Old School

Green Day
DNA Lounge
April 9, 2009

Hmmmm...It's been too long since I've updated this space and far longer since I've been to a show. Okay that's not entirely true, as I was at the Social Distortion show at the Fox Theater back in Feb but I didn't write about that. Maybe that's because I've seen Social Distortion a lot over the past 20 years, and I've written about them here.

Ok. I'm prepared to admit that I was not a fan of Green Day until the release of American Idiot. I was already 22 when Kerplunk hit the shelves, I had just returned from living in London, and was busy listening to Blur, Ride, Lush, etc. I still enjoyed my punk roots but felt like Green Day was too punk/pop.

American Idiot completely changed my perception of this band and made me develop an appreciation for their earlier material. A concept album!? Brilliant!

So now I can admit that it took me 12 years to dig this band.

The band hit the stage on Thursday night around 10:30 and launched right into the new album (due out May 15th). The new material is brilliant -- I particularly like "21 Guns", "Gloria", and "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades" (not sure if that's the right title). The new stuff harks back to a time when bands made albums that told a story. I can't wait to discover that full story when 21st Century Breakdown is released.

The second half of the show was audience requests. I was up in the "balcony" so I had a clear view of the main floor. I was super impressed by the women (not girls) who were in the pit -- they looked liked they were having a blast! There was an 8-year-old-kid at the front of the stage who spent most of the show on his dad's shoulders. Billie Joe pulled him on stage, sang to him, and then said: "Dive little man!" and the kid threw himself into the crowd and was carried along. A young girl toward the right side of the stage knew the words to all the songs: when Billie Joe forgot the lyrics to "The Grouch" she hopped on stage and sang it for him.

The band wrapped things up with "Minority" and we shuffled out of the club just after 1:00am.