Audio By Carbonatix
Green Day, AFI
Superpages.com Center
August 26th, 2010
(Way, way ) better than: reading Marc Spitz’s book, Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day.
How is it possible to put on a three-hour arena rock show that doesn’t lag or feel self-indulgent?
Green Day has somehow found a way, and the band slayed the thousands of folks who showed up to see them at Superpages.com Center last night.
Taking stage shortly after 8, the band fired off a number of songs from
their latest record, 21st Century Breakdown, as well as few tracks from
American Idiot. Backed by two extra guitarists and a keyboard player,
songs like “Know Your Enemy,” “East Jesus Nowhere” and “Holiday” sounded
as thick and full as they do on record. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong
led the crowd with sing-alongs, chants, and claps as many songs from the
first half featured extended instrumental parts. Armstrong let plenty
of F-bombs drop as he got the crowd riled up and ready for a memorable
show.
After 10 songs from their last two albums, the band proceeded to take a little trip down a deep album cut lane. Paying respect to the attendees who came into the band with Kerplunk and
Dookie, songs like “Burnout,” “F.O.D” and “2,000 Light Years Away”
sounded as good as when they were originally released. Though the
crowd’s ecstatic cheers waned for a few of these songs, nobody sat down.
Throughout the whole show, there were plenty of fireworks, flames,
dazzling lights, and an impressive video screen display behind the band.
Luckily, the spectacles weren’t there to cover up for any lack of value
coming from the guitars and drums. Plus there were water guns, a toilet
paper gun, and a T-shirt dispenser used to shoot at the crowd.
After “When I Came Around” finished, the band gave the crowd a medley of
six songs you still hear on classic rock radio. From “Iron Man” to
“Sweet Child o’ Mine” to “Stairway to Heaven,” the band then kicked into
the fabulous one-two punch of “Brain Stew” and “Jaded.”
For “Longview,” Armstrong hand-picked three members of the audience to
sing the song’s three verses. None of them had the vocal power to
overshadow Armstrong’s voice, but that wasn’t the point. Even though
Green Day is a superstar rock band, they are still a band that wants the
common parent, teenager, and jaded college graduate to have a good
time.
If there was any point of the show that felt a little too long, it would
be during “King for a Day.” The band, decked out in costumes (including
drummer Tre Cool with a red bra and a Minnie Pearl hat on), morphed the
song into an extended rendition of “Shout Part 2.” Complete with a
saxophone solo and snippets of “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” “Peggy
Sue,” “Free Fallin’,” “Break On Through,” “(I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction” and “Hey Jude,” the band seemed to take a breather.
Ending the main set with “21 Guns” and “Minority,” Armstrong somehow was
able to hold a note for nearly two minutes and got the whole crowd to
sing right back to him at the same length.
Coming back shortly after a break, the band’s encore featured the
mega-suite from American Idiot, “Jesus of Suburbia.” Finishing the night
with a three-song set featuring Armstrong on acoustic guitar, “Good
Riddance” rang out and people walked away incredibly fulfilled.
Openers AFI took stage at seven o’clock and played to an audience that barely filled a
quarter of the venue. Once a mighty blend of Bay Area punk with New York
hardcore, with a little bit of the Damned and the Misfits thrown in, the band showcased
bland stadium shout-rock.
At 10 songs, the only truly memorable portion
was when they pulled out “Miss Murder.” With a pompadour and a glittery
blazer, frontman Davey Havok came out looking like he just got off
stage with the touring edition of Rocky Horror Picture Show. AFI has always been a band that seemed to be destined for bigger venues than punk
dives. Too bad the music they created when they got to those bigger
stages doesn’t hold up.
Critic’s Notebook
Personal Bias: The last time I saw Green Day live was on the Nimrod tour
in 1997. The last time I saw AFI was in 1999 at the Galaxy Club,
playing with Hot Water Music and Sick of it All. I can safely say Green
Day trumped that show in 1997. I can also safely say that AFI was way
more rewarding back in 1999.
By The Way: There were a lot of parents with their kids at this show–as in entire
families with elementary-aged to teenage kids. Back when I saw the
“Longview” video on MTV in 1994, I never imagined that would happen at a
Green Day show 19 years later. Then again, I didn’t think Green Day
would have been around.
Random Quote: “I wished they would have played ‘Warning,'” bemoaned a mother behind me as we all filed out.
