blink-182 are back on the road for their “Missionary Impossible" tour, and honestly—what can be said about this band that hasn’t already been said a thousand times over? If you haven’t caught a show since the legendary reunion of Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge, maybe you haven’t missed that much. But then again, maybe you’ve missed everything.
(9/9/25) Bank of NH Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire
They opened with “The Rock Show,” a classic start that felt anything but typical this time around. Something was off. Literally. The mix was muddy, the energy was there, but the sound wasn’t. After the song wrapped, Tom took a moment to address the audio issues openly with the crowd. A bit of banter, some sarcasm, and just enough awkward honesty—it felt like vintage Blink.
While the techs worked to fix things, Mark and Tom quickly reminded us that while they may be older, they’ve hardly grown up. Within minutes, we were knee-deep in dick jokes, offhanded quips about skipping foreplay (“it just takes too long,” they claimed), and whatever else floated into their teenage-brain time capsules. The charm is still there. Crude? Sure. Endearing? Somehow, yes.
The setlist delivered everything fans could want—from angsty anthems like “Adam’s Song” and “I Miss You” to high-energy staples like “What’s My Age Again?” and new material like “One More Time.” It was a well-balanced trip through Blink’s past and present, a nostalgic joyride that didn’t take itself too seriously.
At one point Tom grabbed a suction-cup… let’s call it amale novelty item... and stuck it right onto Mark’s bass. Mark didn’t miss a beat—he kept playing, new “accessory” in tow, like it was just another night at the office.
But the true peak of the night? Somewhere in the middle of the set, Tom paused to call out a young fan in the pit—9-year-old Owen—who, in Tom’s words, “will have many questions for his parents on the ride home, but will have learned a lot about human biology.” Welcome to your first Blink-182 show, kid. You’ll never forget it.
Honestly, none of us will.
Photography and Words by Jared Mancuso
