boxelder

they're actually scheduled to play innings fest in az on feb 22, but IIRC it's their only scheduled date as of now

always liked the interplay of "this is the last song i'll ever write for you / no more telling me i'm not right for you". vintage mark.

You know what would be sick? Blink TOYPAJ 25th/Jimmy Eat World Bleed American 25th in stadiums this summer. Opener PUP or No Pressure. Feel like that would be a solid lineup that could at least hit a few ballparks here Stateside. Wishful thinking!

wow. so cool when these official youtube channels for these old late night shows upload clips like these, straight from the original source tape. especially when we've been watching muddy VHS rips of this for 28 years. looks like it was shot yesterday.

i've seen that interview before. i think there are a lot of misconceptions about the origins. prior to 2001, the story often repeated was that tom and scott were already linked, and then later mark came along. the publication of tales from beneath your mom focused heavily on the bromance between mark and tom, and led to the perception that scott was an afterthought, and that the true genesis of the band was sparked between mark and tom. scott even alludes to it as much in his 2004 chat with jason tate, where he says "they are rewriting the books." the truth is probably a bit of both. it's likely that tom and scott were already playing together -- as big oily men, as whatever, who knows -- throughout '92. but when tom met mark it truly became what it was because their bond was so reportedly immediate and connected. as for the band writing scott out, i think that TFBYM made it feel that way, but they've been more honest lately. as recently as this week, mark was a guest on the new teen beat podcast, and he explains that tom and scott were previously a pair, then he came into the picture. (timestamp 29:30 min)

Wow, did not know this. It’s just “go!” (And sounds more like Tom than Mark to my ears). They must’ve just muted it when they were mixing the album and it was just an oversight in putting it in Atmos.

kevin gray's SRC remasters are amazing. one can only assume that he used multitrack digital masters (as it's pretty standard, easier, cheaper, accessible, etc), but he tweaked with EQ/levels/etc to give the discography a better soundstage for the format. they are really phenomenal all things considered. even the ones that never got the deluxe "hi-fi" treatment (cheshire cat, TOYPAJ, neighborhoods) were remixed by gray. this reissue is a true analog reissue, straight from the original tapes, which presumably haven't been touched since they completed the album. the tapes are the literal original format the instruments were recorded on, and there's frequencies/timbres on that magnetic tape that some listeners claim can be lost when porting it to digital. it's like xeroxing a piece of paper. what they've done with this reissue is transfer those original tapes to a lacquer master and stamper that is used to press only these 3000 copies. at the end of the day, it's really up to listener whether or not it sounds BETTER, and there's a lot of snobby, deluded audiophiles that swear by AAA pressings. at the very least, it will be a very different listening experience for EOTS, likely clearer and less compressed than it has ever sounded.

this is exciting. interscope is releasing EOTS on all-analog (AAA) vinyl for the first time ever, this feburary. i'm a vinyl collector and somewhat of an audiophile, so this is intriguing for a lot of reasons. all-analog reissues of loudness war/CD-era albums are VERY rare this is blink's first true AAA reissue ever, and first all-analog vinyl pressing since at least 2001 IIRC chris bellman -- widely considered a top vinyl mastering engineer -- is helming the project the blurb claims it is from the "original" master tapes -- not a safety copy, or high-res digital file, indicating the EOTS tapes were unharmed from the 2008 universal fire, which is news on vinyl, EOTS has had a very spotty history -- early vinyl reissues had poor QC and were sourced from inferior digital masters. the well-received 2016 remasters through SRC, done by kevin gray, were very likely digitally sourced as well (not a problem really, just not analog!) EOTS has always been a very loud, compressed-sounding album, intentionally so. that won't change, but it's likely that this could be a serious audio upgrade for it -- there's the potential for it to reveal new depth and details in the sound. jerry finn was meticulous about making these albums, which is why it has always sounded great, even as loud as it is. he was also a tape and hi-fi enthusiast. if they are willing to go back to the tapes for this reissue, it hopefully indicates interest in more -- maybe deluxe versions of the discography, which i know fans have always dreamed of.

