2011 Honda Civic Tour Preview

Consistency has always been a strong point for the Honda Civic Tour, who year after year seem to bring the biggest and most popular bands of the day together for a summer concert spectacle that's like no other. And in just days, the tour will once again kick off its North American journey with two of the most heavy-hitting names in alternative rock: blink-182 and My Chemical Romance.

Southern California natives blink-182 are touring the United States and Canada for the first time since their summer 2009 reunion tour, which proved a massive success. Armed with a brand new, edgy single, "Up All Night", and a new record on the way (rumored to drop on September 27th), it's clear that blink are ready to bring new life to the term "rock show."

They're returning to play this, the 10th anniversary of the Honda Civic Tour - a tour they helped christen back in 2001 alongside Everclear.

In an interview on the Honda Civic Tour Facebook page, Mark Hoppus commented on what fans can expect to see during the coming tour. "We try and one-up every single tour and have each tour have its own look. We spent a lot of time with the set designers working on the sets, and lighting shows and things like that."

Considering their 2009 tour featured confetti machines, 20+ songs per set and Travis Barker performing drum solos while being spun high above the heads of the pit crowd, this coming tour should be a sight to see. Besides, this will be the first time fans will hear new blink music played live in eight years. What's not to love?

Add to the mix the largely popular East Coast rockers, My Chemical Romance, as co-headliners and tour seems untouchable. While still on the road promoting their latest release, 2010's Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, MCR have jumped back into the spotlight and aren't leaving any time soon.

But let's not forget about the openers. The wildly popular indie rockers, Manchester Orchestra, will be kicking off the tour in Holmdel, New Jersey on August 5th. Later dates on the tour will feature hipster act Matt & Kim, political punks Against Me! and finally punk-rock legends, Rancid.

If there's one thing that should make the 2011 Honda Civic Tour stand out against the rest of summer's shows, it's simply how eclectic the tour will be. On any given night you might hear the new wave of indie rock, or perhaps catch a glimpse at the punk-rock scene as it was a few decades ago. And, of course, you'll hear those big radio hits from the headliners every night - not to mention a few lesser known tracks packed in for the diehards in the audience.

This is one tour you won't want to miss this summer. So be sure and grab tickets while you still can. Some seats are going as low as $20. No excuses this time around.

Check out the dates, locations and supporting acts below.

• 8/5/11 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center *
• 8/6/11 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach *
• 8/7/11 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach +
• 8/9/11 - Boston, MA @ Comcast Center *
• 8/11/11 - Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center *
• 8/12/11 - Washington, DC @ Jiffy Lube Live *
• 8/13/11 - Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Pavilion *
• 8/14/11 - Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre *
• 8/16/11 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
• 8/17/11 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre *
• 8/19/11 - St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre *
• 8/20/11 - Chicago, Il @ First Midwest Bank Pavilion *
• 8/21/11 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center *
• 8/23/11 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater *
• 8/25/11 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre %^
• 8/26/11 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre %^
• 8/27/11 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place %^
• 8/28/11 - Calgary, AB @ Saddledome %^
• 8/30/11 - Victoria, BC @ Save-On Foods Memorial Centre %^
• 8/31/11 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena %^
• 9/1/11 - Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheater ^
• 9/3/11 - Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheater ^
• 9/4/11 - Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheater ^
• 9/7/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Xcel Center #
• 9/8/11 - Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena +
• 9/9/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Sandstone Amphitheater #
• 9/10/11 - Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #
• 9/11/11 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Centre #
• 9/13/11 - Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #
• 9/15/11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion #
• 916/11 - Saratoga, NY @ SPAC #
• 9/17/11 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #
• 9/18/11 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #
• 9/20/11 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheater #
• 9/21/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater #
• 9/23/11 - Miami, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheater #
• 9/24/11 - Tampa, FL @ 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre #
• 9/26/11 - Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion #
• 9/27/11 - Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion #
• 9/29/11 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion #
• 9/30/11 - Phoenix, AZ @ Tempe Beach Park Amph. # (MCR will not be playing)
• 10/1/11 - Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center #
• 10/2/11 - Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre #
• 10/4/11 - Concord, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord #
• 10/5/11 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre #
• 10/7/11 - Las Vegas, NV @ Red Rock Resort, Spa & Casino #
• 10/8/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #
• 10/15/11 - San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #

* -Manchester Orchestra

% -Against Me!

^ -Rancid

# -Matt & Kim

+ -To Be Announced

Blink-182, "Up All Night" Review

It's been eight years since we last heard any new material from blink-182. But Thursday night's premiere of the band's new song, "Up All Night", solidified the resurgence of blink's presence in the 2011 rock game.

