Green Day tonight @ Uptown in Oakland

[Ivy Ramsbottom]

I took a chance that there would be a show at the Uptown and left Wed. morning to drive up from Moreno Valley(between LA and Palm Springs, closer to Palm Springs). Drove by the Uptown about 3:30, the line wasn't to the end of the block yet on telegraph. Went and checked into the Inn at Jack London Square, changed clothes, and headed back up to get into line. By then the line was about 20 feet around the corner. Met some nice people who knew Riverside, one guy had gone to school at UCR-small world. Waited, waited, and waited, and drank my 1800 margarita from my big Gatorade bottle. Finally got in about 8:50, hit the head, and got a couple of drinks from the bar. By the time I got into the hall it was getting crowded. Set lists previously posted by others, show started about 10:30. I was a Green Day Virgin-this popped my GD cherry, but good! They weren't too loud(I could hear just fine when it was over unlike when I saw Social D at the Morongo Casino-I couldn't hear good for about 4 days and my ears actually hurt! There was a little feedback problem and about the last third of the show(at least from where I was) Billie Joe sounded like he'd been inhaling helium and I know he doesn't sound like that normally. I really enjoyed every minute of the whole experience, except when I had to leave right after it was over as Hubby didn't want to hang out anymore. I can't really blame him as he had knee surgery on the 26th of March and is having lot of problems recuperating. Next time I'll go by myself. The whole show was great and Tre' sounded awesome-although he always does. Next show I'm going to get up front no matter what. My family all think I'm crazy, but it was a blast jumping all around with everyone. You're only as old as you think you are!

[Trina]

Awesome story

and yeah, age is just some made up thing. It doesn't matter.

[**nobodylikesyou**]

I took a chance that there would be a show at the Uptown and left Wed. morning to drive up from Moreno Valley(between LA and Palm Springs, closer to Palm Springs). Drove by the Uptown about 3:30, the line wasn't to the end of the block yet on telegraph. Went and checked into the Inn at Jack London Square, changed clothes, and headed back up to get into line. By then the line was about 20 feet around the corner. Met some nice people who knew Riverside, one guy had gone to school at UCR-small world. Waited, waited, and waited, and drank my 1800 margarita from my big Gatorade bottle. Finally got in about 8:50, hit the head, and got a couple of drinks from the bar. By the time I got into the hall it was getting crowded. Set lists previously posted by others, show started about 10:30. I was a Green Day Virgin-this popped my GD cherry, but good! They weren't too loud(I could hear just fine when it was over unlike when I saw Social D at the Morongo Casino-I couldn't hear good for about 4 days and my ears actually hurt! There was a little feedback problem and about the last third of the show(at least from where I was) Billie Joe sounded like he'd been inhaling helium and I know he doesn't sound like that normally. I really enjoyed every minute of the whole experience, except when I had to leave right after it was over as Hubby didn't want to hang out anymore. I can't really blame him as he had knee surgery on the 26th of March and is having lot of problems recuperating. Next time I'll go by myself. The whole show was great and Tre' sounded awesome-although he always does. Next show I'm going to get up front no matter what. My family all think I'm crazy, but it was a blast jumping all around with everyone. You're only as old as you think you are!

I will be right there with you!

Thanks for your review.

[a knothole resident]

age is just some made up thing. It doesn't matter.

I beg to differ. I prefer 21+ shows cause little kids and teenagers annoy the fuck outta me. I've had some really deplorable experiences with these brats and it just ruins my evening when the majority of the room is acting like a sugar high enduced toddler. Kids will mosh to slow tempo songs or even mosh during complete silence. Its ridiculous! This type of behavior is only decreasing my enjoyment cause acting like a jack ass for the sake of provoking mischeif is fucked up. Nobody thinks its cool, so keep your immature antics at the playground, not at a concert. Plus it irratates me when I hear their ignorant conversations about the band their watching. Hearing their inadequate statements only fules my rage. In fact, it's like being at a daycare center rather than a concert. In addition, Im always caught in that paradox where Im too old to hang out with the kids and too young to hang with parents. Last night was the perfect balance. I was able to associate myself with fellow Green Day fans that grew up when the band was reletively new and it puts me a comfort zone. Sorry If my comments were offensive, but its just how most all ages shows have been for me.

