Green Day

By Jacob Schneider
July 2009
Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff

It's almost hard to believe that it's been over 15 years since Green Day released Dookie, their debut album on Reprise Records that spawned three number one hits, a Grammy award for best alternative album, and sold more than 10 million copies.

Upon entering Chicago's United Center Monday night I quickly came to the realization that somehow this pop-punk trio from the bay area has become a top-tier act in the international arena of rock music.

Undoubtedly the majority of that success can be accredited to the release of American Idiot, the 2004 rock opera that saw the abandonment of their typical verse-chores-verse style as they came into their own with more elaborate songwriting.

Touring in support of their second rock opera, 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day remains at the top of its game in terms of crafting cohesive albums composed of well written songs with strong lyrical substance.

Bearing witness to their live show for the first time, a production long known as a wildly entertaining interactive spectacle commanded by band leader Billie Joe Armstrong, I couldn't help but think to myself that this shtick seems as though it has gotten a bit stale over the years.

There is no doubt that Billie Joe has developed into one of rock music's most captivating front men. Opening the set with the title track of 21st Century Breakdown, Armstrong told the crowd that he "wanted every motherfucker in the United Center jumping up and down," just before a blast of pyrotechnics lit up the stage.

For the new single, "Know Your Enemy" Armstrong dazzled the crowd by playing a blistering solo with his guitar behind his head .

At age 37, Armstrong still leads every show with energy at peaked levels, but his means of achieving this status has led to desperate acts of attention that come off slightly cheesy. Using everything from toilet paper guns, squirt guns, even an arena t-shirt gun to excite the crowd, it became clear that these guys were running out of ideas.

One odd moment during the show was when Armstrong told the crowd, "alright here's what we're gonna do. Everyone in the crowd make fucking noises." It came off as a last ditch effort that reeked of desperation.

I'm sure the 13-year-old kids in the mosh pit were having the time of their life (no pun intended), but I almost wanted Armstrong to quit the shenanigans and get on with the show. I came here to see a rock opera after all.

The setlist was heavily composed of new material from 21st Century Breakdown, with pieces of American Idiot assorted throughout, and sprinkled with tracks from the rest of their catalog.

For Dookie's "Longview," one male and one female were selected from the audience to perform vocal duties. The rather large bald gentleman handled his business well, while the young lady ruined her experience by making the most horrific attempt at a stage dive into the crowd these eyes have ever seen. It looked like a violent cannonball. You could feel the whole place cringe when she nailed the people trying to catch her.

One song I was looking forward to seeing was Green Day's take on Operation Ivy's "Knowledge," typically reserved for the portion of the show where Billie Joe picks one lucky fan from the audience to play his guitar while he leads the sing-along. Unfortunate for me, but awesome for the 10-year-old kid who got pulled on stage, they decided to ditch the Op-Ivy cover and replace it with new track "Jesus of Suburbia."

The encore ended with Armstrong taking to the stage by himself with an acoustic guitar for "Good Riddance (Time of your life)." It was an appropriate way to wind down the crowd after 2 nonstop hours of ridiculous action, just before they rushed into the arena hallways to purchase overpriced band t-shirts at the merch table.

If I learned anything at my first Green Day show tonight it is that these guys are desperate to keep their aging fan base on board by crafting intricate musical arrangements, while at the same time creating a new generation of fans with their wily antics.