While "Up All Night" is only a taste of what's to come off their new record, Neighborhoods (tentatively set for release on September 27), it gives the blink community an idea of the direction the band are moving. With each member of the trio bringing significantly different influences to the table this time around, many critics and fans are being quick to label the new song as a recycled version of previous side-project material - which may or may not be a suitable description.

The track opens up quite heavy. It's far from the lighthearted pop-punk blink became famous on, but at the sametime it doesn't sound like a stretch. Remember, their last album was littered with darker and harder material, i.e. - "Obvious", "Down" and "Violence". The intro, which lasts around 30 seconds, is a heavily distorted and choppy mix of chords and drum beats.

If there's one thing that's evident from this track, it's that blink aren't afraid to try new instrumentation and pedal configurations. There's a lot of ear candy present.

The verses have a familiar feel to them. With guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus trading off on lines throughout the verse, "Up All Night" starts sounding more like a Boxcar Racer song ("Tiny Voices") than anything else. There's a certain rhythm that's undeniably blink-182.

The chorus is somewhat subdued. DeLonge, along with his airy vocal approach, take us through what sounds not too far from something in the Angels & Airwaves discography ("Do It For Me Now"). And somehow, after the weakened chorus, the track leaps right back into the heavy intro.

The track is sort of a hodgepodge of sounds. It's eclectic in itself - an array of different songwriting techniques that takes a truly talented band to pull off. But despite having so many layers, it still remains catchy.

Whether you like the track or not, let's not let "Up All Night" decide the fate of Neighborhoods. If blink's Untitled record was any indication, this band are as multifaceted as they come. "Up All Night" is simply one eleventh of what's probably going to be one of the most mature, intense and eclectic records blink have ever put out. Get stoked.

Blink-182 Up All Night by UpxAllxNight

Lyrics:

Everyone wants to call it all around our life with a better name
Everyone falls and spins and gets up again with a friend who does the same
Everyone lies and cheats their wants and needs and still believes their heart
And everyone gets the chills, the kind that kills when the pain begins to start

Lets get this straight, do you want me here?
As I struggle through each and every year
and all these demons, they keep me up all night.
They keep me up all night.
They keep me up all night.

Everyone's cross to bear's a crown they wear on endless holiday
Everyone raises kids in a world that changes life to a bitter game
Everyone works and fights, stays up all night, to celebrate the day
And everyone lives to tell the tale of how we die alone some day

Lets get this straight, do you want me here?
As I struggle through each and every year,
And all these demons, they keep me up all night.
They keep me up all night.
They keep me up all night.

Honda Civic Tour To Feature blink-182

That's right, the rumors are true. The 2011 Honda Civic Tour will be featuring blink-182 along with co-headliners, My Chemical Romance.

The tour will kick off in early August and run through mid-October, while covering 48 cities in both the US and Canada. Additional supporting acts include Manchester Orchestra, Against Me!, Rancid, and Matt & Kim on select dates throughout the tour.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Honda Civic Tour, and it's obvious its creators decided to go big or go home. Since 2001, this traveling amphitheater tour has hosted some of the largest names in the punk and alternative scenes. Tour alum include Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte, amongst others. In fact, this year's appearance will be blink's second go around at it, as they were part of the very first Honda Civic Tour in '01.

This is a surprise move for blink-182 since they recently announced they would be postponing this summer's European tour to finish working on their long awaited new record (a followup to 2003's, Untitled). Bassist Mark Hoppus took to the internet this evening to clear up the confusion.

"[The Honda Civic Tour] was booked ALONGSIDE the UK/European dates, a long time ago," wrote Hoppus. "We did NOT book the US tour after deciding to postpone the UK/European dates." He later stated that the band wanted to solely focus on producing a quality album before hitting the road again, and that fans should be expecting the new record soon.

"Now there's a hard deadline for the album to be turned in, and it will be released during our US tour."

In their UK/European tour postponement notification a few months back, blink mentioned that they didn't want to tour without new music first being available to fans. And with an announcement from KROQ and drummer Travis Barker last week, it seems that some new blink music, even if it's just one song, is on its way this July or August - right in time for the kickoff of the Honda Civic Tour.

Get stoked.

According to Alternative Press, presale tickets will be made available for those who are a part of the blink-182 or MCR fans clubs on Monday, June 6. Presale tickets will also be accessible on Wednesday, June 8 for fans who "like" the Honda Civic Tour Facebook profile page. General public tickets will go on sale for each show on Saturday, June 11.

Check out the dates, locations and supporting acts below.

