YEAR IN REVIEW: The band returns to the studio, where they'll spend the better part of a year crafting their fifth album, which is either untitled or self-titled, whatever. In 2003, they also do a club tour (their first in years), and tour in Japan and the Middle East.

 

1/2/2003: The recording process for the untitled album commences with the trio moving their equipment into a rented home in Rancho Sante Fe, California. The release date at this point is summer. A more comprehensive listing of their activities during the recording process are documented here based off dates given in their MTV Album Launch special.

1/16/2003: The band is featured on TRL as part of a quiz. Video 1

1/17/2003: A webcam documenting the band's activities goes live.

1/19/2003: The band is interviewed by Adam Carolla for MTV's Super Bowl special at the NFL Experience in San Diego.

1/23/2003: The band is featured with Carson Daly for MTV'ss Super Bowl Tailgate party.

2/16/2003: The episode of The Simpsons — "Barting Over" — with the band's cameo airs.

2/21/2003: The band is still demoing, and hasn't recorded much of anything. Not long after this, Jerry Finn and Ryan Hewitt are supposed to arrive.

3/14/2003: Travis records random drum tracks to use as loops while he is away touring with the Aquabats. One of these becomes The Fallen Interlude.

3/26/2003: Travis's last day before the Transplants' tour.

3-4/2003 (undated): The band is kicked out of the house. They move to Rolling Thunder Studios instead, and at some point, Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood.

5/11/2003: Travis returns from tour. Not much has been done: they had six songs in development when Travis left, only one has been completed.

5/9/2003: The band appear on MTV Duets.

5/20/2003: During this week: photo shoot, seen in MTV Album Launch and confirmed by Cheetah's post.

6/1/2003: The band has seven songs done so far.

6/15/2003: The band has 11 songs complete, according to Cheetah, with an estimated completion date of one month.

6/26/2003: A new Blink song, "Action", is announced for the upcoming video game Madden 2004.

6/27/2003: Blink will be up in LA finishing drums. After this, they'll return to San Diego to finish the songs.

7/17/2003: The band performs at Centennial Park in Sarnia, Ontario, as a part of Bayfest 2003. Audio

Ticket

7/26/2003: 

• The band performs at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a part of Rolling Rock Town Fair. Video 1, Shirt (front), Shirt (back)

  • Other bands included Puddle of Mudd, 311, Def Leppard, Sum 41, Saliva, and more.

• According to Mark on his 2021 viewing of the MTV Album Launch doc, Gus Brandt joins the band as tour manager beginning with this show. Brandt remains with the band for over two decades; he later serves as the band’s manager during the Skiba era in the 2010s.​

8/2/2003: 

• The band performs at Chiba Marine Stadium in Tokyo, Japan as a part of the Summer Sonic Festival. Poster, Video

  • Other bands included Blur, New Found Glory, Puddle of Mudd, Cheap Trick, and more.

8/3/2003: 

• The band performs at WTC Open Air Stadium in Osaka, Japan as a part of the Summer Sonic Festival. Poster

  • Other bands included Blur, Devo, Sum 41, and more.

8/7/2003: MTV/MTV2 air Madden NFL 2004: The Making of the Game featuring footage of various bands including blink talking about their contribution to the featured music in the game.

8/10/2003: Blink returns to Conway to continue recording.

8/12/2003: Madden 2004 hits stores.

8/22/2003: 

• The band performs at Little John's Farm in Reading, England, as a part of Reading Festival. Audio, Video (interview), Poster

  • Other artists included Linkin Park, Jay-Z, Bowling for Soup, and more.

8/23/2003: 

• The band performs at Bramham Park in Leeds, England, as a part of Leeds Festival. Audio, Poster

  • Other artists included Linkin Park, Jay-Z, Staind, Less Than Jake, Bowling for Soup, and more.

8/25/2003: 

• The band tours the USS Memphis in Bahrain. Image 1, Image 2

• Later that day, they perform for sailors and marines. 

• After the band’s breakup and Travis’s 2008 plane crash, Tom initially reconected with Travis by sending him two photographs — one of the band taken on the USS Memphis from this date and another of he and his family from that time period (2008). “One was 'Do you remember who we were?' and the other was 'This is who I am now,’” he told Rolling Stone.

8/27/2003: The band performs on the USS Nimitz in Kuwait. Audio, Video 1

9/6/2003: 

• The band performs at 4th & B in San Diego, California, as a part of a benefit show for Jason Bogle. Poster

  • Other bands included Taking Back Sunday.

9/26/2003: Press/pictures!

9/27/2003:

• Press/pictures!

• Extras are cast for the Feeling This video. The original release form is here.

9/28/2003: Additional casting.

9/29/2003: Additional additional casting. I guess they couldn't find the right people?

9/30/2003: First day of Feeling This video shoot at the abandoned Lincoln Heights Jail in Los Angeles.