[Starbug]

I beg to differ. I prefer 21+ shows cause little kids and teenagers annoy the fuck outta me. I've had some really deplorable experiences with these brats and it just ruins my evening when the majority of the room is acting like a sugar high enduced toddler. Kids will mosh to slow tempo songs or even mosh during complete silence. Its ridiculous! This type of behavior is only decreasing my enjoyment cause acting like a jack ass for the sake of provoking mischeif is fucked up. Nobody thinks its cool, so keep your immature antics at the playground, not at a concert. Plus it irratates me when I hear their ignorant conversations about the band their watching. Hearing their inadequate statements only fules my rage. In fact, it's like being at a daycare center rather than a concert. In addition, Im always caught in that paradox where Im too old to hang out with the kids and too young to hang with parents. Last night was the perfect balance. I was able to associate myself with fellow Green Day fans that grew up when the band was reletively new and it puts me a comfort zone. Sorry If my comments were offensive, but its just how most all ages shows have been for me.

I would love love LOVE to attend a show with just older, hardcore fans, ya know? I guarantee some crazy shit would go down if that were to happen The little girls surrounding me at FHT got on my nerves, they wuz rude lol

[Trina]

I beg to differ. I prefer 21+ shows cause little kids and teenagers annoy the fuck outta me. I've had some really deplorable experiences with these brats and it just ruins my evening when the majority of the room is acting like a sugar high enduced toddler. Kids will mosh to slow tempo songs or even mosh during complete silence. Its ridiculous! This type of behavior is only decreasing my enjoyment cause acting like a jack ass for the sake of provoking mischeif is fucked up. Nobody thinks its cool, so keep your immature antics at the playground, not at a concert. Plus it irratates me when I hear their ignorant conversations about the band their watching. Hearing their inadequate statements only fules my rage. In fact, it's like being at a daycare center rather than a concert. In addition, Im always caught in that paradox where Im too old to hang out with the kids and too young to hang with parents. Last night was the perfect balance. I was able to associate myself with fellow Green Day fans that grew up when the band was reletively new and it puts me a comfort zone. Sorry If my comments were offensive, but its just how most all ages shows have been for me.

This post comes across quite kiddyish to me. :wink:

I do understand where you are coming from. I tend to really not get along with people under 18 or so. But come on, you are over-reacting and being childish. Just read your post to yourself...It comes across really silly. While I know alot of the younger fans arent really fans and will move on to a different band, doesn't mean every younger person is like that. I would literally do anything to go to one of these shows. When I see Green Day, I wont be taking photos, talking or anything. They mean too much, I wont give a shit about anything else going on around me. I hate people who are like that too, but its not just kids. I fucking hate when kids mosh cluelessy to everything...but to be honest, I find its more slightly older folk who do that. You need to calm down and get over yourself. You are very very lucky to have gone to this show, so in short, quit complaining. I'm 15 years old. I can't control my age. Terribly sorry Jackass

[a knothole resident]

This post comes across quite kiddyish to me. :wink:

I do understand where you are coming from. I tend to really not get along with people under 18 or so. But come on, you are over-reacting and being childish. Just read your post to yourself...It comes across really silly. While I know alot of the younger fans arent really fans and will move on to a different band, doesn't mean every younger person is like that. I would literally do anything to go to one of these shows. When I see Green Day, I wont be taking photos, talking or anything. They mean too much, I wont give a shit about anything else going on around me. I hate people who are like that too, but its not just kids. I fucking hate when kids mosh cluelessy to everything...but to be honest, I find its more slightly older folk who do that. You need to calm down and get over yourself. You are very very lucky to have gone to this show, so in short, quit complaining. I'm 15 years old. I can't control my age. Terribly sorry Jackass

Trust me dude. Your tune will change once you enter your 20s. I used to be a rambuncious teenager myself, but as you get older you realize how immature you acted by observing the surrounding teenagers that currently attend these shows.

