Formed in Poway

Blink-182 was formed in August 1992 in Poway, California , a northern suburb of San Diego County . Guitarist Tom DeLonge was expelled from Poway High School for being drunk at a basketball game and was forced to attend another school, Rancho Bernardo High School , for one semester. There, he performed at a Battle of the Bands competition, where he was introduced to drummer Scott Raynor . He also befriended Kerry Key, who was also interested in punk rock music. Key was dating Anne Hoppus, sister of bassist Mark Hoppus , who had recently moved from Ridgecrest, California , to work at a record store and attend college. Both Hoppus and DeLonge grew up listening to punk rock music, with both particularly enamored by bands like Screeching Weasel and the Descendents . Southern California had a large punk population in the early 1990s, aided by an active surfing, skating, and snowboarding scene. In contrast to East Coast punk music, the West Coast wave of groups typically introduced more melodic aspects. “New York is gloomy, dark and cold. It makes different music. The Californian middle-class suburbs have nothing to be that bummed about”, said DeLonge.