Portland’s Memorial Coliseum rocked recently to the punk pop sound of multi-award winning Green Day. Clearly influenced by the glory days of punk, the hard driving style and raw energy of bands like the Ramones and The Clash screamed through much of their set.
This trio succeeds where those groups failed, however, by pressing punk music to the forefront of mainstream rock ‘n roll. Diehard punkers reviled Green Day for ‘selling out’ their roots when they signed with major label Reprise Records in 1993. The Portland performance, one stop on the wildly successful American Idiot Tour, proved that the choice between punk and rock is not one that must be made after all. With Green Day, it’s all good.
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong segued seamlessly between hardcore punk anthems such as “Basketcase” and “Longview”, emo-punk “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and rock standards like Queen’s “We are the Champions.” Billie Joe was born to rule the stage and rightfully crowned himself the King of Punk Pop by donning royal robes and a crown. The audience morphed into a puppet in his hands, responding to every tug of the strings. The frenzied mass, willing slaves to their charcoal eye-lined master, dutifully obeyed every glance or gesture bestowed upon them by the King. Armstrong’s control of the crowd was nothing less than awe-inspiring. The rush he must feel by that power can’t be imagined.
Unlike their adolescent tours, the boys did not take to the stage for merely two hours of jamming. This flamboyant rock ‘n roll show harkens back to the powerhouse displays that we free-spirited-children of the 70s recall with a secret smile in the midst of board room meetings and soccer-mom carpools. The show explodes with pyrotechnics, bombs, lights, confetti guns and a pulsating sound that burn into your very bone structure. Green Day is a punked out rock ‘n roll at its most fun.
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Article comments
1 - Sarah
In my opinion, Green Day is a great band despite the fact that they use many political refrences in their music. They really are the greatest rock/punk band of our time.
2 - Melisa Graves
This site is awsome but some of the facts are wrong "Dookie" came out in 1992
3 - Leslie
Thanks for visiting Melisa. I appreciate your comments. However, according to the official Green Day website, http://www.greenday.com,"Dookie" was released in 1994.
Leslie
4 - Karen
The Portland show was AMAZING. We had terrible seats, but I still can't even believe I got to go!! Thanks for the awesome review. Great job!!!!
-Karen
5 - Kristin
Wow, I went to see the Green Day concert in Moline Illinois on the 14th of September, and they rocked! The boys of Green Day put on an awesome show, and we had fairly good seats, well, any seat is a good seat in the Mark because it is so small. Billie Joe is so energetic, and he can really get the crowd pumped. Everybody was singing along and "fist-pumping", it was an amazing feeling. Since Illinois is a democratic state, the Bush-bashing comments really didn't seem to offend anybody, like when Green Day was getting ready to perform "Holiday" Billie Joe made the comment "This next song is a big f*ck you to President Bush", and the crowd went wild. I don't think the show is meant for someone who admires the Bush administation. However, if you dislike the administration, like pop/rock, and love the feeling of having no emotion, Green Day is the best band to see. There is so much energy racing through the crowd, the outside world means nothing, all there is to do is rock out with everyone else, it's an invigorating experience. To me going to the Green Day concert was a once in a lifetime experience, and if anyone gets the chance to go, take it, and enjoy yourself, and it will be the time of your life.
6 - BIllie Joe Luva
GO KAREN!!!!!!
I am going to a green day concert but i have crappie seats.. buy hey im still thrilled to be going. I hate it when ppl think that u have to be in the mosh or it wont be good.
7 - gia
I've been to Green day's concert in milan in February..it was wonderful,the best moment of my life!!!Green day I love you,you're my life.. bye I'm italian