[apocalipstick]

I understand how you over 21's feel. If I was in a huge band, I'd want people of ALL ages to be able to attend my shows. In this case though. It's too bad there's no system to measure maturity levels as opposed to checking ids! Sigh. I guess I'll be in there with you guys in 2011. Or when I can get my hands on a fake id!

[parinaz]

The fact I got em to play Geek Stink Breath made me so fucking happy. They hadnt played that in close to 7 years.

The fact Billie pulled Kat on stage and sarenaded her was pretty awesome. and Billie kept giving her and I beers all night.

Surrender was awesome too. I just woke up from getting home at 4 am. What a show.

why did he do so?

what, Pizza?

no i meant the shows.

[parinaz]

what a beautiful shirt he's worn. is there any larger photo?

any photo or video of him with that girl dancing?

[frankiessister]

I was indecisive about attending this show since I wasn’t aware of it till late that afternoon. So after work, I took a risk by heading to Oakland and arrived at 6pm. The line was exceedingly long. As soon as I came off the 19th street BART, I immediately noticed hordes of people queued adjacent from the station. At the point, I was skeptical that I had a chance of getting in. Fortunately, that wasn’t an issue. I managed to purchase my alcoholic beverage and diligently ease my way up to the front. I was bewildered at how many people acknowledged my shirt since apparently; I was the only one sporting a Foxboro Hot Tubs shirt. Nonetheless, it was a great opportunity to initiate contact with fellow Green Day fans since I flew solo on this adventure. After a 30 minute delay the band broke out into the intro of 21st Century Breakdown. There was some technical issues regarding the drums but Tre rolled with the punches and carried on. My opinion of this upcoming album? It’s an interesting pastiche of their library of work. Most songs echoed that laid back, stripped down sound of Nimrod and Warning while the Green Day's signature abrasive punk riffs were complimented the package. I will be completely sincere. American Idiot will remain their magnum opus cause after experiencing the new album from front to back, it didn’t seem like it had anything additional to offer. 21st Century Breakdown is basically Warning disguised as a punk opera. Its understandable that the band never intended to replicate American Idiot and will admit that 21st Century Breakdown treks on ambitious territory, but there's really no suspenseful build up that the epically long "Jesus of Suburbia" or "Homecoming" provided. Perhaps I should reserve judgment till the album is released, but after getting an advance listen to it via live performance, it can easily shelved between Nimrod and Warning. After the illustrious trio completed their set, I was left with a bittersweet satisfaction. Even though some of the new material didn’t seem that complacent, I was elated to see my favorite band playing in an intimate venue for an affordable cost. I will iterate though their performance was phenomenal and they really enjoy interacting with the crowd.

I like your post. Sounds like the voice of reason amongst all the enthusiasm.

Don't get me wrong, I've been a hardcore fan for quite some years and I wish I could just be as enthusiastic as most people here on the forum.

But the fact of the matter is that I'm not blown away by the new material. It sounds alright, nothing really groundbreaking. I might change my mind once I hear the whole album, but I seriously doubt it.

Nevertheless I will do the impossible to see them live, even if I have to share a moshpit with annoying and clueless teenagers!

[Samantha]

I beg to differ. I prefer 21+ shows cause little kids and teenagers annoy the fuck outta me. I've had some really deplorable experiences with these brats and it just ruins my evening when the majority of the room is acting like a sugar high enduced toddler. Kids will mosh to slow tempo songs or even mosh during complete silence. Its ridiculous! This type of behavior is only decreasing my enjoyment cause acting like a jack ass for the sake of provoking mischeif is fucked up. Nobody thinks its cool, so keep your immature antics at the playground, not at a concert. Plus it irratates me when I hear their ignorant conversations about the band their watching. Hearing their inadequate statements only fules my rage. In fact, it's like being at a daycare center rather than a concert. In addition, Im always caught in that paradox where Im too old to hang out with the kids and too young to hang with parents. Last night was the perfect balance. I was able to associate myself with fellow Green Day fans that grew up when the band was reletively new and it puts me a comfort zone. Sorry If my comments were offensive, but its just how most all ages shows have been for me.

