Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Tour

Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Tour
Continental tour by Blink-182
LocationNorth America
Associated albumTake Off Your Pants and Jacket
Start dateJuly 4, 2001
End dateSeptember 21, 2001
Legs1
No. of shows45
Supporting acts
Blink-182 concert chronology

The Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Blink-182, in support of the band's fourth studio album of the same name (2001). It began in Moline, Illinois on July 4, 2001, and concluded in Chula Vista, California on September 21, 2001. The tour encompassed 45 shows between the U.S. and Canada. The tour was supported by New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio and Midtown.

Announced in May 2001 shortly before the album's release, the tour was the band's second major arena and amphitheater headlining run, and featured an expanded production emphasizing large-scale set design and extensive pyrotechnics. Each concert opened pairing Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra with the reveal of a giant expletive on a flaming sign. This pairing of high-art orchestral grandeur with juvenile profanity became one of the tour's signature visual motifs.

Critical reception to the Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Tour was generally positive, with reviewers praising the band's musicianship, energy, and balance of humor and melodic performance. Several dates were rescheduled following the September 11 attacks. A planned European leg, initially delayed in the aftermath of the attacks, was later canceled after guitarist Tom DeLonge suffered a back injury.

Background

The tour was announced in May 2001 in support of Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, which was released on June 12. In partnership with Ticketmaster, the band launched an exclusive online presale beginning May 17, 2001, allowing registered fans to purchase up to four tickets before the general public onsale. The promotion included a giveaway for an autographed Stratocaster guitar created by Fender specifically for guitarist Tom DeLonge.[1] The band conducted backstage meet and greets for fans at some shows.[2]

Ticket prices ranged from $12 to $32.[3] Because of the tour's elaborate production, the band was required to perform in larger and more expensive venues, resulting in higher ticket prices than on previous tours. Despite this, Hoppus maintained that the group's tickets remained among the least expensive of the major arena acts touring the United States at the time. Speaking to Kerrang!, Hoppus joked, "Tickets are $25, and we still feel that's about 25 times what we’re worth," adding that "some people even bring ear-plugs to cancel out the music and just enjoy the lights."[2]

The band's performances often featured extended onstage banter and improvisational comedy between songs, a hallmark of their live shows. In an interview at the time, Hoppus said the group did not follow a scripted routine, explaining that "sometimes we go onstage and hardly say any jokes at all, and some nights we'll end up having to cut songs out of our set because we end up talking so much." He also noted that the band had grown fatigued performing older material by that point in the tour cycle,[3] stating that they were "excited to play the new songs" from Take Off Your Pants and Jacket after performing some earlier songs live for nearly a decade.[4]

Production

The production for the 2001 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Tour represented a major increase in scale and theatricality for the band. The shows incorporated extensive pyrotechnics, large-scale stage props, and elaborate visual effects.[2] Each concert began in darkness as Richard Strauss' symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra—widely recognized as the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey—played over the venue speakers. When the music reached its climax, the curtain dropped to reveal the band performing in front of a giant flaming sign displaying the word "FUCK".[5] Bassist Mark Hoppus later recalled conceiving the deliberately juvenile-yet-grandiose concept while driving home from the studio late one night. "I had this idea where a huge obscenity would be spelled out in fire," he said to Rolling Stone. "And you have to go for the king daddy. You have to go with fuck."[3] The prop later became a recurring feature of the band's arena productions, reappearing during their 2014[6] and 2016 tours.[7]

According to Hoppus, the tour featured a "record-breaking" amount of pyrotechnics, including propane flame effects, cascading fireworks, and cold-spark effects positioned throughout the stage. The complexity of the production required precise coordination between the band and crew because of the numerous timed flame and pyrotechnic cues integrated into the performance. The tour marked a substantial logistical expansion for the group, traveling with approximately 15 semi-trucks, 15 buses, and a crew of around 70 personnel, in addition to local venue staff.[5] The tour was managed by Jens Geiger, with production managed by Eric Fermin.[8] Videos from across the tour were filmed by the band's videographer, Marc "Cheetah" Steinberger, and posted on their official website throughout the year.[9]

Support acts

The shows were supported by was supported by New Found Glory,[1] Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio[10] and Midtown. For New Found Glory, opening for one of their influences was exhilarating. "We always dreamed about touring with Blink ever since we started," frontman Jordan Pundik shared to Kerrang!.[11] "The whole tour has been a blast for us," guitarist Chad Gilbert agreed.[2]

