Pop Punk Heroes

Revitalized Blink-182 revs up RodeoHouston crowd with pop-punk energy

San Diego’s Blink-182 rolled into NRG Stadium on Thursday night and brought a workmanlike attitude to their hour-long set of classic pop-punk tunes at RodeoHouston, a change of pace from the country-heavy lineup over the last few weeks. The band attracted one of the younger Rodeo audiences, comprised of a large number of attendees who grew up on the trio’s hits from the late '90s and early 2000s. Walking through the concourse before the show it was clear that fans had come out specifically to see their punk heroes as many of them were wearing official band T-shirts and hair colors every shade of hot neon.

Like Green Day, who played the Toyota Center a few weeks ago, Blink-182 is in the middle of a resurgence thanks to their best album in 15 years, California, which hit No. 1 last year. It’s one of seven Top 10 albums in the band’s career, contributing to over 50 million album sales worldwide.

The trio comprised of bassist-singer Mark Hoppus, newly acquired guitarist-singer Matt Skiba (formerly of Alkaline Trio), and drummer Travis Barker, stuck to their most popular albums — a strong showing for the aforementioned California, as well as familiar tunes from 1999’s Enema of the State, 2001's Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, and songs from the 2003 self-titled set, neglecting anything from the darker Neighborhoods from 2011.

The band kicked things off with a sweet fireworks display, in front of a crowd of 65,567, with “Feeling This.” Unfortunately, it took a few songs to find a good mix in sound quality, the drums drowning out melodic guitar hooks in the cavernous acoustics of NRG. Enema of the State single “What’s My Age Again?” brought the biggest cheers early on, with Hoppus asking afterwards, “So, how are the Texans going to do this season?” to even louder applause. “Alright, we’ll see,” he shrugged, perhaps knowing full well this team is without a starting quarterback.

Barker got the girls screaming a few songs in when he took his shirt off to reveal a full set of tattoos, something one likely won’t see on any of the country-themed nights. A word about Barker: he’s a dynamo and simply one of the most exciting drummers to watch in any genre of music. Not that Hoppus and Skiba are slouches, it’s that Blink-182 wouldn’t be as successful or exciting without the innovative and expert timekeeping Barker brings to the table, elevating the band’s brand of adolescent flavored punk to level of mainstream respect. Throughout the night, his drum fills and solos were a joy to behold.

Crowd interaction was minimal throughout the evening, with only Hoppus leaving the confines of his spot on the stage during songs when he wasn’t responsible for vocals. The best performances came on tracks from California, which makes perfect sense, as it is the only album with this current lineup. Skiba recently replaced former guitarist-vocalist Tom DeLonge, who quit to write books about UFOs (no, really). Songs that DeLonge would normally take vocal lead on were the ones that suffered, Skiba not having the range.

Where the band did succeed was in playing the big hits, which got the crowd on its feet, singing along. Staples like “Rock Show,” “I Miss You,” and “All The Small Things” were met with thunderous applause. For a band that is known for its sophomoric humor, it refrained from any swearing, likely a contractual obligation of appearing at a family-oriented event like RodeoHouston. Hoppus even left out a key F-word during set closer “Dammit,” the audience more than happy to fill in the blank.

Despite middling sound quality, Blink-182 proved they belong at RodeoHouston alongside hit makers of other genres. Once again, the talent bookers deserve credit for taking chances with their programming, proving that catering to fans of all musical tastes throughout the three-week event is a recipe for success.

Setlist:
Feeling This
Rock Show
Cynical
Anthem Part 2
What’s My Age Again?
First Date
Bored To Death
Down
I Miss You
Dumpweed
She’s Out Of Her Mind
Violence
Sober
Carousel
Los Angeles
All The Small Things
Brohemian Rhapsody
Dammit

Crowd interaction was minimal throughout the evening, with only Mark Hoppus leaving the confines of his spot on the stage during songs when he wasn’t responsible for vocals.

