blink-182 and Lil Wayne Take Mansfield by Storm

It was hot and humid at Xfinity Center this past Wednesday as hoards of people pushed their way into the show of the year: blink-182 and Lil Wayne, with special supporting band- Neck Deep.

Announced earlier this year, the tour marked the 20th anniversary of blink-182’s album “Enema of the State,” which to this date is one of the band’s most successful albums- earning the number two spot on Rolling Stone’s “50 Greatest Pop Punk Albums” list in 2017.

🚨 TOUR STARTS TOMORROW 🚨 @LilTunechi @NeckDeepUK https://t.co/t8U2rGXypQ pic.twitter.com/mhDICZul5o
— blink-182 (@blink182) June 28, 2019

Affectionately dubbed the “What the F*ck” Tour by fans who were confused about the lineup’s genre mixture, the three band show made waves along the east coast throughout their first few shows and Mansfield was no different.

Up first for the night were British rockers Neck Deep.

Made up of frontman Ben Barlow, drummer Dani Washington, guitarists Matt West and Sam Bowdon, and newer member bassist Joshua Halling, the five piece pop-punk band made sure to enter with a roar.

Kicking off their set with their 2017 track “Motion Sickness,” Neck Deep brought the venue’s energy level up nearly instantly- getting fans and newcomers alike up on their feet and dancing despite the heat.

The band also treated the crowd to a performance of their new track, “She’s a God,” which was released just earlier this month.

“This next one is a new one, so if you’re aware of our band you’re probably aware of it. And if not, it’s just like every other song,” Barlow quipped. “You don’t know it.”

But despite half of the crowd not knowing Neck Deep’s newer tracks, the audience stayed engaged through their set and went wild anytime Barlow made a reference to headliners blink-182.

“I just want to give a huge thank you to blink-182 and lil wayne for having us out. I know I can speak for the band when I say that blink-182 is our favorite band- at least my favorite band. They are the reason we play music and the reason I sing with a shitty American accent,” Barlow joked. “So a huge thank you to them for having us out.”

Neck Deep played a seven song setlist, including tracks “Gold Steps,” “In Bloom,” and “Can’t Kick Up The Roots.”

And while fans of the Wales natives were hyped up for all songs, nothing got them screaming quite like “December.”

“We actually played a show in the UK with blink-182 a few years ago, and this next song Mark actually sang on. Which really helped us blow up,” Barlow stated as an intro to the track.

“But don’t get your hopes up. He’s not coming out to sing. He doesn’t like me,” he laughed. “Just kidding. I think he likes me…”

Ending on their track “Where Do We Go When We Go,” which as Barlow stated is “about death,” the band then took their bows and exited the stage- making way for production to quickly transform their smaller setup into a massive light show for the second act of the night- Lil Wayne.

An interesting twist to an otherwise pop-punk heavy tour, Lil Wayne made his way onto the stage and was greeted by an overwhelming applause by his own fans and blink fans alike.

With pyrotechnics, a killer light show, and a DJ to back him up, Wayne’s set was anything but boring.

Throughout his 33 song setlist, which included a mix of old classics like “6 Foot 7 Foot” and “Lollipop,” the rapper catered to both old and new fans- sparking waves of nostalgia left and right. Even those who were clearly in the crowd for blink-182 were caught singing along and dancing to the impossible-to-ignore beats.

And in true Lil Wayne fashion, he made sure to honor his fans and let them know how truly special they were to him.

“How many of you are day one fans?” He asked before a thunderous roar of screams took over the pavilion. “I’ve been doing this for twenty years and I couldn’t do it without all of you. I love y’all.”

Other songs included in his setlist were “A Milli,” “Mona Lisa,” “Money on my Mind,” and “BedRock,” all of which had the crowd and his DJ going wild.

Wayne even threw in a few cover songs, including Drake’s “The Motto” and “I’m Goin’ In,” and Chance the Rapper’s “No Problem,” to add an extra layer of excitement to an already over the top show.

By the end of his set, the crowd was pumped up, sweaty, and ready to have their socks blown off by blink-182.

And that they did.

Entering to Samuel L Jackson’s Ezekiel 25:17 speech from “Pulp Fiction,” blink-182 took the stage and immediately the crowd went wild as the band launched into “Dumpweed.”

Blow up aliens soon made their way into the crowd and fans were throwing their hands up higher and singing louder than ever.

“Hello Commonwealth! It’s great to be here with all of you,” frontman Mark Hoppus announced as he looked around at the audience.

“And don’t worry! I know the Boston Bruins will take it in eight games,” he joked, provoking a number of “too soon!” screams from the crowd.

Hoppus was joined on stage by fellow blink-182 founding member, drummer Travis Barker, and their latest addition- guitarist Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio) who joined the band after the 2015 departure of Tom Delonge.

“Somebody’s getting pregnant tonight and I hope it’s me,” Hoppus laughed as he ran around the stage- causing the crowd to once more ask themselves “what’s his age again?”

Though fans knew the band’s setlist, since it included the entirety of “Enema of the State,” blink made sure to keep everyone on their toes when it came to production.

With steamers, lights, and even a two song acoustic set performed by Matt and Mark in the lawn area the trio proved that rock shows will always be the best place to have fun.

But no aspect of their set impressed fans more than the five minute drum solo by Barker- who drummed in a cage upside down. A feat you have to see to believe.

In addition to songs off of “Enema” the band also threw in a few of their other classics- including crowd favorites “I Miss You” and “All The Small Things.”

“You guys may know this song from the Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie,” Hoppus stated before beginning their biggest hit. “Not to brag or anything- it’s called All The Small Things.”

They also played their newer track “Blame It On My Youth,” with lyrics displayed up on the stage, allowing fans who didn’t know the words to sing along.