But but

What about us 20 year-olds that aren't stupid teenies and can't get into shows

Its not fair

[Tripe]

Excellent recap above, Ivy! And good for you that you dragged your recuperating husband along; I don't think mine would go for that!

Re: the age thing. There will unfortunately always be annoying underage people as well as asinine older people. Can't there be a "cool person" check at the door instead of ID check?

[NoVaCaInE!]

why did he do so?

because the cops held a gun against his head and forced him to?

because he wanted to... jesus christ

[parinaz]

I know but I think he didnt do such a thing before.

[RebelofSuburbia]

I like your post. Sounds like the voice of reason amongst all the enthusiasm.

Don't get me wrong, I've been a hardcore fan for quite some years and I wish I could just be as enthusiastic as most people here on the forum.

But the fact of the matter is that I'm not blown away by the new material. It sounds alright, nothing really groundbreaking. I might change my mind once I hear the whole album, but I seriously doubt it.

Nevertheless I will do the impossible to see them live, even if I have to share a moshpit with annoying and clueless teenagers!

wow, you've pretty much just worded out how I am feeling towards all of this.

Except for the whole moshpit thing.. I don't understand why everybody makes such a big deal out of it? Some people find moshing fun and so they form a mosh pit. Sure it can start with you right in the middle of it, but you can easily step out to the side and watch the show from there. It's what I do almost every single show I go to.

Aside from that, moshpits are a great way to get yourself upfront. You just jump in for a moment and hop along all the empty spaces that clear up and you're in front in no time! That works best with pogo pits though

[shalamar]

I understand how you over 21's feel. If I was in a huge band, I'd want people of ALL ages to be able to attend my shows. In this case though. It's too bad there's no system to measure maturity levels as opposed to checking ids! Sigh. I guess I'll be in there with you guys in 2011. Or when I can get my hands on a fake id!

I think the key thing I like here is "no system to measure maturity levels"....wow say that agaiin. I have been annoyed by people in all different age brackets from a 19 year old female sticking her hip into me trying to get in front to a 40 year old drunk lady making out drooling all over her boyfriend. No annoying males this time.... but if you had an hour I could tell you about the Dropkick Murphy's concert....all of them over 30.

[Ivy Ramsbottom]

I didn't have a problem with anyone jumping around except for one guy who thought he owned the whole floor. Hubby and I and another couple to the left of us kind of banded together and just pushed and shoved with everyone else. I don't know if I would go to an all ages show in a small venue like the uptown unless I had never seen the group before. In a larger venue-no problem. I found out afterwards that hubby was afraid I'd get mashed up or something ,and he couldn't understand why I'd want to get up front. I would never go crowd surfing but I don't care if anyone does-he thinks I'm too timid and mousy to push people out of my way or out of my face! Little does he know-I remember going to a KISS concert probably around 77 or 78 and people were passing out in line just to get in it was so tight-we just picked them up and passed them out over our heads! My oldest daughter(26) gave me tips on being in the crowd(technically I think we were at the back of the pit) as she used to go to tons of shows and always be up front! I'd do this again in a heartbeat and just keep an extra pair of glasses in the car-that would be my only concern as I'm really blind without them!

As for Billie Joe's voice sounding like he was inhaling helium for the last part of the show, I think it was just the sound system-I wasn't too impressed with it!

[cabot_girl]

Some pictures:

Green Days pizza after we ate half of it

Me with Jeff Matika

Me and Jeff Matika again

Me with Bill Schneider (who gave me two of Billies picks)

(Notice Cole in the background with Eggplants book, Paulina? )

Me with Jason Freese

Mike walking away

Did Mike have a security guy???