10/1/2003: Second day of Feeling This shoot.

10/2/2003: Feeling This is sent to radio.

10/7/2003: 

• The band shoots videos for the enchanted CD-ROM with director Scandalous in Corona, California.

• Rolling Stone runs an article about the band’s trip to play for the armed forces: “Uncle Sam Wants Punk”

10/8/2003: Last day in studio. In MTV Album Launch, it seems as though they're judging mixes this day, too.

10/9/2003: Travis's son, Landon Asher Barker is born.

10/16/2003: Final mixes of the untitled album. Travis is in LA and Mark and Tom are in San Diego, and they're judging the mixes through an ISDN line.

10/17/2003: The band announces the DollaBill tour, both online and live on MTV.

10/20/2003: The music video for “Feeling This” is completed. This information is pulled from a promotional VHS tape, which lists technical info about the clip. Image

10/22/2003: Tickets for the DollaBill tour sell out.

10/23/2003:

• Last day of mixing. Last mix of the record was Feeling This: they pick Jerry Finn's mix over (probably) either Andy Wallace or Tom Lord Alge's mix.

• The band's Making the Video premieres, with the video.

10/24/2003: Record is complete, turned in to Geffen.

10/27/2003: Feeling This makes its TRL debut.

11/2/2003: First day of DollaBill rehearsals.

11/3/2003: Second day of DollaBill rehearsals. The band records their Sessions@AOL. Video 1, Video 2

11/6/2003: 

• The band performs at Avalon in Boston, Massachusetts, beginning the DollaBill Tour.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/7/2003: 

• The band performs at TLA in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/8/2003: 

• The band performs at 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

  • 11/9/2003: 

• The band performs at Irving Plaza in New York, New York.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/10/2003:

• Album is put online for streaming.

• The band guests on Fuse's IMX.

11/11/2003: MTV Brank Spankin New performance. Performing on the rooftop, they do Feeling This and Dammit.

11/12/2003: 

• The band performs at Clutch Cargos in Pontiac, Michigan.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/13/2003: 

• The band performs at House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

• The band announce an extra show of the DollaBill tour, this gig in Toronto on 12/2.

11/14/2003: 

• The band performs at Quest in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/15/2003: CD premiere party at ESPN XGames skatepark.

11/17/2003: 

• The band performs at Avalon in Los Angeles, California.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/18/2003:

• The eponymous (or self-titled) album is released on Geffen, which absorbed MCA earlier in the year.

• Mark, Tom and Travis go on KROQ to talk about it. Then they go to buy their record.

• Not Now is also released on iTunes as an additional single.

• The band performs at Avalon in Los Angeles, California.

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/19/2003: Blink does an in-store signing of the album at Best Buy in Irvine, California.

11/21/2003:

• The band's MTV Album Launch premieres. In terms of the band's history, it's one of the best, most beloved pieces of media on the band. It chronicles the recording of the album, plus the tour kick-off, etc.

• The band performs at SOMA in San Diego, California. 

  • Other artists included Bubba Sparxxx and the Kinison.

11/23/2003: Travis performs at the Guitar Center Drum Off at The House Of Blues in Hollywood.

11/24/2003: Mark is interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

11/25/2003:

• Physical singles for "Feeling This" become available for purchase in the UK.

• The band announces a European tour for February.

• The band appears on MTV Loveline.

• Tom is interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

11/26/2003: 

• Travis is interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

• The band perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Video 1

12/1/2003: The band appears on MTV2's Track 2.

12/2/2003: 

• The band performs at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, completing the DollaBill Tour. Audio​

• Other bands included My Chemical Romance.

• Ticket

12/3/2003: The band performs at the Orpheum in Boston, Massachusetts, as a part of WBCN Radio Show.

12/4/2003:

• Tom begins campaigning for political candidate John Kerry. While seemingly not important to this timeline, it becomes part of Tom's inspiration to create Angels & Airwaves. In a 2006 interview with Alternative Press, he says: "I had this epiphany [...] The only thing I can say is that it really changed me."

• "Feeling This" hits number one on TRL.

• The band performs at the Patriot Center in Washington, D.C., as a part of WHFS Radio Show.

12/5/2003: 

• Travis graces the cover of Modern Drummer.

• The band host MTV2’s Rock Show.

• The band performs at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York, as a part of WXRK Radio Show. Ticket

12/8/2003: The band appears on MTV2 Rock. Video 1

12/9/2003: 

• Riding in Vans with Boys, a documentary on the Pop Disaster Tour, is released.

• MTV2 airs a half-hour special on the band.

12/10/2003: The band does an online chat on msn.com. This was rescheduled from 11/20.

12/11/2003: The band performs at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California, as a part of KWOD Radio Show.

12/14/2003: The band performs at the Universal Amphitheater in Universal City, California, as a part of KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. Video 1, Video 2, Video 3

12/17/2003: The band shoots the music video for "I Miss You".