I’m somehow terrified and fascinated by  large crowds of people. Warped tour was a daily anxiety for me, there were just…so…many of them. When given the choice, I will opt out of going to stadium shows. They’re just not my thing, and I don’t find them enjoyable, although the production of these shows tries urgently to overcompensate for the noise of 20 000 people. I have a few friends working on the Blink 182/Weezer tour, and thought it’d be cool to see them, but I just didnt’ know if it was in me to go to the city and experience some likely inappropriate grabs in a sea of seventeen year olds. But I also weighed the fact that the tickets were free. So I went. And I’m mostly glad I did.

Parking was a drag, fitting 20 000 people anywhere is a nightmare, but we schemed our way into a spot. Bands like Weezer and Blink are really anthem bands. Their songs are easy to remember, simple enough and catchy. They also caught us all at a time in adolescence when most everything was heightened and magnified. The snacks we traded are now honorary snacks, holding real estate in our hearts simply because of their attachment to an era in our lives. Same goes for these bands. They meant far more than they did, because they played in the background during the most dramatic season of our life- youth in all it’s ugly glory. 

Weezer provoked/prodded/elated the nearly-wasted crowd to a new decibal, preparing them for what was to come. They’re still vibrant and energetic, as Rivers played each instrument to…I believe, El Scorcho before the whole band came out to finish it off. The best part was when they played their new song, If You’re Wondering, because I’m still wondering whether this song is all that applicable to 40 year old dudes.  

The production for Blink was impressive. As it should be for such a crowd. I actually had a lot of fun, despite assuring myself that those days were behind me. During their performance, all I kept thinking was, these guys were just regular dudes from San Diego. And here they are. Fame is really something that’s extraordinary, and continues to confuse and challenge me. It seems difficult to maintain humility when you perform in front of thousands of people each night. How do people cognitively separate the two worlds? Or disassociate themselves from that reality. Maybe they can’t. Although, it seems they are still the same Blink, throwing out their best material of high school banter, pervy comments and repeatedly expressing their fierce love for the city of Toronto. But how can we know if we’re really not just another city, huh? How…

Weezer- (If You Are Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

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Blink 182- The Rock Show

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