[Zalex]

This post comes across quite kiddyish to me. :wink:

I do understand where you are coming from. I tend to really not get along with people under 18 or so. But come on, you are over-reacting and being childish. Just read your post to yourself...It comes across really silly. While I know alot of the younger fans arent really fans and will move on to a different band, doesn't mean every younger person is like that. I would literally do anything to go to one of these shows. When I see Green Day, I wont be taking photos, talking or anything. They mean too much, I wont give a shit about anything else going on around me. I hate people who are like that too, but its not just kids. I fucking hate when kids mosh cluelessy to everything...but to be honest, I find its more slightly older folk who do that. You need to calm down and get over yourself. You are very very lucky to have gone to this show, so in short, quit complaining. I'm 15 years old. I can't control my age. Terribly sorry Jackass

Everything that you said, I have to agree with.

I too get along with adults better.... but I ain't gonna lie when I say that being 18 really doesn't have anything to do with maturity and being an adult. Everybody ages differently, and being 18 now with mostly 18 year old peers... I still get along with much older adults more so than the 18 year olds.

Although, I guess it is different to say that when you're 15. I mean 18 seems like so far away... but its not.

[Hermione]

Re: the age thing. There will unfortunately always be annoying underage people as well as asinine older people. Can't there be a "cool person" check at the door instead of ID check?

Truth!

I think it's pretty ridiculous to moan about young people being at shows when we're talking about a band who wrote many of the songs they'll be performing when they were teenagers, and whose lead singer has "All Ages" tattooed on his arm. Excluding people from things sucks.

[TheBullwinkle]

Excluding people from things sucks.

You win.

[RebelofSuburbia]

I think it's pretty ridiculous to moan about young people being at shows when we're talking about a band who wrote many of the songs they'll be performing when they were teenagers, and whose lead singer has "All Ages" tattooed on his arm. Excluding people from things sucks.

word!

[Anja]

...but if you had an hour I could tell you about the Dropkick Murphy's concert....all of them over 30.

You aren´t talking about the one at the Warfield, are you? Cause I´ve been there and I´m not over 30 And there were a lots of, let´s say, young people.

Did Mike have a security guy???

They all have one (or two) when they leave after a show.

[achtungkatie]

Okay guys.... sorry this is so After The Fact, but I am brand-spankin'-new to the forums. I saw NME's recap/article about the Uptown show in Oakland last week, and their journalism was so crappy I was motivated to re-post my own (huge, epically long) recap from my personal journal here. Apologies in advance if I jack up the HTML or something.

Also, since I guess this is my introductory post—hi! Brief intro. Green Day fan for about 10 years, have seen them live about... errrrr... 15 times, 17 if you count the two FBHT shows I went to last year. I have also gotten to see them as FBHT (duh) and I got to see 3 of the Pinhead Gunpowder shows last year as well. So, seeing as so many of you wear the crazy pants here as well, I guess I'll fit in okay. And for everyone who was at that show but doesn't know me—hi, I'm the tall girl who was at the front of the line that Billie Joe pulled onstage.

Anyway, enough blathering. Here I go! When I posted in my journal, it was 95% recap of the Uptown show, with some commentary on the other 3 (I was lucky enough to attend all 4 Bay Area shows). I have edited it somewhat only because not everyone who reads MY journal is a Green Day fan, so all that's been cut-out is blathering on that front.

The Intro

The thing that stands out most for me about these 4 shows was how ENERGIZED the band seemed. I remember how tired and ...worn out they all seemed at the end of the American Idiot tour, when over a year of touring had clearly taken its toll on them. Which is not to say that those shows weren't amazing—they absolutely were, and I would be astonished if Billie Joe does not regularly look in the mirror and tell himself, "I have the best fucking job in the world," but there was an energy and a mischievousness at these small shows that I personally had not gotten to see before. Billie Joe sets things on fire through force of his stage personality on his worst days; this was like witnessing a nuclear blast. And the crowd responded every time.

Also, the new album. I cannot fucking wait for the new album to come out. It sounds absolutely phenomenal, and I am driving myself crazy humming clips from it that I can't hear in entirety because the damn thing's not released yet. I honestly thought, deep down, that there was no way Green Day could top American Idiot, but in this girl's opinion they outdid themselves. And their live form has definitely remained top-notch. Everyone who was nervous about the new guitarist need not have worried; they just added him for a beefier sound on certain songs. Billie Joe still spends plenty of time using the guitar—but he ALSO spends plenty of time crowd-surfing and grabbing people's hands and rubbing himself on audience members and clambering all over things on-stage, so you won't be disappointed when he ditches the guitar come the big tour, I PROMISE. Finally, I know we said it before, but the guys have clearly been drinking from the Fountain of Youth. They look so fucking fantastic.

