My Review of Green Day's Surprise Show in SF
boroff89
Posts: 786
Here's my narrative review of Green Day's last-minute, surprise show at the Independent in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
So, I got out of a meeting at work, sat down at my computer, and went to check my e-mail. As it opens up, I see, sent to me a minute before, an e-mail from my Independent listserve with the annoucement “Green Day – Just Announced for Tonight.” Yes, out of nowhere, Green Day had decided to play a show at one of San Francisco’s more intimate and cool venues. The show was set to start at 10 pm. As I went to start checking on tickets, I called my girlfriend to confirm she was up for it, which of course she was. When I attempted to get tickets, I repeatedly got a message back saying no tickets were available. However, I kept trying, and eventually, I was able to get tickets.
So in summary, Green Day, one of the better live acts I’ve seen, playing a surprise “secret” show at one of my favorite venues, a building which holds no more than 500 people (some of the articles have said 500, but I think it’s less). Given the last minute nature of the show and the late start time, I went in expecting maybe a 90 minute show featuring songs from their new, soon-to-be-released album, and a few hits. Little did I know what I was in for.
Norah and I got there around 8:30, right when the doors were supposed to be opening. However, Green Day was still soundchecking. We didn’t end up getting inside until around 9:30. The show was supposed to start at 10 pm, but at 10:20, the crew was still on stage taking care of things that on a planned tour would have been done an hour earlier. I am sure given the last minute nature of the show, the crew Green Day assembled was not their normal one.
Norah and I camped out on the right side of the stage, maybe 15 feet from where bassist Mike Dirnt would be playing. I thought it might get a bit wild in front of Billie Joe, so are spot seemed like a safe one. The band finally took the stage around 10:30. They came out and immediately flew into “Welcome to Paradise,” my favorite old Green Day song. Billie Joe then explained the context of the show. They had decided earlier that afternoon that instead of band practice, they’d play a gig. The show had literally been put together hours earlier. He then said that they would play a bulk of their new album, and they proceeded to play the soon-to-be-released 21st Century Breakdown in its entirety. Like American Idiot, it is concept driven, having been divided into three acts (Heroes and Cons, Charlatans and Saints, and Horseshoes and Handgrenades). Also like American Idiot, the new material represents a branching out of Green Day’s musical horizons. They appeared in this show as a 6 piece band, with the original trio being joined by the guitarist who’s been with them for a while now, as well as another guitarist (often playing acoustic guitar), and a multi-instrumentalist who played mostly piano/keyboard but who also played the sax and the accordion. The songs ranged from more traditional Green Day punk-infused rock to a very slow balladic love song to western/old-school country flavored punk rock. Many of the songs started slowly and then took off. I actually loved a lot of the new material, especially a song called East Jesus Nothing that worked the crowd into an appreciative frenzy. I don’t think the new album will have the broad appeal of American Idiot, but it still represents a tremendous growth in Green Day when compared to their earlier work. And while the styles of songs are varied on the new album, it all makes sense. There is clear reason and purpose behind the different styles. They aren’t aimlessly experimenting like AFI or moving off into new genres and failing miserably at it like Chris Cornell. This is a band that knows exactly what it is doing.
Upon finishing up the lengthy first set, the band left the stage. They returned and began another lengthy set comprised of hits and fan favorites that covered their entire discography. The crowd turned rowdy at that point, with an ever-growing pit forming in front of the stage. They began with American Idiot and Jesus of Suburbia (my favorite Green Day song). After a couple of more songs, they scrapped the planned setlist and began taking requests. Eventually, they closed with King for a Day with Shout and Stand by Me tagged on and then Minority. They played a 30 song set that covered about 2 and a half hours. Norah and I left the building at 1:00 AM. Absolutely wild. A once in a lifetime opportunity. In the tiny venue, the theatrics of Green Day’s bigger shows were left behind, and they returned to their roots of playing small clubs. Billie Joe spit beer out onto the crowd. He crowd surfed. It was intimate, and the band and the crowd loved every minute of it. Definitely a night to remember.
Setlist:
Welcome to Paradise
21st century breakdown
Know Your Enemy
Viva la Gloria
Before the Lobotomy
Christian's Inferno
Last Night on Earth
East Jesus Nowhere
Peacemaker
Last of the American Girls
Murder City
Restless Heart Syndrome
Horseshoes and Handgrenades
Drama Queen
21 guns
American Eulogy
See the Light
:Break:
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
She
Christie Road
J.a.r.
F.o.d.
Long View
Who Wrote Holden Caulfield
Going to Pasalacqua
Encore:
Macy's Day Parade
King for a Day (w/ some of Shout, some California Here I Come, some Stand By Me)
Minority
So, I got out of a meeting at work, sat down at my computer, and went to check my e-mail. As it opens up, I see, sent to me a minute before, an e-mail from my Independent listserve with the annoucement “Green Day – Just Announced for Tonight.” Yes, out of nowhere, Green Day had decided to play a show at one of San Francisco’s more intimate and cool venues. The show was set to start at 10 pm. As I went to start checking on tickets, I called my girlfriend to confirm she was up for it, which of course she was. When I attempted to get tickets, I repeatedly got a message back saying no tickets were available. However, I kept trying, and eventually, I was able to get tickets.
So in summary, Green Day, one of the better live acts I’ve seen, playing a surprise “secret” show at one of my favorite venues, a building which holds no more than 500 people (some of the articles have said 500, but I think it’s less). Given the last minute nature of the show and the late start time, I went in expecting maybe a 90 minute show featuring songs from their new, soon-to-be-released album, and a few hits. Little did I know what I was in for.