i mean, it's not surprising in the least. he didn't seem all that involved with the writing, either. aside from a few distinctly skiba moments, he was sort of cardboard cutout for those few years

wow, that's great! i do remember that anecdote from anne's book. very interesting. it's always crazy to look back on blink's early days and how they were sort of secondary to bands like 7 seconds -- that by that point, had been around forever.

so agree. book is out of my price range, but a full scan of those photos would be out of this world.

this is an extremely old thread, but i was bored and watching the 2004 unreleased documentary that estevan oriol shot, and there's some great footage of blink recording this infamous BBC session (around the 27 min mark). it does appear that they were going for some sort of weird, stripped-down approach -- it's just a hi-hat, snare, and crash travis plays. tom makes a jokey remark about not having enough time for vocal warmups too. just a weird, off performance that kind of tonally fits the below doc and that bleary winter tour pre-breakup.

I loved big day out too at 14 lol. The banter has changed… It’s slightly more clever, less outwardly offensive and more intentionally dumb for the sake of it. I will say I find it genuinely subversive that they are still so ridiculous on stage. They’re still taking the piss out of the live experience which is hilarious, especially considering the shows now have the musicianship and production to back it up. Anyone who find it cringe, even the fact that they’re older and still doing it, needs to lighten up and stop taking things so seriously.

Incorrect — in the case of Tom specifically, he is truly playing better in my view. The cool guitar parts he develops on the fly or embellishes live (Dumpweed outro, WMAA bridge, wishing well bridge, rock show verse) prove that he’s a more proficient player than he’s ever been, and well, I would surely hope so after been a pro musician for so long. Case in point, the extended outro they’ve been testing for more than you know is a prime example of the fact that they care more now about their live sound more than ever. There’s no need for a new ending to more than you know, but they’re trying it out anyway. My overarching point is not only are they playing better now, they care more too, and it shows. And when the backing tracks add to the sound, that’s fine, since they are playing better than ever. But when they substitute or allow for laziness (Tom not strumming on DWM), that’s a different ballgame to me.

This isn’t the gotcha you think it is. You’re taking what I said out of context without showing the whole picture. I’ve been remarkably consistent in my positions — that backing tracks beef up the sound at the expense of a more natural show, both for positive and negative. you don't have to quote more, i'll do it for you: Negative take. And I still agree -- it was stiff and lifeless when they introduced the backing tracks in 2009. for a band used to playing at 3x speed, something felt off. add in the drunken playing/yodleing, weird amps, all set to click... you can see why i might feel that way. here’s an example of me giving a positive take on backing tracks two and a half years ago without a peep from you: Positive take. my point here is that they sound better overall -- due to moving on from tube amps, and tom playing more accurately. there have been several posts where i've expressed how much i've enjoyed tom toying with the riffs live and adding little flourishes in ways he only can. the backing tracks, then, in my view, only enhance that. To this point: when it crosses a line into Milli Vanilli miming territory, it does irk me. And it ain’t just me: I heard people last night joking in the crowd “that’s not an acoustic guitar” when they heard the acoustic sound of I miss you coming out of the electric. At the end of the day, did I enjoy when they were a little faster and more natural? Sure, I like the punk energy. But they also sounded really shitty for a really long time — with the band trying to constantly catch up to coke-addled Travis (think 2004). And it's been a bit of a slippery slope with the backing tracks with just how many extra elements they've added ... first, it was just keys, then tambourine, then extra guitar. now you have Tom forgetting to strum on DWM. But even still, they sound better than when they were playing at breakneck speed, and they're having more fun than ten years ago. With how genuinely well they play now, the backing tracks in my view seem more of a compliment than a detriment. and overall, using them doesn’t make them any different than any of the dozens of other bands that use a click track synced to lighting and pyro. my logic was always the backing tracks were not the problem, but only amplified -- no pun intended -- the problems beneath. TLDR: when used effectively, backing tracks make the band sound better — and I’m a fan — even at the expense of it feeling natural. When relied on as a crutch, or to substitute actual playing, it becomes karaoke. More TLDR: stop taking a kneejerk reaction when my positions are more nuanced than you’re giving them credit for. Extra TLDR: stop whining when I’m just being positive.