Day of the Show

As far as Wednesday's show at the Uptown Club goes... we (my friends and I, only a few of whom post here) learned very early in the day that the show would be a first-come, first-serve, line up at the door or you don't get in, sort of deal. So (through a fantastic display of TEAM EFFORT) we coordinated our efforts in order to have a presence in the line very early in the day. And by "early," I mean "first." I abused my friend Bren over the phone (he went to bed late the night before, poor bastard) till he promised he'd go wait in line for me until I could get over there and hold down the fort for the rest of the day, and he subsequently called me to inform me that he was the damn first person in line. GO US. He is the reason we got down front on the rail.

The rest of the day passed entirely too slowly. People came and went, the line got longer, but everyone (pismodiver, greendookie311, Aud, Marisa, and Bren, plus me, obviously) had shown up by around 7ish, and by this time the band had arrived and gone inside for sound check. This was the point where one of the roadies, who apparently recognized me or something (maybe from the 3 previous shows?), or just had seen me waiting around ALL DAY, came over, opened my hand, and put 3 picks in it before closing my fingers over them and walking away. Huh. I ended up giving 2 out of 3 of them away.

We ended up getting really, really lucky—our little group got let inside by venue security a little prematurely, apparently, even before the VIP/guest list/radio station winners were allowed in, so we got front and center on the rail. I think there were also a bunch of people from the forum that I'd run into before (at the FBHT shows) whose names escape me at the moment because I am HELLA sick. Anyway, the band took FOREVER to come out (they let us in a little after 8, and it was seriously almost 10:30 by the time the band came out) but you know what? It was worth every minute.

The Show

Now here's where my life got surreal. Little segue: I tend to be SOMEWHAT memorable at concerts, due to the fact that A) I'm very tall, so I'm easy to see, and I like to be down close to the stage so that makes it even easier, and B) I'm very expressive. (This is another way of saying that I freak out like mad during concerts and am incapable of being still. I have been told how visible I am by multiple people on multiple occasions, like Derek Grant's wife—"I couldn't miss you!"—so there you have it.) That being said, I usually know when someone's seen me, because I'm tall enough I can make eye contact easily, and especially with bands I've seen a lot (read: Alkaline Trio) I usually get a smile or something from whomever's spotted me. And like I said above, while that's totally fantastic and everything, that's not the point of a concert for me.

So, due to how last-minute the Green Day concerts were (meaning I couldn't get off work ahead of time, and had to kind of wing it), for all but the last show I didn't make it to the venue early enough to be able to get inside and be down front. I still managed to get close each time, and for the Independent I was right in front of Mike's shoe, but the point that I'm (very slowly) getting to is that I did not think Billie Joe had seen me at any of the previous concerts. I know Mike and Tré did, but whatever, lots of other people in the crowd had made it to all the previous shows too; I was just glad to be there. But even when you're right in front of Billie Joe, a lot of the times it seems like he doesn't really see anyone; that he's so in the zone of performing that the audience kind of all blurs together.

This is, uh, not the case, apparently.

Being five feet from Billie Joe Armstrong while he's performing is fucking intoxicating, period. Pismodiver and Bren and I were all right down on the rail, witnessing his stage personality grow to fill the room so full that I wouldn't have been surprised if the roof had come off. So he was singing in our faces a lot, and playing guitar in our faces a lot. I was already psyched when Billie knelt down at the edge of the stage to sing (well, scream) right at my face during "Christian's Inferno" (look at the B&W picture of Billie Joe and Bono screaming into each other's faces, and you'll have it), not to mention the fact that we were so close we could see little tattoos on his fingers.

So they get to the song "Last Night On Earth" (the one I thought was called "All My Love," as that's what it was listed on the setlist I got at the Independent show), and I know most of the words at this point, because I'm madly in love with it.

