"Blink-182 is BACK and Mark Hoppus will be joining the Avs faithful for an in-arena sing-along," NHLonTNT tweeted earlier today, October 12. The Colorado Avalanche is playing the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. in Ball Arena, which marks the Denver team's first regular season game since players lifted the Stanley Cup in June. "Tune into NHLOnTNT to catch all the banner raising festivities," the tweet continued.
Since fall 2019, the Colorado Avalanche DJ has been playing the Blink-182 smash hit "All the Small Things" in Ball Arena during the third period of games, when the Avs have a comfortable lead. The tradition became a viral sensation when video of fans in Ball Arena singing along to the 1999 song was widely shared during the Avs' playoff run. And the watch parties that the Avalanche hosted on Tivoli Quad during the Stanley Cup Finals this year included live DJs playing "All the Small Things" for thousands of hockey fans, who were jamming out as if they were seeing the band live.
It was a special sight to see, considering how many generations were represented at the watch parties. Those who were teens and young adults in 1999 when the song came out were raging right alongside high-schoolers and college students who might not have been exposed to Blink-182 had it not been for the Colorado Avalanche.
Even Hoppus, the bassist and one of the lead vocalists for the band, got in on the fun, commenting "Amazing" on a video posted to Twitter showing the "All the Small Things" tradition during the playoffs.
And Hoppus chimed in again today on Twitter to show his excitement to join in:
See you tonight!! https://t.co/VhkadGlJN8
— the ghost of mark hoppus (@markhoppus) October 12, 2022
So when the band announced on October 11 that Blink-182 was returning with Hoppus for the first time since 2015 for a worldwide tour in 2023 and 2024, concert schedulers were clever enough to set up Denver's show at Ball Arena for July 3. If the Avalanche manages to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, then the concert will land just days after the playoffs have wrapped up. "All the Small Things" and Blink-182 will be fresh on the minds of every hockey fan in Colorado. That's some big-brain marketing right there.
Pre-sale tickets for the July Ball Arena concert went on sale at 10 a.m. this morning. There are only a few left; they can be accessed using the presale code "WEARECOMING."
Blink-182 plays Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, on July 3. Tickets are on sale now.
