Blink-182 were scheduled to perform tonight in El Paso, Texas, but in the wake of yesterday’s mass shooting, the pop-punk trio have announced that they’re postponing their concert as the city mourns the horrific violence.
“Following today’s terrible tragedy in El Paso we are postponing our Sunday, August 4th show at the UTEP Don Haskins Arena in solidarity with the community,” the band wrote last night on Twitter. “Please stay tuned for further updates coming soon. Sending our love to the entire community of El Paso.”
Following today’s terrible tragedy in El Paso we are postponing our Sunday, August 4th show at the UTEP Don Haskins Arena in solidarity with the community. Please stay tuned for further updates coming soon. Sending our love to the entire community of El Paso.
— blink-182 (@blink182) August 4, 2019
The decision to postpone the concert also has to do the personal safety of the band members. Earlier yesterday afternoon, bassist Mark Hoppus tweeted that he and the band were “locked down” in their hotel. “Over the intercom system they just announced that there are reports of another active shooter directly across the street at a location different from the first shootings,” he wrote on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/markhoppus/status/1157723368667385856?s=20
“We were leaving breakfast when our security texted that there was an active shooter at the mall we were headed to,” he wrote in a followup Tweet. “Saw dozens of police cars on the freeway and surface streets. helicopters. we got back to the hotel and turned on the news to see what was happening.”
https://twitter.com/markhoppus/status/1157726672600391680?s=20
https://twitter.com/markhoppus/status/1157727309740347393?s=20
https://twitter.com/markhoppus/status/1157745480840941569?s=20
The band later discovered that reports of another shooter turned out to be false, but that he and the band were “still in our hotel. federal agent at the door to the building.”
Blink-182 are currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Enema of the State with an extensive North American tour co-headlined by Lil Wayne. Wayne, however, was not scheduled to perform in El Paso, as he was booked to perform at Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival that night.
