Blink-182 Pleases Its Fans, But Shuns Deeper Waters

Not everything should be taken seriously. Not even punk rock. Take San Diego’s goofball trio Blink-182, yet another step down the punk-pop food chain from Green Day. At UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center on Friday, the band bounced and joked to 90 minutes of upbeat and disposable punk.

Blink-182 may have been slashing out the same chords that once seemed so revolutionary and dangerous in the hands of the Sex Pistols, but anything heavy was lost in a sea of bad jokes and gleeful obscenity. “Wow, I’m really horny!” declared singer-guitarist Tom Delonge. Behind him was the stage’s only notable decoration: giant letters that spelled out, “F--- School.”

If Blink-182 has helped make punk safe for the preteen masses, the band still manages an effective pop thrust in such radio hits as “What’s My Age Again,” “All the Small Things” and 1997’s breakthrough single “Dammit (Growing Up),” which all had fans hopping in the aisles Friday. But the trio too often seemed more confident with its between-song silliness than in the music itself.

It’s not that Blink-182 was unable to tap into the deeper possibilities of punk. Just unwilling. The band practically apologized when Delonge performed ‘Adam’s Song,” a moving if unremarkable examination of suicide. “In show biz business talk, this is called bringing the show to a grinding halt,” joked bassist Mark Hoppus.

This is the legacy of Blink-182’s brand of punk-pop. It’s fun and energetic, but ultimately meaningless. Which makes Blink-182 seem a lot closer to the Monkees than the Clash.

Blink-182, with Silverchair and Fenix TX, plays Friday at the Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, 8:15 p.m. Sold out. (818) 622-4440.