Billie Joe Armstrong stood on a large stage erected within the outfield of the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park and let his emotions be identified concerning the proprietor of the baseball staff on the opposite facet of the Bay.
“We don’t take no (expletive) from people like John (expletive) Fisher, who sold out the Oakland A’s to Las (expletive) Vegas,” stated the Inexperienced Day vocalist-guitarist, utilizing Friday evening’s platform of a sold-out live performance with 43,000 in attendance to characterize his native East Bay. “I (expletive) hate Las Vegas. It’s the worst (expletive) hole in America.”
And Armstrong wasn’t the one East Bay punk icon on the live performance who was interested by the A’s, which had been kicking off what’s assumed to be their last-ever homestand in Oakland — after greater than 56 years within the metropolis — with a recreation in opposition to the New York Yankees on that exact same evening.
“Oh, I am going to say some (expletive) tonight — (expletive) John Fisher,” stated Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen. “His whole family makes money off the backs of Bay Area people and then he wants to (expletive) off to Vegas. (Expletive) him.
“Thank God we’ve still got the Giants.”
The superb factor concerning the live performance was that — regardless that it was taking place in certainly one of San Francisco’s key landmarks — it actually turned out to be a large celebration of the East Bay, one which many would say felt much more needed than traditional in mild of shedding the A’s.
And no person is a greater East Bay cheerleader than Armstrong.
“We are East Bay — East Bay for life,” exclaimed the Inexperienced Day entrance man, who was born in Oakland and raised in Rodeo. “Forever — Green Day, East Bay — forever. Can you feel me?”
Oh, most definitely. And the rant in opposition to Fisher was solely certainly one of many the reason why. Armstrong and his two bandmates — bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool — would really give the jam-packed crowd some 2 1/2 hours of incentives throughout their wonderful headlining set, capping off an general 5 1/2 hour live performance that additionally included pleasing units from Rancid, Smashing Pumpkins and The Linda Lindas.
“Welcome to the 20th anniversary — wait a minute — 30th anniversary of ‘Dookie,’” Armstrong stated close to the beginning of the band’s set.
But, it’s comprehensible why he may be a bit confused. In spite of everything, there was a variety of floor to cowl and issues to maintain straight as these Rodeo rockers celebrated the twentieth and thirtieth anniversaries of their two most essential albums … “Dookie” and “American Idiot,” respectively.
Kicking off the ample 38-song set with “The American Dream Is Killing Me” — certainly one of a half dozen tunes carried out from Inexperienced Day’s most up-to-date album, “Saviors” (which can also be the tour’s namesake) — the band then launched proper into 14-track “Dookie” in its entirety.
Just like the multiplatinum breakthrough album itself, the efficiency was a bit sluggish to begin, because the group waded by means of the lesser-known tracks “Burnout,” “Having a Blast” and “Chump,” however issues then took off as soon as Cool and Dirnt locked into that mesmerizing groove of “Longview.” After which the band simply saved rolling by means of the album’s greatest materials.
“This next song is dedicated to Oakland, California,” Armstrong stated because the intro to a enjoyable model of “Welcome to Paradise.”
The trio, which was supported onstage by three touring musicians, completed up the “Dookie” album with “F.O.D.” after which visited another materials (together with “Brain Stew,” which can simply be essentially the most highly effective rocker of the band’s profession) earlier than opening up the ebook on “American Idiot.”
That the nightcap was even higher than the “Dookie” opener could also be shocking to some, particularly those that are accustomed to the oh-so bland Broadway musical model of the fabric. But, “American Idiot” is a full idea album — which achieves its most potential when it’s heard in a single sitting — whereas “Dookie” is form of only a assortment of songs (a few of that are fairly good).
Opening with the title observe, and persevering with by means of such grand achievements as “Jesus of Suburbia,” “Holiday” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” Inexperienced Day continued to construct momentum and stitch collectively the person songs in ways in which had been completely fascinating. By the point we reached the end line of “American Idiot,” with the closing observe of “Whatsername,” it felt like we had simply accomplished a really uncommon rock odyssey, one served up only a day shy of the thirtieth anniversary of the album’s precise launch date (Sept. 21, 2004).
The opposite bands on the invoice additionally delivered positive units, with The Linda Lindas — an ideal younger L.A. rock quartet that includes musicians who vary in age from 14 to twenty — kicking issues off earlier than a still-sparse (however extremely appreciative) crowd at 5:30 p.m. Rancid adopted with a half-hour set of East Bay punk tunes, then got here the Smashing Pumpkins to complete setting the desk for Inexperienced Day with an hourlong set.
Inexperienced Day setlist1. “The American Dream Is Killing Me”2. “Burnout”3. “Having a Blast”4. “Chump”5. “Longview”6. “Welcome to Paradise”7. “Pulling Teeth”8. “Basket Case”9. “She”10. “Sassafras Roots”11. “When I Come Around”12. “Coming Clean”13. “Emenius Sleepus”14. “In the End”15. “F.O.D.”16. “All by Myself”17. “Know Your Enemy”18. “Look Ma, No Brains!”19. “One Eyed Bastard”20. “Dilemma”21. “Minority”22. “Brain Stew”23. “American Idiot”24. “Jesus of Suburbia”25. “Holiday”26. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”27. “Are We the Waiting”28. “St. Jimmy”29. “Give Me Novacaine”30. “She’s a Rebel”31. “Extraordinary Girl”32. “Letterbomb”33. “Wake Me Up When September Ends”34. “Homecoming”35. “Whatsername”36. “Bobby Sox”37. “Suzie Chapstick”38. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”
Initially Printed: September 21, 2024 at 10:12 a.m.
