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'What The F Is Up Denny's?' The Live Music Meme And Viral Video Recreated By Blink-182 Explained
It may be the most 2013 suburbia video ever: A whirling mosh pit of t-shirt and khaki-short clad head-bangers bouncing and sweating to a barbed beat in a fluorescent-lit interior. It's the Denny's Grand Slam, and Mom has let you park her Prius out in the parking lot with the promise that you'll be back before midnight.
If you know, you know. But if you don't, here's the down-low on an iconic musical meme that captured the essence of a generation.
Where Did 'What The F Is Up Denny's' Meme Come From?
The catchphrase What the f is up Denny's? came from a viral video captured in 2013 of the band Live Without playing a show at an abandoned Denny's in the Houston, Texas area. In 2018, accounts on Twitter started sharing the video, urging users to "never forget" the famous line.
Something about the raucous, gleeful energy of the singer giving his all in a Denny's of all places got to the heart of what draws a lot of people to the punk or metal genres. In a world full of bland zones like Denny's, sometimes you just need to get loud.
What Is Up At Denny's Lately?
The band Blink 182 recently referenced the meme during a concert at (you guessed it) a Denny's in Long Beach, California. The band is planning a 2024 tour and launching a new album.
Blink 182 isn't the first band to reference the meme. Back in 2019, the band Wacko played a similar show in a Denny's that was still operational.
Why Do People Post 'What The F Is Up Denny's'?
It's a niche meme that proves membership and devotion to a community of fans. For Blink 182, performing in the Denny's and saying the catchphrase might be a way of returning to their roots, playing for the real fans.
It's for the people who were hip to the music in 2013, and still are. Rock on, Denny's.
For the full history of the "What the f is up Denny's" meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.