Rescheduled shows and cancellations

The band postponed shows for the last few dates of the tour due to the September 11 attacks. When they returned, the band draped an American flag over a set of amplifiers and drummer Travis Barker played on a red, white, and blue drum kit. At one concert, DeLonge invited the crowd to join him in his cheers of "Fuck Osama bin Laden!"[12] A European leg of the tour, initially scheduled for November 2001, was put on hold after the attacks. "After the attacks the world kind of went into freeze mode and we didn't know whether to carry on with things or not ... so we decided we'd rather everyone was safe and play the shows a little later instead," said Hoppus shortly thereafter.[13] It was later rescheduled to January 2002, and later canceled altogether after guitarist Tom DeLonge suffered a back injury.[14]

Reception

Reception towards the Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Tour was generally positive. Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times was positive in his review of the band's concert at the Tweeter Center, writing, "There is a long and noble tradition in rock 'n' roll of hyperenergetic, ultramelodic, sha-la-la-la stupidity, and Blink has proven itself to be a worthy inheritor of this tradition—not as great as the mighty Ramones just yet, but at least as good as the Troggs or the Archies or Grand Funk Railroad."[15] Tom Kielty of The Boston Globe wrote that blink-182 had matured into a more dynamic live act by successfully balancing its trademark juvenile humor with increasingly emotional material. He praised Barker's "powerful and precise" drumming and argued that the band's sincere performances of songs such as "Adam's Song" and "Stay Together for the Kids" demonstrated a newfound emotional depth without sacrificing its irreverent personality.[16] Al Choman of The Tribune praised blink-182's "frenetic, unapologetic punk spirit," and noted that its catchy melodies and youthful themes resonated with its broad audience.[17]

The band's appearance at Radio 104 Fest in Hartford, Connecticut was reviewed by Roger Catlin of the Hartford Courant: "Blink-182 [...] has earned its place at the top. Both bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist Tom DeLonge are tighter now from working with ace drummer Travis Barker for a few years. The show's focus is more their bracing, melodic songs rather than the childishly vulgar banter between them."[18] Ed Masley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called the trio "the Steely Dan of cartoon punk", feeling that "the [dirty] jokes were nearly overshadowed by musical highlights [...] Some, I'm sure, would argue that the show was worse than reprehensible. But unlike, say, Limp Bizkit, Korn or Eminem, these clowns did it all for the giggles. At a time when so much of teen culture is focused on hate and aggression, last night's show was practically refreshing."[19] Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times felt the concert tasteful in light of the then-recent September 11 attacks; "In some strange way Blink-182's concert Sunday at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim provided a kind of catharsis, or at least temporary escape, for the thousands of fans who turned out." He praised the group's inclusion of humor, while also comparing drummer Travis Barker to Keith Moon of The Who.[12]

Tour dates

List of 2001 concerts[1]
Date City Country Venue
July 4, 2001 Moline United States Mark of the Quad Cities
July 5, 2001 Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater
July 6, 2001 Noblesville Verizon Wireless Music Center
July 7, 2001 Tinley Park Tweeter Center
July 9, 2001 Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center
July 10, 2001 Columbus Polaris Amphitheater
July 11, 2001 Cuyahoga Falls Blossom Music Center
July 13, 2001 Bonner Springs Sandstone Amphitheater
July 14, 2001 Somerset[a] Rivers Edge Amphitheatre
July 15, 2001 Maryland Heights Riverport Amphitheatre
July 17, 2001 Burgettstown Post-Gazette Pavilion
July 19, 2001 Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 21, 2001 Wantagh Jones Beach Theater
July 22, 2001
July 23, 2001 Darien Center Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
July 24, 2001 Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 26, 2001 Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center
July 27, 2001 Camden Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
July 28, 2001 Boston Suffolk Downs
July 29, 2001 Scranton Coors Light Amphitheatre at Montage Mountain
July 31, 2001 Raleigh Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek
August 2, 2001 West Palm Beach Mars Music Amphitheatre
August 3, 2001 Tampa Ice Palace Arena
August 5, 2001 Antioch AmSouth Amphitheater
August 7, 2001 Dallas Smirnoff Music Centre
August 8, 2001 The Woodlands Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 9, 2001 Selma Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
August 11, 2001 Greenwood Village Coors Amphitheatre
August 13, 2001 West Valley E Center
August 14, 2001 Nampa Idaho Center Amphitheater
August 15, 2001 Portland Memorial Coliseum
August 17, 2001 George The Gorge Amphitheatre
August 18, 2001 Vancouver Canada Thunderbird Stadium
August 21, 2001 Calgary Pengrowth Saddledome
August 22, 2001 Edmonton Telus Field
August 25, 2001 Toronto[b] Molson Amphitheatre
August 26, 2001 Ottawa Ottawa Civic Centre
August 28, 2001 Quebec City Colisée Pepsi
August 29, 2001 Montreal Parc Jean-Drapeau
August 31, 2001 Essex United States Champlain Valley Fairgrounds
September 1, 2001 Allentown Allentown Fairgrounds
September 2, 2001 Syracuse New York State Fairgrounds
September 3, 2001 Hartford[c] ctnow.com Meadows Music Center
September 8, 2001 Wheatland Sacramento Valley Amphitheatre
September 9, 2001 Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre
September 16, 2001[d] Anaheim Arrowhead Pond at Anaheim
September 17, 2001[e] Oklahoma City Jim Norick Arena
September 19, 2001[f] Long Beach Long Beach Arena
September 20, 2001[g] Phoenix Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
September 21, 2001[h] Chula Vista Coors Amphitheatre

