As a huge fan of Green Day since singing “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” in my elementary school choir, I’ve always been attracted to the ‘F-you’ attitude of the band, and the bad-ass tunes they continue to produce after all these years. In high school I’d blast “Basket Case” and sing along at the top of my lungs, and after watching the documentary Broadway Idiot on Netflix last winter I became obsessed with the entire American Idiot album; not only the music but the process and the execution as well. To put it simply, I’m completely and constantly in awe of Green Day.
When I heard that the rock band was going on a short North American tour following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the release of their latest album I was instantly pumped to try and get tickets. I’m so lucky that my Dad was able to get great seats, take me to their show on a Monday night, and give me one of the best concert experiences out there. On the way to the show I had butterflies in my stomach, and stars in my eyes…I was about to see Green Day!
The buzzing sensation that I felt during the concert still resonates in my bones, and I think that’s a true testament as to how much energy they bring to their performance. They took the stage and played a perfect mix of old and new songs. I’m going to be completely honest, I think I cried about 7 times during the concert. Who would have thought I’d cry at a Green Day concert? I was just filled with a crazy amount of emotions and a beautiful sense of pride as I was watching the show, and I think that’s all you can really ask for when finally seeing a band you idolize.
One of the best moments of the concert was when Billie Joe pulled a young girl onstage with the band to finish singing a song. I can’t remember which song it was, but I remember him saying “Do you swear to God you know the words?!” before motioning to the security guards to get the girl up there. For some reason, I thought stuff like that only happened in movies, but there I was watching this girl’s dreams come true. And she totally rocked it!!
At this point, I’m very tempted to buy another ticket to see them again when they come back to my town this spring, and I’m excited to learn more about the band as a whole through research and exposure.
-Swaggie Maggie