Blink 182 to play July 23-24 in Las Vegas

By Melissa Arseniuk

Monday, June 8, 2009 | 8:12 p.m.

After nearly five years apart, members of Blink 182 are reunited and ready to hit the road.

So ready, in fact, that they’ve decided to start their reunion road trip early -- and in Las Vegas, no less.

The band previously announced plans to kick off its upcoming tour at the Joint but today revealed that it would return to the stage one night earlier than originally anticipated and that it added a second Vegas date to the itinerary.

The band will now give two concerts over two consecutive nights, on July 23 and 24.

Both shows will take place at the Joint, though there are subtle differences between the two performances: Alternative rockers Valencia will help open the show on Thursday, July 23, but will be replaced by up-and-coming indie rockers Chester French on Friday, July 24.

Motion City Soundtrack, meanwhile, will precede Blink’s set on both nights.

Ticket prices, however, will remain the same and start at $51.

A cheap seat will get you into the general admission area on the floor, while $91 will secure an actual, assigned seat at a VIP table. Sky boxes, meanwhile, will set fans back $146 apiece – plus taxes and service fees, no less.

While officials have said ticket sales for the July 24 show have been “strong” since publicly going on sale on May 30, passes are still available.

Passes for the Thursday night gig on July 23, meanwhile, will go on sale at noon Saturday. Unlike the previously-announced show, however, there will be no pre-sales this time around.

Though drummer Travis Barker, guitarist Tom Delonge and bassist Mark Hoppus haven’t released a studio album since 2003, the band has sold more than 20 million records since it first broke onto the scene.

The group gained mainstream appeal in 1997 with its pop-punk hit, “Dammit (Growing Up)” and has promised fans a new record next year.

Before that, however, a new single is expected: DeLonge said last month that a new track would be released before the band hits the road next month and Hoppus posted an update to his Twitter feed stating the soon-to-be-released song will be called "Up All Night.”

Barker, meanwhile, is no stranger to Las Vegas. He makes frequent trips to the city and used to perform regularly at LAX with his friend, DJ AM, who is one of the club’s celebrity investors.

The two made headlines last September when they were involved in a plane crash that killed four people, including Barker’s assistant, in South Carolina.

It was five months after the plane crash that Blink 182 announced they would reunite and resume playing music together.

The band surprised fans last month with a short, surprise show at LA's Paramount Studios. Now with the mini-gig behind them, the band's members appear ready to hit the road in full force.

“We can't wait to get out on tour this summer,” Hoppus said in a press release. “After a four-year break, we're ready to get out on the road and play what we hope will be the most amazing tour of the season.”

The bassist called the tour’s live production “the most ambitious stage show of our career.”

The band has enlisted the help of Martin Phillips, former Daft Punk, Kanye West and Nine Inch Nails production designer, to literally set the stage for the reunion tour.

While fans have waited nearly half a decade for a live tour, Hoppus promised the show will be worth the wait.

“You can expect the most ridiculous display of lights and images we can imagine,” he said.