Angels & Airwaves on Tour
Although blink-182 guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge is also the creative engine behind Angels & Airwaves, his two bands couldn't be more different. That's especially evident live: Although both groups offer up energetic sets, the Angels & Airwaves experience hews toward epic, heart-racing rock ‘n' roll. DeLonge is a soulful, passionate frontman who takes vocal and physical cues from charismatic superstar frontmen — think U2's Bono and Coldplay's Chris Martin — while his bandmates bash out soundscapes around him.
Over the years, Angels & Airwaves have toured with Weezer, appeared on the Vans Warped Tour, and landed spots at the Reading & Leeds Festivals. In 2019, the band embarked on their first tour in seven years and celebrated the occasion by releasing a keyboard-heavy, 1980s throwback single, "Rebel Girl."
Angels & Airwaves Background
When blink-182 went on hiatus in early 2005, DeLonge didn't miss a beat: He hunkered down in a home studio and crafted music for a new project that he dubbed Angels & Airwaves (sometimes abbreviated as AVA, in no small part because it's also the name of DeLonge's daughter). Although blink-182 favored brisk pop-punk, DeLonge's new tunes were cinematic rock indebted to U2 and '80s synth-pop, and buoyed by chiming synths and guitars.
Despite the different sound, Angels & Airwaves immediately connected with fans. The band's first two albums, 2006's gold-certified We Don't Need to Whisper and 2007's I-Empire, spawned five songs that made the Top 40 of Billboard's alternative songs chart — highlighted by 2006's "The Adventure," which peaked at No. 5. DeLonge's confidence grew with this success. Subsequent albums (including 2010's Love and 2011's Love: Pt. 2) boasted epic thematic concepts that explored philosophical and existential topics, as well as expansive sonic palettes with heavier guitars, prog flourishes and more experimental keyboards.
Ever ambitious, Angels & Airwaves also started dabbling in film projects. In 2008, they released the band origin documentary Start the Machine, while 2011 saw the release of the sci-fi-tinged Love. To go along with 2014's The Dream Walker, they even released an animated short called Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker.