into “The Rock Show”–complete with fireworks and pyrotechnics–then “Man Overboard,” the band’s hat-tip to founding drummer Scott Raynor.
From there on out, it was all the schtick, banter, and bombast you’d expect from the boys. Twenty-five songs, followed by two-song encore. For a guy like me who used to catch Blink on the Warped Tour back in the ’90s, it was the perfect summer throwback.
Foo Fighters Review: Grohl & Co. Bring Best of Foo to Fenway
Read this Foo Fighters review of their Fenway Park show and you’ll get all the details in the time it would take you to listen to “Big Me.”
I’m spoiled. I was on hand for the Foos Boston Calling headlining set in 2023, which was only their second live performance since the passing of Taylor Hawkins in 2022. That was a magical night full of memorable musical moments. I wrote about it here.
Flash-forward a year and two months, and here they are again, this time headlining Fenway Park. And here I was, pregaming at Bill’s Bar before crossing Lansdowne St. and entering the park via the wrong gate. I should’ve taken my own advice.
Foo Fighters Review: The Openers
I should’ve skipped Bill’s before the show, too. I missed the first opening act, Amyl and The Sniffers. Pity, as I’ve been a fan of the Aussie punks for years. My friend Jon said they were great. High-energy despite the low crowd turnout early on.
The Hives had the same issue, but also rose above. Frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist worked the crowd like the pro that he is and the Swedish rockers sounded as sharp as they looked in their black-and-white suits. Catch a clip below, courtesy of Steve’s Concert Corner.
Foo Fighters Review: Best of Foo
As a disclaimer, this Foo Fighters review has passed through two filters. First, the recency bias of seeing the emotional, all-time-great Foo set at Boston Calling last year. Second, the fact that I’m currently reading Dave Grohl’s 2021 book, The Storyteller.
The Foo’s Fenway setlist was similar song-wise to the Boston Calling gig. That’s how the band operates: they have a standard set and make small tweaks here and there. One of those small tweaks was “Generator,” a surprise from 1999’s There Is Nothing Left To Lose.
Another was keyboardist Rami Jaffe strapping on an accordion to accompany Dave on acoustic guitar for a unique version of “Skin and Bones.” Tiny changes, yes. But the type that create special moments for long-time fans and make you feel the show is special.
So while the Foo Fenway set wasn’t on par with Boston Calling a year ago, it was memorable in its own way. And the near-three-hour concert proved once again that the Foo Fighters are the best damn live rock band in the world today.
Peep some more pics below.