Evidence? I literally do not remember ever being against the backing tracks. There have been times where I wish it was faster and more organic like the old days, and I think it sounded really stiff when they first started using them, but I don’t ever recall being against them entirely. You’ve gotta be confusing me for someone else.

I was at the Atlanta show last night and had a blast. We managed to get pretty close to the front so it was my closest I’ve seen them. Tons of crowd surfers lol. Some observations: The backing tracks really beef up the sound in a great way, and they continue to play better than ever. Tom is having the time of his life. It’s so much more fun watching HIM have fun on stage. He was strutting around and being genuinely acrobatic, and there was a period not that long ago where he just stood there. He’s in a much better place now. The deep cuts were extremely well received… Tons of people in the crowd were singing songs like roller coaster and online songs, which tracks with videos of the rest of the shows from this tour. I’m grateful they made the effort to incorporate them for this outing, but I hope they continue to do that in the future… There’s a very deep well to pull from, and there’s an entire generation of people who know most of the words to every CD. I heard people singing wishing well on the way out The only song that seemed to fall flat was Turpentine, no surprise there. DWM had people moving They’re a perfect festival band. I know it seemed like they were reticent to be a part of them a decade ago, but I’m glad they’ve been more on board since Matt and since the reunion. The set is so well structured and leaves everyone happy, especially casuals.

you know what song is SO fucking good? adam's song. it's a miracle of a song. it has every ingredient that i love about this band. the lyrics, how they flip the meaning at the end, but leave room for misconception. the vocals and vocalizations behind the chorus. the grungy triple-guitar on the chorus that just blasts you in the face. travis illustrating why he was the right fit for the band, with an algebraic drum pattern that works. the roger manning piano part that arrives like a light in the darkness. the video, with the pictures, and memories, and the cuts between. it might be the band's single best song.

as much as i think WDNTW is inconsistent and meandering, it does have a freewheeling creative energy, carried over from the untitled album. things like tom putting rocks in a shoebox to make the intro to the adventure, or using his daughter's toy piano for start the machine... i just really appreciate off the wall endeavors like that. and to @JarJarBlinks point, it's sonically at the level... it's mixed impeccably

i can see that, but i've also gotten the impression that after submitting to outside songwriters in the feldy years, blink has quietly fielded songs written FOR them for years now -- heaven was the first obvious example, when it was revealed it was just a pro songwriter and travis jamming. you could probably look up the ASCAP percentages which might give some insight (or might not... idk how all that works). i agree that travis might over-exaggerate his contributions, but i get the impression that mark and tom have occasionally checked out on certain songs that visibly lack their input (OMT, take me in, cut me off), and are more united on songs that feel like true extensions of their sound in the past (more than you know, turpentine, as evidenced by how often they've performed them).

so glad OMT has been retired for a little bit. such a maudlin, weird note to end the show. it worked for the last tour, i guess, but i wouldn't mind not hearing it again for a while. BTD on the other hand always seems to get a good response, but i'd definitely prefer more deep cuts over it haha

Italia pointed out that in the stage design there’s posters behind them for +44, AVA, and transplants. Neat

they really look like they're having fun in these clips. tom looks better than ever. what a great time to be a fan. can't wait to catch them in ATL in a little under a month!

There’s definitely backing tracks on everything except hope. Mark said on his discord that for many of the deep cuts they had to pull keyboard parts and extra effects FOR the backing tracks from the original session data. You can definitely hear it on the echoing guitar effect in roller coaster, and I feel like I heard some background guitar in wishing well, but I haven’t examined the footage too much

calling it, one of the best sets of their career. people have done a lot of complaining about the set over the years, but no one can say they haven't really given it their all since reuniting -- rotating in songs like hope, man overboard, GATC, wishing well, turpentine, easy target, not now, cynical, wendy clear, m+m's, roller coaster, online songs, natives, as well as mini +44/BCR covers. it's mind-melting for a fan, honestly. it's way more effort than they gave the last time around (09-14). i didn't get to watch the full stream but the opening was hilarious, and starting with rock show is a little bold -- not sure they've ever used that as an opener before. it's a testament to the spirit with which they're building these shows. it's a lot more interesting than it's ever been.