Zachary Hertz (ZH): For our Homecoming installment, we have esteemed alumnus Juan Castañeda (LA '18), who can be found asking Siri to download Grubhub every weekend. Our sticks are from Pinky’s, a local restaurant with somewhat of a reputation: Its owner was sentenced on federal tax charges in July and arrested in 2011 on a drug trafficking charge after police allegedly found 250 pounds of marijuana worth more than $750,000 in his truck … Juan, any thoughts?
Juan Castañeda (JC): The box looks high-end, glossy and sturdy. The sticks aren’t greasy, the sauce is good and I like the crunchiness and garlic on the breading. They’re really generous with the cheese, and it would definitely keep one person satisfied. It does kind of suck that you have to order extra sauce to hit the delivery minimum, but the sauce is thick and has the right amount of tomatoes.
ZH: Financing the $0 delivery fee must be taxing on the business but as a stereotypical college student I appreciate it! Regardless, the breading alone makes this an 8/10 from me.
Brady Shea (BS): I could vibe with that. 8 for me too.
JC: I’ll give it an 8.5.
ZH: Our album today is Blink-182’s “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" (2001), which is frankly 2niche5me. Brady?
BS:This was the point at which Blink-182 went from the '90s to the classic 2000s punk sound. It opens with “Anthem Part Two,” which is a sequel to a song from their album “Enema of the State” (1999).
JC:That’s the one most people are familiar with — it has “All the Small Things.”
BS: "Part Two" is definitely the better “Anthem.” It also helps bridge the gap between Blink-182's old sound and new sound, as a follow-up to an old song.
JC:The themes are the same, but the execution is totally different sonically. Their earlier albums are what college kids would write, and a lot are memes or simpler themes. Now you can hear their perspective change.
JC:The song “First Date,” feels like it could’ve been on “Enema of the State.” It’s carefree and the premise is silly, about how a guy feels before his first date. The music video reflects that immaturity, and the band dresses in '80s and '90s clothing and just messes around.
BS: They’re saying, "Our sound has changed, but we’re still here." The first time you see this is in “Stay Together for the Kids.” It’s about parents going through divorce, from the eyes of the child, and both Tom and Mark have divorced parents. It’s raw and emotional, and I get chills when the chorus goes on.
JC:The song that sticks out for me is “Every Time I Look For You.” The earlier songs are heavy on snare, which has heavy, aggressive beats and sounds higher, but the drum line focuses on the toms and sounds smoother. It’s a love song that you can sway to.
ZH: I think my mood is “Shut Up,” because we’re sadly nearing the word limit for this week. But before we end this week, Juan has an important message.
JC:Shoutout to Chow and Joy.
Cheeses of Suburbia: Stay together for the sticks