Photo courtesy of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Crowd interaction was minimal throughout the evening, with only Mark Hoppus leaving the confines of his spot on the stage during songs when he wasn’t responsible for vocals.

concerts rodeo

Weekend Event Planner

These are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

Photo by Matthew Murphy

Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Water for Elephants.

Now that the arctic blast has finished with us, several events that were cancelled last weekend – Gallery Sonja Roesch’s 35th anniversary show, a dual opening at Foltz Fine Art, Asia Society Texas’s Kawaii Market – have been rescheduled for this weekend.

As for the scheduled events this weekend, there’s an “autoboative” show, a screening of a sci-fi classic with live musical accompaniment, an all-star show for autograph collectors, a fashion competition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the return of Houston's noisiest music festival.

Thursday, January 29

Houston Autoboative Show
It’s the 42nd Houston Auto Show at NRG Park this weekend, which is also combined (for its third year) with the Houston Boat Show. The event showcases a diverse array of vehicles, from electric cars to trucks and sedans. It also offers a fantastic opportunity to get up close and personal with the hottest models on the market and learn from brand experts about each vehicle/vessel without the pressure of being sold to. 11 am (10 am Saturday and Sunday).

Asia Society Texas presents Offside
Asia Society Texas will kick off the World Cup with Offside, a 2006 dramedy from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. (It’s also part of this year’s Festival of Films from Iran.) Set during a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Bahrain, the film follows a group of young women who attempt to circumvent a ban on women attending sporting events by disguising themselves as men to enter the stadium and watch the game, leading to a series of increasingly absurd situations. 7 pm.

Performing Arts Houston presents Blade Runner Live
Ridley Scott’s stylish, 1982 noir classic Blade Runner (aka the 2007 Final Cut) will screen while Vangelis’ synthesizer-led cult score is performed live by The Avex Ensemble. In this futuristic hriller, detective Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) must continue as Replicant Hunter following the escape of four Replicants (including main baddie Rutger Hauer – RIP) from colonies who’ve returned to earth. His mission, however, is complicated when he falls for Rachel (Sean Young), a Replicant based at the Tyrell Corporation. 7:30 pm.

Friday, January 30

TRISTAR Houston Collectors Show
For three days, a lot of stars will be flocking to the NRG Arena in order to give Houstonians their signature. Along with lots of sports memorabilia for sale, the 40th Annual TRISTAR Houston Collectors Show will have tons of celebs signing autographs. Just on Saturday alone, we’ll get Karate Kid/Cobra Kai castmates Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and Martin Kove; the cast of The Sandlot, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Dennis Rodman, former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, former Rockets player Elvin Hayes, and Houston’s own Randy Quaid. 2 pm (10 am Saturday and Sunday).

The Hobby Center presents Houston Is Inspired - [Jk]creativ: Our Road Home
Multidisciplinary company [Jk]creativ gives us Our Road Home, an interactive rhythmic production created and directed by native Houston artist Jakari Sherman. Through layered rhythmic storytelling - spoken, rapped, preached, and sung - the work honors the communal labor and ingenuity that built spaces of freedom across time. Inspired by the legacy of Houston’s Freedmen’s Town, the work asks: Once freedom is gained, how do we live in it, preserve it, and pass it on when the pull of bondage lingers near?

MFAH and HCC present Fashion Fusion X
Frida Kahlo meets contemporary couture in Fashion Fusion, the 10th edition of the annual fashion competition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Open to aspiring designers in the Fashion Design program at Houston City College, Fusion challenges students to create original garments in response to art on display in the museum’s galleries. This year, the aspiring designers will showcase garments addressing the exhibition, "Frida: The Making of an Icon." 7 pm.

Memorial Hermann Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Water for Elephants
After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train, unsure of where the road will take him. He finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life - and love - beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 1:30 and 7 pm Sunday).