Norah and I got there around 8:30, right when the doors were supposed to be opening. However, Green Day was still soundchecking. We didn’t end up getting inside until around 9:30. The show was supposed to start at 10 pm, but at 10:20, the crew was still on stage taking care of things that on a planned tour would have been done an hour earlier. I am sure given the last minute nature of the show, the crew Green Day assembled was not their normal one.
Norah and I camped out on the right side of the stage, maybe 15 feet from where bassist Mike Dirnt would be playing. I thought it might get a bit wild in front of Billie Joe, so are spot seemed like a safe one. The band finally took the stage around 10:30. They came out and immediately flew into “Welcome to Paradise,” my favorite old Green Day song. Billie Joe then explained the context of the show. They had decided earlier that afternoon that instead of band practice, they’d play a gig. The show had literally been put together hours earlier. He then said that they would play a bulk of their new album, and they proceeded to play the soon-to-be-released 21st Century Breakdown in its entirety. Like American Idiot, it is concept driven, having been divided into three acts (Heroes and Cons, Charlatans and Saints, and Horseshoes and Handgrenades). Also like American Idiot, the new material represents a branching out of Green Day’s musical horizons. They appeared in this show as a 6 piece band, with the original trio being joined by the guitarist who’s been with them for a while now, as well as another guitarist (often playing acoustic guitar), and a multi-instrumentalist who played mostly piano/keyboard but who also played the sax and the accordion. The songs ranged from more traditional Green Day punk-infused rock to a very slow balladic love song to western/old-school country flavored punk rock. Many of the songs started slowly and then took off. I actually loved a lot of the new material, especially a song called East Jesus Nothing that worked the crowd into an appreciative frenzy. I don’t think the new album will have the broad appeal of American Idiot, but it still represents a tremendous growth in Green Day when compared to their earlier work. And while the styles of songs are varied on the new album, it all makes sense. There is clear reason and purpose behind the different styles. They aren’t aimlessly experimenting like AFI or moving off into new genres and failing miserably at it like Chris Cornell. This is a band that knows exactly what it is doing.
Upon finishing up the lengthy first set, the band left the stage. They returned and began another lengthy set comprised of hits and fan favorites that covered their entire discography. The crowd turned rowdy at that point, with an ever-growing pit forming in front of the stage. They began with American Idiot and Jesus of Suburbia (my favorite Green Day song). After a couple of more songs, they scrapped the planned setlist and began taking requests. Eventually, they closed with King for a Day with Shout and Stand by Me tagged on and then Minority. They played a 30 song set that covered about 2 and a half hours. Norah and I left the building at 1:00 AM. Absolutely wild. A once in a lifetime opportunity. In the tiny venue, the theatrics of Green Day’s bigger shows were left behind, and they returned to their roots of playing small clubs. Billie Joe spit beer out onto the crowd. He crowd surfed. It was intimate, and the band and the crowd loved every minute of it. Definitely a night to remember.
Setlist:
Welcome to Paradise
21st century breakdown
Know Your Enemy
Viva la Gloria
Before the Lobotomy
Christian's Inferno
Last Night on Earth
East Jesus Nowhere
Peacemaker
Last of the American Girls
Murder City
Restless Heart Syndrome
Horseshoes and Handgrenades
Drama Queen
21 guns
American Eulogy
See the Light
:Break:
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
She
Christie Road
J.a.r.
F.o.d.
Long View
Who Wrote Holden Caulfield
Going to Pasalacqua
Encore:
Macy's Day Parade
King for a Day (w/ some of Shout, some California Here I Come, some Stand By Me)
Minority
It makes much more sense to live in the present tense.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
1996: Ft Lauderdale
1998: Birmingham
2000: Charlotte, Tampa
2003: Tampa, Atlanta, Phoenix
2004: Kissimmee
2008: West Palm Beach, Bonnaroo, Columbia
2010: MSG2
2012: Music Midtown
2014: Memphis
2018: Wrigley 1, Fenway 1
2022: Nashville
2023: Ft. Worth II
2024: Baltimore
Upcoming: 2025 Hollywood, FL Night 2
Haha. King for a Day is from Nimrod. But judging by the nature of your response, I doubt that would matter.
Greenday are all about Dookie and Nimrod :P
F.O.D. and Longview are from Dookie as well. But I completely disagree. Those are great albums, but American Idiot is a masterpiece. It's funny, for a few years, I was writing music reviews. I got the gig because the editor was a Pearl Jam fan who saw me outlining my case for American Idiot being a masterpiece on Synergy, and he liked my writing. I am not even that huge of a Green Day fan, but I love American Idiot. Jesus of Suburbia is about as brilliant as you can get.
P.S. Where did you hear the new album? I didn't know it had leaked.
How did the new songs sound? DId they work live? Was the crowd into them?
Eddie: Dublin & London
Just think.. you could have saved that that $20 and caught 1/4 of one of Eddie's upcoming solo shows.
EV: Los Angeles 4.12.2008, Los Angeles 4.13.2008, Nashville 6.17.2009, Nashville 6.18.2009, Memphis 6.20.2009
Agree. I LOVE that song.
2010 - Newark 5/18 MSG 5/21
2011 - PJ20 9/3-9/4
2012 - MIA Festival 9/2
2013 - Wrigley Field 7/19 Brooklyn 10/18-10/19 Philly 10/22
2015 - Colbert show - 9/23 Global Citizens Festival 9/26
2016 - Philly 4/28-4/29 MSG 5/1-5/2
Or was that Blink 182? Meh, what's the difference?
Just kidding, my opinion is irrelevant anyways. Hope it was a fun show!!!
6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
I know! People kept requesting it, so they finally played it.