(For anyone who hasn't seen it and wants to, it's this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9g3PKg9_xw )

And Billie gets about a third of the way through the song and then comes over to the edge of the stage to where Adam (greendookie311) and I are leaning over the rail. And he's reaching out his hand, and of course we reach out to touch, but instead of just doing the hand-slap thing, he actually grabs me by the hand and yanks me forward, then lets go and gestures for me to come up onstage. At this point, my brain short-circuits and approximately a dozen people (everyone around me in the pit plus the two security guards) start trying to pry me out of the crowd and fling me onstage. There's a moment where I'm positive I'm going to eat shit on the edge of the stage, and then someone grabs me by my belt before I can knock out all my expensive dental work on camera (did I mention this concert was being filmed? we still don't know for what yet though) and I scramble onstage, and Billie grabs me and pulls me against him. This is possibly the most hilarious mental image you can imagine, as I'm about 8 inches taller than him. I don't exactly know what the fuck he's trying to do, so there's a few moments where we're just... swaying around like a couple slow-dancing and he's still singing and because I don't know what the fuck else to do, I am too. Mary (Pismodiver) is screaming "TURN THE FUCK AROUND KAT!" and when we finally do, I apparently look like a deer in the headlights.

And since I know a bunch of you will ask (AND HAVE ALREADY), yes I could smell him. He smelled like beer and cologne and man-sweat and it was awesome.

Billie lets go of me, still singing (to me, to his Miller Lite, to the stage... you take your pick) and sort of goes off to one side of the stage. I turn and look at the crowd and raise both fists in my one "FUCK YEAH" moment (cue the crowd cheering), and then Billie hands me his beer. And so of course I take a goddamn drink, and throughout all of this I am so stunned I almost don't know what to do with myself, because, well: what the fuck? I hand it back to him, he swings his arm in an "off with you!" gesture, and I do a rather awkward stage-dive back into the crowd because, goddammit, I waited 9 hours outside for this damn show, I am NOT getting handed all the way to the back. Because the crowd and my friends and the guards are awesome, I get wedged right back into my spot—and there's this moment as I'm sort of wriggling back in where I'm facing away from the stage, and I can't help myself, I just dissolve into this huge childish grin and the best part is that everyone in the crowd is beaming back at me. I turn around, and just before he gets to the end of the song, Billie comes over and crouches down to give me his half-finished beer. I finish it. I'm amazed I don't choke on it, but I'm so pumped I might not have noticed anyway even if it had all gone down the wrong pipe.

At this point I'm basically totally satisfied with my life and I can die happy. I turn my head to look over at Marisa and Audrey, who promptly FREAK OUT and scream at me, and I'm screaming back, and when we all look up at stage again, Tré is cracking the fuck up at us because we are obviously retards. But the band keeps playing without a break, and they head right into "East Jesus Nowhere," previously known as "March of the Dogs," which is already one of my favorites (yes I am spoiled, I know, you don't have to tell me). But they get to the end of that song, and Billie stops and looks over at me.

"Hey! Hey, what's your name? Kat? It's Kat? Did you guys see me and Kat dancing? It was like the fuckin' prom." *strums his guitar, Mike says something that I don't catch but which cracks himself up* "I saw you in the crowd at the DNA Lounge, Kat." (At this point I can't help myself and I yell "And the Fox! And the Independent!") "Yes, and the Fox. And the Independent." *strums his guitar a little more* "This song's for Kat. It's about REVENGE." And he launches into Peacemaker.

And that, children, is why "Peacemaker/Murder City" is permanently my favorite song off the new album, even though it's not out yet.

The rest of the show is equally amazing. Mary and Bren and I wrote everything we could remember down that same night when we went to Denny's after the show for sustenance, so here's what we got.

+ The setlist they taped to the stage got basically thrown out the window, because the band decided to play whatever they felt like/the crowd wanted to hear. Their original second half of the setlist (after the new album) included "Scattered" and "Hitchin' a Ride," which we would have been delighted to hear, but they didn't end up playing them. Here's the full setlist (not quite in correct order on the last bits):

All of 21CB (then the break)

A Buzzcocks cover that I didn't recognize but that they seemed TOTALLY pleased with themselves for playing - "Ever Fallen In Love?"

