Mark Hoppus, bassist of the legendary pop-punk band blink-182, has been touring the country to promote his book, Fahrenheit-182, alongside co-author Dan Ozzi. Taking him from New York to Philadelphia and back home to Los Angeles at The Wiltern for An Evening with Mark Hoppus and All Things Fahrenheit-182.
The Easter afternoon was spent alongside fellow blink-182 fans lining up early for the performance’s 4 PM start time. At the same time, fans could also be seen crowding the back driveway of The Wiltern, hoping to grab an early glimpse of the famed bassist, maybe even a quick picture or signature.
I had arrived at The Wiltern around an hour and a half early to get in on the outside festivities, as many shared their personal stories of Mark Hoppus and the band as a whole. I could quickly tell the evening was going to be a memorable one.
It didn’t take long before we were ushered inside the venue, and helpful individuals off to the side began handing out special copies of Fahrenheit-182 that included a bookmark featuring a cartoon version of Mark Hoppus himself, as well as a dated bookplate to further celebrate attending the event.
Merch could also be purchased at the event, which included a tote bag that featured Mark Hoppus and the title of the event, as well as a tour-style shirt in the same vein as the Hi My Name Is Mark clothing items, sporting the book tour’s dates on the back.
After checking out the different merch options, I quickly found my seat and had a great conversation with a grandmother who had brought her grandson to the book event, both big blink-182 fans. The room would begin to fill up as more and more made their way to their seats as show time quickly approached.
The lights would go black, and music would begin to blare as the screen on stage began to cycle through a few jokes, including thinking about your mom and dad doing hand stuff. The screen would also ask everyone in attendance to put their phones away throughout the main duration of the talk, which, nicely, it would appear, most of whom would comply with.
Mark Hoppus, the legend himself, would rush the stage, getting the crowd fired up before jumping right into things. A quick opening monologue about his grandfathers was given before revealing that portion of the book would be talked down by co-auther Dan Ozzi, which would prompt Mark to have the crowd boo the writer as he rushed the stage with a mix of boos and cheers. In joking manner, of course.
Mark himself would thank everyone for being there during Easter, as he would begin to talk through different portions of his life featured throughout the book. Fan questions would be asked, relatable life moments would be recounted, and the crowd would cheer once more at the notion that Fahrenheit-182 had become a #1 New York Times bestseller earlier that week.
The energy in the room between the fans and both Mark Hoppus and Dan Ozzi was great, creating an intimate experience for everyone. Mark would continue on by mentioning that “Carousel” would not be added back to the band’s setlist, regardless of how much cheering we would do. And how could I forget the little fact that Mark himself has claimed introducing the world to jacking off.
An Evening with Mark Hoppus and All Things Fahrenheit-182 proved to be a big deep dive into the book itself as Mark Hoppus broke down the story of blink-182, Scott Raynor, Tom DeLonge leaving the band (“as he does”), and of course his cancer journey, which absolutely brought me to tears all over again. But, my personal favorite was the stories of Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba and the snorefest he apparently brings to the table while traveling.
The talk lasted about an hour and a half, but it was probably one of the best hour-and-a-half sessions I have spent listening to someone talk about their life and what they hope for the future. I’m looking forward even more to jumping into Fahrenheit-182 once time permits.
Mark Hoppus has one more date for his book tour on May 5 in the UK at the Savoy Theatre. So, if you can, and you’re a diehard blink-182 fan, I’d try to find a way to attend that performance.
Mark Hoppus and Dan Ozzi’s #1 New York Times bestselling book, Fahrenheit-182, can currently be purchased at Barnes & Noble, with the audiobook read by Mark himself available on streaming platforms.
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