Green Day in Orlando: A Religious Experience

by Stephanie Snyder
Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009

"Can I get an amen?" - Billie Joe Armstrong

The Green Day show at the Amway Arena on Wednesday night was a spectacle. Astonishing. Epic, to say the very least. It was nearly two and a half hours of non-stop punk rock. There was a mosh pit, some stage diving action, pyrotechnics, fan sing-a-longs--and that's not even the half of it.

Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong bounced around the stage with the boundless energy of a kid hopped up on Ritalin--he even mooned the audience at one point. It was high-energy from start to finish. From the beginning, Armstrong encouraged everyone to get on their feet.

"Get off your f--king ass!" Armstrong screamed at a mother-son duo in the lower level front row in front of me. Point being that if Billie Joe Armstrong wants you to stand up and have a good time, then you'd better damn well do it.

Before the show started, there was an appearance by the Drunk Pink Bunny that got fans amped up (some speculate it's Armstrong or drummer Tre Cool). There were many highlights during the evening, from Armstrong pulling fans on stage to play and sing songs to a random medley that started with a cover of the Isley Brothers' "Shout," and turned into the Doors' "Break On Through (The Other Side)," Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'", and the Penguins' "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)."

Other tributes included Armstrong playing short, memorable guitar riffs that drove the crowd wild--tidbits of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me," AC/DC's "Back in Black" and Black Sabbath's "Crazy Train."

All of this is random, yes--but just as random as the T-shirt cannon and toilet paper blower and the white and blue confetti and the Super Soaker. Green Day may be "grown ups" now, for lack of a better term--but screw it; it doesn't mean you can't still have fun, and that was a point that really resonated. Last night was evidence of their diverse fan base--everyone from college students to families to the creepy guy sitting near me in a floral-print shirt who was wailing and whooping before the show even started.

Green Day has come a long way since Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt started their first band Sweet Children at the age of 15 (Armstrong and Dirnt are now 37, drummer Tre Cool is 36). Their songwriting has clearly evolved since Dookie--no longer are these guys just singing about things like masturbation and marijuana, but they've really developed a viewpoint on what's relevant to society today -- as evidenced by politically-charged songs like "Song of the Century" and "Know Your Enemy" from their latest rock opera 21st Century Breakdown.

The setlist also included such hits as "Minority," "American Idiot," "She," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Longview," and "Basket Case." The encore included "Jesus of Suburbia", "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," and a special treat -- an acoustic version of "Christie Road." Armstrong pulled a 14-year-old audience member on stage to play the guitar for "Jesus of Suburbia."

"What key is it in?" Armstrong quizzed the kid.

"C sharp major!" he shouted.

"All right, all right, get your ass up here!"

Countless fans got a chance to be rockstars that night. The band really engaged the crowd, which was awesome to see. A 10-year-old fan even got "baptized" on stage by Armstrong during "East Jesus Nowhere."

It was clear to see that night that everyone felt connected to the band and the music--and whether or not they got the chance to be personally baptized by Armstrong, it didn't make it any less of a religious rock experience.