14 DAY TRIAL // This Friday, the lifeless body of DJ AM, real name Adam Goldstein, was found in his New York City apartment after having apparently accidentally overdosed. On Saturday, Blink-182, close friends and occasional collaborators of the DJ, had to perform in Hartford, Conn, and used this opportunity to honor their late friend, as People magazine can confirm.
Travis Barker, the Blink-182 drummer, was also extremely close to AM, the two having been the only survivors in a plane crash that claimed the lives of other four passengers last year. Even before the concert, Travis Tweeted that he might not be able to perform – not after having heard of the tragic news of his friend’s passing –, yet both him and his other two bandmembers pulled it together and took to the stage. At the same time, they also succeeded in honoring AM the best way they knew how, through music.
“This night is really hard for us on stage. We lost a dear friend yesterday. His name was Adam Goldstein. You probably know him as DJ AM. He was an innovator and a genius and he loved music more than anything else. Above all he was a dear friend.” bassist Mark Hoppus told the crowd, asking for a moment of silence in the DJ’s honor. As the lights onstage dimmed and faded out altogether, lighters were elevated above the head, with the crowd screaming, “We love you, guys!” when the three onstage burst into tears.
“A song in Goldstein’s honor followed. ‘This song is called ‘Down.’ And it goes something like this,’ said Hoppus. As guitarist Tom DeLonge delivered the lyric ‘I need you so bad,’ tears rolled down the cheeks of all three members of Blink-182. ‘We are doing our very best to get through this show,’ said Hoppus, ‘but right now it’s very hard.’” People magazine says of the moving tribute Blink-182 paid to the late DJ. As several US media outlets note, DJ AM was simply the kind of guy no one could say anything bad about.
Travis Barker, though, had it the toughest, judging from how he behaved on scene, People further adds. At the end of the gig, the drummer refused to lift his eyes to the crowd or take part in the jokes that were being passed around, just got up and left for the locker room. Hoppus took it upon himself to thank the crowd on behalf of them all, saying they wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else, despite appearances. To see their touching tribute to DJ AM, check out the video below.