breathe easy

Apparently Blink 182 announced their intent to reunite on the Grammys last night. I did not see it live because a) I was eating some sweet apple pie at B&O and b) the Grammys are dumb. Actually, all award shows are pretty dumb. Anyway here are some stray observations:

1. Mark Hoppus is clearly the attention hog between the three

2. Tom DeLonge looked super awkward (and fat).

3. I half expected Travis Barker to rip the envelope open with his teeth. It would've been hilarious if he did.

I could shit on this whole announced reunion as I have done to many other bands in the past (Get Up Kids, Hot Water Music, I'm looking at you), but I won't. The 15 year old in me is too stoked.

Another Reunion Post...Really

A few years ago, the Murder City Devils did a couple of reunion shows in Seattle, then some scattered dates. Today, Gabe announced that they were doing a west coast run from Seattle to Los Angeles. This is one reunion tour I can get behind because unlike some other bands (Get Up Kids and Park), they're not trying to shill out for any new or reissued material, but rather to relive their glory days of being that super drunk band. I plan on going to one these shows and if you even remotely liked this band, I would recommend on going, too.

[Related Videos]
Murder City Devils, "Idle Hands"

Riverdales Announce New Album! Screeching Weasel Fans Rejoice!

In light of the last post, a band that has broken up in the past, but reunited and has since taken long breaks in between records, The Riverdales, have announced that they're releasing a new record. So sez the Org:

"In his latest podcast, Ben Weasel has confirmed that he will be once again teaming up with Dan Vapid to record a new record as the Riverdales. The band, formed in the 90s by members of Screeching Weasel released a 1995's Riverdales and 1997's Storm The Streets before splitting up. They reunited in 2003 to release Phase Three.

The band has not yet named a drummer for the forthcoming album, but plans are for a release in 2009 with some live shows to follow."

The Ramones-inspired band is just one of the many reunions to occur (mostly of bands that I have given a shit about in the past), which leads me to believe that I should probably just start a reunion blog.

Anyway, I love Ben Weasel as a song writer and this reunion is one that is obviously not for the money, since very few people gave a shit about the Riverdales when they were semi-popular anyway.

[Related Video]
The Riverdales, "Back to You (Live)"

Thoughts on the Get Up Kids Reunion and Then Some

I posted about the Get Up Kids impending reunion and little while back and since then, the band has indeed reunited in an impromptu performance (which you can see here) and my personal feelings on the matter has changed very little.

I suppose the inner fanboy in me is completely elated, but chiefly because the bands of the pop-punk persuasion that have been coming out of the woodwork these last few years, particularly in the wake of the Get Up Kids demise, has been pretty fucking dismal. Metro Station? Forever the Sickest Kids? A collective groan is most welcome.

Then again, as a purist, I feel that the band should've gotten back together under better circumstances, such as a benefit, rather than the 10 year anniversary of "Something to Write Home About." That particular album to me is a seminal recording, probably more so than "Four Minute Mile [1]," and yet their attempt to become relevant just falls flat and seems to really be a grasp at gaining back their popularity after the missteps that has been their post-TGUK careers [2].

Of course, I'm not a member of this band and I'm merely a person who is half-cynic and half-fan, so the intentions of this band getting back together outside of milking the "STWHA" reissue is beyond me. But the video doesn't lie and it looks to me that they're actually having fun, which is probably the best thing about those performance clips on the YouTubes.

This all begs the questions that I posed when Ozma annouced their reunion, why break up in the first place if you're going to get back together no more than three years later?

[1] Though "STWHA" is a personal favorite, I believe that "On a Wire" is their best album.

[2] It sucks neither Blackpool Lights, nor the New Amsterdams became more popular. Blackpool Lights' debut is still a favorite of mine and I've never dislked the New Ams or Matt Pryor's solo record.

i love the get up kids. apparently, they're reuniting and i'll probably watch them, but i don't think this revisit to the past will eclipse the way i felt the first time i saw them play back in 1999. as hard as you try, you can't be 18 forever.