Seeing the band was a dream fulfilled for me that dates back to junior high…but as much as I’d love to write about their music, I think it’s unnecessary. Mike, Tre, and Billie Joe have played together for 16 years. They sound great live and probably always will. We were treated to most of the new album, plus classic Green Day tracks “She,” “Longview,” and “Basketcase.” Oh yeah, unexpected instruments included horns, saxophones, and an accordion. Who knew? Now, on to the good stuff.Not only are the guys legends in the alternative rock/pop punk genre, but they’re fantastic performers, too. Why didn’t anyone tell me Billie Joe was secretly an aerobics instructor? He’s a punk Jane Fonda on stage (and I mean that in a completely manly, non-insulting way, if possible), leading thousands of people in synchronized arm waving and fist pumps.
The group’s stamina is amazing – their audience interaction is nonstop throughout the two hour show. Aside from the several lucky kids plucked to perform with the band, Green Day didn’t need physical proximity to make fans part of the action. Little things like yelling contests and doing The Wave around Allstate Arena seem insignificant, but the crowd ate it up and proved that it is possible to make the kid in the nosebleed seats feel appreciated.
In person Billie Joe comes across as a real character – comedic, larger then life, and oddly charming. For someone who was called a “riotous anti-American” in a recent article, his onstage persona isn’t quite what you’d expect. This is not only smart but necessary; Green Day’s new setlist is politically charged to say the least and relies on the human performance element to make it ok for people to enjoy.
In today’s world environment and the state of the U.S.’s foreign relations, “American Idiot” walks a dangerous line of sparking similar passion in those who disagree with George Dubya, and completely alienating fans. With an angry, detached delivery, it’s the latter at its worst. Performed with more of a party vibe and at times tongue-in-cheek, at its best it’s encouraging Americans to educate themselves and stand for something. I didn’t want to find out the band had jumped on the “screw the government” bandwagon as blind, posing sheep. If they are, then I’m fooled…they believe in what they’re singing, and you can’t fault them for that.
The night ended with Billie Joe wishing the Chicago Bears this year’s Super Bowl title, a hurricane of confetti that I’m still finding in my purse, the intimate “Good Riddance,” an incredible amount of “thank yous” from the band to the crowd, and a cover of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” performed by the guys in sombreros, cowboy hats, and a king’s crown. (I’m convinced they’re the only people who could pull this off without looking cheesy. See above paragraph.)
I’ll never be a critic that kisses everyone’s ass and leaves every concert feeling it was “TEH BEST EVAR!!!11” But the Green Day experience was actually enough to make me take back my previous endorsement of Velvet Revolver as the best rock show to see…this was the total package, kids.
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