There’s no right way to deal with the shocking news that a family member could be lost at sea, locked in a tiny submersible, their oxygen dwindling, and only hours left to live. People process and express their anger, fear, frustrations, and grief in unique ways.
But if one of the biggest bands of all time is on their first reunion tour in over a decade, one way to cope is to ask the band to cheer you up.
On Twitter, @audioguy182, Brian Szasz, let the members of Blink-182 know that although his stepdad, Hamish Harding, was on the submersible that went missing after descending towards the wreckage of the Titanic, he was still going to the show.
“@blink182 @tomdelonge @travisbarker @markhoppis,” Brian Szasz tweeted, tagging the members of the band, “My stepdad Hamish is on this submarine lost at sea. I’m devastated but coming to the San Diego show tonight so you guys can give me hope and cheer me up,” adding a black heart and praying emojis.
“@tomdelonge my stepdad is missing in the sub at the Titanic site. I’m here at the San Diego show for support thanks,” he also posted.
Szasz describes himself as a recording and mixing audio engineer, so it’s not surprising he might want to attend the show.
On Twitter last month, he shared a photo of himself meeting the musician CRAY.
Szasz previously revealed that his stepfather, Harding, was on the boat in a Facebook post that went viral, which he then deleted.
“For privacy my mom asked me to delete all related posts thanks for the support,” he explained.
However, Szasz has continued to post through it on both Facebook and Twitter.
“It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as it’s my favorite band and music helps me in difficult times!” he wrote on Facebook in a since-deleted post.
“Phenomenal posting,” wrote one internet user of Szasz’s tweet about going to see Blink-182, highlighting the internet’s newfound obsession with the lost submarine.
Harding is the chairman of an aviation brokerage firm and is frequently described as an adventurer. He previously traveled to the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.
According to the setlist from the show, Blink-182 opened with “Anthem Part Two” and closed with their classic hit “Dammit.”
While Szasz did not say if he enjoyed the show, he did appear to reference one thing he wouldn’t likely do while dealing with a tragedy.
“You know it’s a bad day when you get a phone call from Tucker Carlson!” he wrote on Facebook on Monday.