Notes

  1. ↑ This concert was a part of the Warped Tour.[9]
  2. ↑ This concert was a part of "Edgefest II
  3. ↑ This concert was a part of "Radio 104 Fest 2001"[18]
  4. ↑ The show was originally scheduled to take place on September 13, but was rescheduled due to the September 11 attacks.
  5. ↑ This show was part of the Oklahoma State Fair.
  6. ↑ The show was originally scheduled to take place on September 12, but was rescheduled due to the September 11 attacks.
  7. ↑ The show was originally scheduled to take place on September 14, but was rescheduled due to the September 11 attacks.
  8. ↑ The show was originally scheduled to take place on September 15, but was rescheduled due to the September 11 attacks.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Fans Get First Crack At Blink-182 Summer Tour Tix". Billboard. May 11, 2001. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Meyers, Ben (November 17, 2001). "A Few Miles Outside San Francisco, 20,000 People Have Gathered To Watch The Hottest Punk Rock Tour Of The Year. And Headliners Blink 182 Are Loving Every Minute Of It...". Kerrang!. No. 879. London: Bauer Media Group. ISSN 0262-6624.
  3. 1 2 3 "Hot Summer Fun: A Guide to the Best Concert Tours of Summer 2001". Rolling Stone. No. 871. June 21, 2001. pp. 47–49.
  4. ↑ Adams, Patty (September 26, 2001). "Blink and You'll Miss Them!". YM. Archived from the original on October 7, 2001. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Hoppus, Mark; Ozzi, Dan (April 8, 2025). Fahrenheit-182. Dey Street Books. ISBN 978-0-06-331891-5.
  6. ↑ Beaumont, Mark (August 22, 2014). "Blink-182 close first day of Leeds festival with hits, flames, belching and toilet humour". NME. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  7. ↑ Dore, Stephanie (September 19, 2016). "Blink-182: Original Princes of Pop Punk". Seattle Music News. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  8. ↑ Blink-182: Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Tour 2001 Official Program. MCA Records. 2001.
  9. 1 2 "Blink-182 - News". blink182.com. December 8, 2001. Archived from the original on December 14, 2001. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  10. ↑ Curto, Justin (October 17, 2022). "Matt Skiba Is As Excited As You Are About the Blink-182 Reunion". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ Johnston, Emma (July 14, 2001). "Blink-182. New Found Glory. Fenix TX. 100,000 Punk Kids in Nowheresville, USA". Kerrang!. No. 861. London: Bauer Media Group. ISSN 0262-6624.
  12. 1 2 Randy Lewis (September 18, 2001). "Blink-182 Gets Back to Its Punk Business". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  13. ↑ Shooman, Joe (June 24, 2010). Blink-182: The Bands, The Breakdown & The Return. Independent Music Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-906191-10-8.
  14. ↑ "Back Injury Scotches Blink-182 Euro Tour". Billboard. December 21, 2001. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  15. ↑ Jim DeRogatis (July 9, 2001). "Blink-182 at the Tweeter Center". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  16. ↑ Kielty, Tom (August 1, 2001). "Between expletives, blink-182 excelled". The Boston Globe. p. D12.
  17. ↑ Choman, Al (July 30, 2001). "Punk spirit moves 7,000". The Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania.
  18. 1 2 Roger Catlin (September 5, 2001). "Blink-182 The Leader Of The Pack At Radio 104 Fest". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  19. ↑ Roger Catlin (July 18, 2001). "Concert Review: Blink-182's dirty jokes nearly hide the music". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
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