Green Day at SBC Park

East Bay slackers Green Day are certainly enjoying their salad days. Their latest album, American Idiot, is as catchy as it is topical. It's also a mulitiplatinum international smash, and after months of packing stadium shows worldwide, it's nice to have a "homecoming" show in a sold-out SBC Park. Especially with the triumphant glitz of laser lights, smoke machines, flash pots and fireworks.

Arizona's Jimmy Eat World was the opening act, and their hard-driving and hook-filled numbers complemented the upcoming punk grooves of Green Day.


Opening Act - Jimmy Eat World
It makes a big difference to be in the standing-only section instead of the "cheap seats." We were packed so tight, it was difficult to move my arms from my sides to the air and back again. Sometimes a "body wave" starts, and you have to go with the flow, like bobbing around in an ocean wave. I "drifted" in and out of proximity of my friends. Lending a helping hand to the occasional body surfers was fun.

Green Day leader and guitarist Billy Joe Armstrong was in his unabashed punk element, but he never stole the spotlight from bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool. Billy Joe had the adoring audience in his hands all night, and not just with the music. At one seemingly impromptu point, he announced he wanted to start a new band, right here, right now. He asked for three audience members who could play drums, bass, or guitar. Using his musician's intuition, he brought three volunteers on stage and got them jamming to a punk riff while he and Mike and Tre took a short break.

"I'm not a part of your redneck agenda ..." An overtly political band supporting an overtly political album, there were frequent lacerations of President Bush, who certainly was not at the show. (In fact, he has never set foot in San Francisco since taking office.)

This has been a long and intense month, made all the more poignant when Billy Joe dedicated a song to the hurricane victims: "Wake Me Up When September Ends."