• 8/5/11 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center *
• 8/6/11 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach *
• 8/7/11 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach +
• 8/9/11 - Boston, MA @ Comcast Center *
• 8/11/11 - Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center *
• 8/12/11 - Washington, DC @ Jiffy Lube Live *
• 8/13/11 - Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Pavilion *
• 8/14/11 - Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre *
• 8/16/11 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
• 8/17/11 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre *
• 8/19/11 - St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre *
• 8/20/11 - Chicago, Il @ First Midwest Bank Pavilion *
• 8/21/11 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center *
• 8/23/11 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater *
• 8/25/11 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre %^
• 8/26/11 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre %^
• 8/27/11 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place %^
• 8/28/11 - Calgary, AB @ Saddledome %^
• 8/30/11 - Victoria, BC @ Save-On Foods Memorial Centre %^
• 8/31/11 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena %^
• 9/1/11 - Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheater ^
• 9/3/11 - Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheater ^
• 9/4/11 - Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheater ^
• 9/7/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Xcel Center #
• 9/8/11 - Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena +
• 9/9/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Sandstone Amphitheater #
• 9/10/11 - Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #
• 9/11/11 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Centre #
• 9/13/11 - Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #
• 9/15/11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion #
• 916/11 - Saratoga, NY @ SPAC #
• 9/17/11 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #
• 9/18/11 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #
• 9/20/11 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheater #
• 9/21/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater #
• 9/23/11 - Miami, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheater #
• 9/24/11 - Tampa, FL @ 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre #
• 9/26/11 - Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion #
• 9/27/11 - Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion #
• 9/29/11 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion #
• 9/30/11 - Phoenix, AZ @ Tempe Beach Park Amph. # (MCR will not be playing)
• 10/1/11 - Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center #
• 10/2/11 - Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre #
• 10/4/11 - Concord, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord #
• 10/5/11 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre #
• 10/7/11 - Las Vegas, NV @ Red Rock Resort, Spa & Casino #
• 10/8/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #
• 10/15/11 - San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #

* -Manchester Orchestra

% -Against Me!

^ -Rancid

# -Matt & Kim

+ -To Be Announced

GIVEAWAY - Punk-Rock Prize Pack

It's been two years since Backstage Press got started! And in celebration of our anniversary, we're giving away an awesome Punk-Rock Prize Pack. After all, you're the reason we're still here, still writing, still interviewing and still rocking out. So, we want to say thank you for all the good times with this sweet little giveaway. Check it out.

The Prize Pack includes:

An AUTOGRAPHED CD booklet from The Almost (Monster Monster)

Six (6) sampler CDs including songs from:

- Dashboard Confessional (alternate version of "Even Now")

- Close Your Eyes

- A Day To Remember

- The Audition

- Amber Pacific

- Sugarcult

- Mumford & Sons

- Passion Pit

- Cage The Elephant

- and more!

Limited Edition +44 stickers

Limited Edition Mark Hoppus Octopus stickers

The Dillinger Escape Plan stickers

Three (3) Envy On The Coast stickers - One from each record release (EP, Lucy Gray, Lowcountry)

Other stickers from This Providence, Reeve Oliver, Action Reaction and more

She & Him luggage tag/keychain

Newbury Comics brand earplugs

Newbury Comics balloons

Guitar picks

Pins/buttons

The whole Prize Pack!

Autographed CD booklet from The Almost (Monster Monster)

Limited Edition +44 & Mark Hoppus Octopus stickers

She & Him luggage tag/keychain, Newbury Comics earplugs, pins

Enter your name, email address and mailing address (in case you win). Your information is confidential, and will not be sold, used or given out.

Deadline to enter the giveaway is Friday, February 18th at 7:00 p.m. (EST)

*We will ship internationally

A Different Spin

Sorry for the leave of absence, folks. Lately the majority of my time has gone to writing cover letters instead of blog posts. I also moved away from the Boston area for a while (we'll call it an indefinite hiatus from the city). But don't think I forgot about you.

Though my life is starting to resemble that awkward and horrible "transitional phase," there are a few perks. I finally get FUSE again, and that couldn't come at a better time. That's because starting Thursday, September 16 FUSE is airing Mark Hoppus' (blink-182, +44) new show entitled, A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus.

Basically this show is an hour-long music based talk show of sorts featuring blink's bassist at the helm. Along with comedian Amy Schumer, Hoppus will tackle all things music including interviews, live performances and backstage shots.

"It's going to be smart, funny, irreverent and professional enough to be a great show, while being wheels-off enough to always be on the edge of completely falling apart," Hoppus wrote on his blog.

Though we don't exactly know who Hoppus and company will have on the show, or exactly how crazy funny it will be, we have been provided a few sneak peaks. (See below) If the previews are anywhere near what Different Spin has in store for us, it'll be great.

It seems only natural that Hoppus would break into the television game. I mean, he's been honing his entrepreneurial skills for quite some time. Of course, he makes up 33 percent of the blink empire, he's had his own clothing brand and just last year he was writing weekly segments for SPIN Magazine entitled, Hopp on Pop. What else is left for the guy to do?

All I can say is the man has a gift. So get psyched for this show, people. It's setting up to be a killer... and it comes on early enough so you won't miss the week's episode of Jersey Shore.