There’s something to be said about having the opportunity to catch the inaugural show of a major tour. It can be likened to having the 1st sip of wine from a bottle that has aged just the right amount of time or tearing into that 1st present on Christmas morning. Analogies aside, the fact that blink-182 chose the Kia Center in Orlando as the starting point for their One More Time Tour had me more excited for a show than I have been in quite a while. To sweeten the pot, blink was bringing along West Coast rockers, Pierce the Veil, and singer-songwriter jxdn. It should come as no surprise that this show has been sold out for months.
Normally it would take me about 25 minutes to make the trip from my house to the Kia Center, but I know from experience that a sold-out event can easily turn that into a 1 ½ hour commute. I wasn’t about to take any chances and decided to leave 2 ½ hours early and I’m glad I did. Throngs of fans were steadily making their way toward the arena even though there was still 2 hours until the start of the show. jxdn was slated to kick things off at 7:00pm and since I wasn’t familiar with his work, I began my pre-show research about a week ago. Jaden Hossler, aka jxdn, hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee and launched his music career in 2020 after a successful stint on the social media titan, Tik Tok. With a respectable sized crowd already in attendance, jxdn came out and made the most of his 30-minute set. In addition to singer Jaden Hossler, the band was comprised of Kenji Chan on guitar and a drummer that I could not see so unfortunately I don’t have his name. The bulk of the set came from jxdn’s upcoming album, When The Music Stops, including “STRAY,” “SAD OCTOBER,” and “JUST LET GO.” Most of the performance took place in alternating dark lights consisting mainly of reds and blues which made it difficult to view, especially from the soundboard. Those who arrived early really seemed to enjoy the performance and it successfully set the stage for what was yet to come. When The Music Stops, drops on June 28th, 2024, so be sure to check it out.
jxdn:
Jaden Hossler: Vocals
Kenji Chan: Guitar
Setlist:
1.Stray
2.Candles
3.Friends with Benefits
4.IT MUST SUCK TO KNOW YOU
5.DEAD OR ALIVE
6.SAD OCTOBER
7.JUST LET GO
8.ANGELS & DEMONS
Still riding high from last year’s album, The Jaws of Life, Pierce the Veil was poised to enter the spotlight at 7:45pm. I have wanted to cover Pierce the Veil for quite some time, so I was really stoked to finally see them. With 5 studio LPs under their belt, the band has been riveting fans since 2006 and their post-hardcore style translates well into their live shows. The guys came out blasting with last year’s “Death of an Executioner.” Vocalist and founding member Vic Fuentes came out fired up, wearing a red windbreaker and a backwards cap. Whether leaping from the platforms or raising his guitar for the crowd, Fuentes had the fans on their feet. The set included a cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police” along with staples like “Caraphernalia,” and “Bulls in the Bronx.” The always animated bassist Jaime Preciado was had no problem showing how much fun he was having as he ran about the stage grinning all the while. The allotted time of 45 minutes could’ve gone on much longer and no one would’ve complained. Schedules are in place for a reason and with that in mind the performance concluded with the fan-favorite “King for a Day.” I will definitely be looking forward to seeing these guys again.
Pierce The Veil:
Vic Fuentes: Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Keyboards/Piano/Programming
Tony Perry: Lead Guitar
Jaime Preciado: Bass, Backing Vocals/Keyboards, Programming
Loniel Robinson: Drums
Setlist:
1.Death of an Executioner
2.Caraphernelia
3.Circles
4.Karma Police (Radiohead cover)
5.Bulls in the Bronx
6.Emergency Contact
7.Pass the Nirvana
8.King for a Day
As 9:00pm approached, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. The circular stage provided a 360-degree view and the venue was packed to the rafters. blink-182 are truly the kings of pop-punk, an honor that they have earned throughout their 32-year existence and the 20,000 people in attendance are a testament to that fact. When the lights went out, the jumbo screen displayed the band and their crew emerging from a smoky corridor as Jim Johnston’s “Rest in Peace,” played throughout the arena. The stage exploded in purple lights as the band went straight into 2003’s “Feeling This,” and from there was no turning back. What followed was almost 1 1/2 hours of pure pop-punk nostalgia. “The Rock Show” increased the tempo of the show and drummer Travis Barker was the proverbial foot on the gas. Things heated up during “Stay Together For The Kids” as the stage rotated in the midst of billowing plumes of flames.
The band performed a generous number of cuts from last year’s album “One More Time,” which was great since it really is an outstanding record with a lot of emotional roots, including guitarist Tom DeLonge’s return to the band after a 7-year hiatus and vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus’ battle with cancer. I’m here to tell you that the guys all looked and sounded great tonight. The crowd sang along to the new songs such as “Dance with Me,” and “Edging,” and partied to anthems like “What’s My Age Again?.” Hoppus and DeLonge put their Fenders into overdrive and made frequent trips around the circumference of the stage much to the delight of the fans. 2003’s “Not Now,” and “Down” placed Barker in the spotlight with blistering drum solos, the former of which his kit was suspended above the stage.
The crowd was also treated to a previously unreleased song, “Can’t Go Back,” and several partial covers in the form of “When Your Heart Stops Beating” by +44 and “There Is” by Box Car Racer. The band spiced things up by adding a little pyro to their performance of ANTHEM PART 3 and snippets of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” into “First Date,” and TLC’s “No Scrubs” into “Dammit.” A lot of shows end with an artist’s most famous or most upbeat song but tonight was not one of those shows. The band chose “One More Time” for their finale and from the moment DeLonge sang the 1st word you knew it was the perfect choice. Backlit with a somber yellow light, the rest of the venue was illuminated by thousands of torches. This emotional masterpiece encapsulates the highs, lows and history of this great band and was a perfect ending to a perfect night.
blink-182:
Mark Hoppus: Vocals, Bass
Tom DeLonge: Vocals, Guitar
Travis Barker: Drums, Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1.Feeling This
2.The Rock Show
3.Man Overboard
4.Aliens Exist
5.DANCE WITH ME
6.Obvious
7.Bored to Death
8.EDGING
9.Up All Night
10.MORE THAN YOU KNOW
11.M + M’s
12.Stay Together for the Kids
13.Not Now (w/ drum solo)
14.Can’t Go Back (World Premiere)
15.I Miss You
16.Down
17.When Your Heart Stops Beating (+44 cover)
18.There Is (Box Car Racer Cover/Partial)
19.FUCK FACE
20.ANTHEM PART 3
21.Always
22.What’s My Age Again?
23.First Date (w/ snippet of Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones)
24.All The Small Things
25.Dammit (w/ snippet of No Scrubs by TLC)
26.ONE MORE TIME
I’ve had a love for photography since I was young. Whether it was a Polaroid or a Kodak 110, I was always the kid with the camera. My love of music goes back even further. Nothing beats being at a show when those lights go down and the crowd goes nuts.
