They called it

During the Pezcore album show in London in September of 2007, Less Than Jake singer, Chris, said "Blink 182 will be back next summer."

He was only off by a year.

My belief was that they'd be back as soon as the money ran out and whether or not that's actually the case, they are back and they stand to make boatloads of money.

I used to be a Blink fan. Unfortunately, the addition of Travis Barker kinda ruined them for me. They turned away from being a straight-up skate-punk band to a prog-rock band just by putting a studio-quality drummer behind the kit. BLAH.

LTJ

(apologies for the crappy cell-phone photos)

Mikey's post on meeting LTJ is appropriate, as I saw them in San Francisco on April 1.

It had been nearly nine years since I last saw LTJ and before that, it was 12 times from 1997-2000.

It's been four albums and one b-sides comp since I last saw them play.

So, as one of the sole representatives of the 30-and-over crowd, I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

"Just standing in this crowded room still makes me feel alive"

-- This One's Going to Leave a Bruise
Less than Jake -- GNV FLA

I felt so alive. An LTJ show has to be experienced for its energy and fun. It really is all about having the fun - singing along to every word, hearing the band members talk crap about each other.

I felt like I was 20 again. We got to the Warfield probably, right after LTJ started off with "Happyman" and I went straight to the front of the stage.

I was just overcome with the memories of having seen them way-back-when and fought my way to a dancing spot where I could jump along with the crowd and sing every word.

I looked around and saw a crowd of people who must have looked as young as me at my first LTJ show in 1997. There were still some as old as me, who had stuck by the band over the years.

And yes, knowing that I first saw Less Than Jake when Losing Streak was their current record - 12 years ago - makes me feel considerably old.

I met LTJ that night. They were opening for Guttermouth at the Rave Bar in Milwaukee. It was the lineup that included Jessica Mills and the interview included her telling Pete that after every question, he had to remove an article of clothing.

I got the entire band to sign my Pezcore CD cover, which will remain an artifact, because that lineup ceased to exist later in 97 when Jessica left or was fired or whatever. Derron left following the Hello Rockview tour.

I met LTJ so many times in '97 and '98 that it lost its lustre. I watched as members of the band became less accessible or friendly towards their fans. But I felt for them and their privacy, too.

In the end, I feel that I'll always be an LTJ fan. I don't care about their individual lives or personalities. I care about the music, which has improved with every single record.

Meeting Less Than Jake-circa 1998

And now, one of the oldest stories I have to share with meeting a band. On a warm day in my freshmen year in High School, I was asked my my older brother if I'd like to go to The Exclusive Company in Brookfield to meet some members of Less Than Jake. I was thrilled and off we went driving to one of the better places to buy albums and cds. Hello Rockview was their most recent release so the store was packed. It was actually an "after school" style with snacks, Capri Suns and a slew of good treats on the tables plus plenty of stickers. I think I still have one sticker in a folder. Not all of Less Than Jake were there, but Buddy, Pete, Vinnie and Derron were walking around the store. It was an honor to meet some of the members of the most influential band of my lifetime. They were all super nice and fun to talk to. They signed a very old, stained and vintage Less Than Jake shirt. It's absolutely a mess, and barely survived a flood in my closet back at my old house in Wales. That day was by far one of my favourite moments meeting a group. Even with a major crowd of people, it was a blast.