Saturday, January 31

The List One Year Anniversary
East End creative space The List will be celebrating its first anniversary with a bevy of weekend events, with two going down on Saturday. The day starts off with the return of the Vinyl & Furniture Garden Market, curated by local DJ vet Malcolm Bravo, over at the List Cafe. Bravo and other DJs will be spinning tunes as stores and vendors will be open for business. Later that evening, DJ/TikToker Sheri Koko will be working the turntables, along with some special-guest pals, at Room808. 11 am and 9 pm.

Burger Bodega present For the Culture
Chef and restaurateur Abbas Dhanani is taking a break from burgers to pay homage to his Pakistani heritage by partnering with the PX Project for a one-day only pop-up. Working with his mother and his aunt, the four-item menu showcases some favorite childhood dishes, including Nihari, slow-braised, spiced beef stew with naan; Hina Khala's Chicken Biryani, fragrant basmati rice layered with boneless chicken; the Chicken Sixty-Five Po' Boy; and a mango lassi sundae with a cardamom snickerdoodle cookie.

$\u200bBroadway at the Hobby Center presents Water for Elephants$

Photo by Matthew Murphy

Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Water for Elephants.

Seven Sisters presents Ping Zheng: Soft Interference opening reception
Soft Interference presents a new series of oil-stick works on paper by Ping Zheng, following her 2024 exhibition Nature’s Canopy at Seven Sisters. In these works, Zheng continues her investigation of landscape as a site of perception and interiority. Through repeated mark-making and shifting chromatic fields, she constructs images that hover between observed nature and remembered experience. Through Saturday, February 28. 2 pm.

MGEntertainment presents The 5th Annual Harsh Noise Houston
Believe it or not, there’s a heavy experimental-music scene here in H-Town. This weekend, you have the opportunity to see a lot of the scene’s most valuable players over at Super Happy Fun Land, where the fifth annual Harsh Noise Houston fest will be going down. 13 acts, representing some of the best experimental music, performance art, and noise that Texas has to offer, will be performing, including HauntedPixel, Ether Research, Astrogenic Hallucinating, and Psychosomatic’s sister project Del Norte. 7 pm.

Rice Cinema presents American Sons
Film producer and Rice alum Elizabeth Avellán presents American Sons, a documentary using first-hand footage captured by fallen Marine Cpl. Jorge “JV” Villarreal, a native of San Antonio. The film focuses on a brotherhood of U.S. Marines a decade after their Afghanistan deployment, focusing on their struggle with combat trauma, PTSD, and reintegration, especially after losing their friend Villarreal. Avellan and director Andrew James Gonzales will be around for a post-screening Q&A. 7 pm.

Sunday, February 1

ReelAbilities Houston presents ReelArt For All
The ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival’s ReelArt For All program will feature art and interactive activities, brunchy bites, and more. Guests can see the world through the eyes of artists from Celebration Company, an entrepreneurial employment program for adults with disabilities, and explore the works of featured artist Emmett Kyoshi Wilson. A Chicago-based artist living with Down syndrome, Wilson has created over 150 works, exhibited in five galleries, and even painted the American Flag for the U.S. Embassy in Croatia. 10:30 am.

Shepherd School of Music presents Inside Look: Modern American Operas
The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University will present a deconstructed look at two full-length American comic operas: Karim Al-Zand’s 50th anniversary commission A Joint Interest and William Bolcom’s Lucrezia. Aleko Endowed Artist Paul Curran guides audiences through these mischievous and delightfully theatrical worlds. Shepherd School Chamber Players will accompany both contemporary operas from the pit, led by Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Bolcom's Lucrezia contains adult content and is not suitable for all audiences. 2 pm.

Cultural Center Our Texas presents Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented blend of the unique comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich, and the talents of his furry costars. There are more than 30 pets (dogs, cats, horses, birds, etc.) in the show, and each one has been rescued from animal shelters and given a new leash on life. Bad pun aside, this show will be a joy for viewers of all ages. 4 pm.

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