American Idiot

Jesus of Suburbia

Geek Stink Breath

An attempt to play 86 which never got farther than the opening chords

Give Me Novocaine

Midwestern Medley (Surrender by Cheap Trick/Bastards of Young by the Replacements)

Basketcase

Ziggy Stardust (part of it anyway)

King For a Day/Shout

(this included covers of "California Here I Come," "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "Earth Angel," "Suspicious Minds," and the Swanee song)

Minority

+ Geek Stink Breath was actually my idea—I'd made a sign—but I didn't have the balls to wave it in Billie Joe's face after the way he'd already called me out during the first half of the show. So Adam (being Adam) took my sign and got Billie's attention, and Billie was all, "You want to hear Geek Stink Breath?" and watched me and Adam FREAK OUT in response. And they did a fantastic job without a single hitch, something they seemed a bit surprised by. It was adorable and also, awesome.

+ They seemed very cavalier about fucking up "86," which was another crowd request that they ended up not being able to fulfill. Billie made all sorts of hilarious comments:

"Hey, YOU try writing more songs than John Lennon!..." *breaks into a huge stupid grin* "I didn't say they were good."

"We can play thirty seconds of any song! ...Except our own."

+ During break before they played Midwestern Medley, Billie went on this ramble about how supposedly all the greatest bands in the world came from the Midwest. At first he listed some legit Midwestern Bands, like Cheap Trick and the Replacements. Then he started adding people like Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, and the Beatles. Mike piped up at this point with Madonna.

Small clip of Midwestern Medley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7i5V4USn0

+ I need to spend a minute talking about Mr. Mike Dirnt (or Michael Dirnt, as Billie introduced him). Apparently, marriage (hello, Mike's wedding ring, a foot from my face!) and fatherhood agree with him, because he looks amazing, especially now that he has his dark hair back again. We were collectively awed by his Biceps of Guh (seriously, you could severely injure yourself on this man's arms), and what was especially nice is we got to touch said biceps, because Mike decided he couldn't let Billie have all the fun, and at 2 separate points in the show, he shed his bass guitar and dove into the crowd. The first time, he didn't get far enough in for his liking, so he backed up onstage and took a running jump right over our heads. He also was clambering up and down the speakers at the side of the stage; at this point Billie told him to dive in again, so he went sailing into the crowd over by Marisa and Audrey (who had taken side-stage due to the fact that Audrey's foot was, at this show, approximately the size of Texas and the color of a Smurf from an injury). Apparently Mike loves being groped as much as Billie does. Hee.

Mike and Billie both also sprayed us with beer and water, multiple times; Bren especially was soaked by the time the show was over. Also? Mary blew Mike a kiss, and he caught it and winked at her. Why yes, yes we are big fangirls.

+ Tré is normally so on the money with his drumming that getting to watch him fuck up is actually a hilarious treat. Not all of it was his fault, though; right when they started "21st Century Breakdown," he had to stop the whole band because there was something fucked up with one of his kick-pedals, which he unceremoniously threw to one side of the stage. And later at the start of "Horseshoes and Handgrenades," there was something ELSE wrong with his drumset, so he got out from behind the set and marked time with just his two sticks, and the rest of the band obliged by doing an awesome pared-down, almost acapella version of the song for a few bars, until the drum techie had fixed the problem. It was very spontaneous and awesome. And Tré ALMOST fucked up and came in too soon on Basketcase again, but caught himself before he could really kick in.

+ There was one point during "Shout" when Mike was doing something his bass, almost like jerking it off (I missed this so my details are a little fuzzy) and then he went over to Tré and started pretending to jerk HIM off. Oh god, the Stage Gay kills me every time.

Speaking of Stage Antics, here's a clip of Billie Joe carefully unbuttoning his shirt and rubbing his nipple right in front of our freakin' faces, during "Shout." (You can't see what happens 'cause he's down onstage, but someone threw a shoe at him towards the end there.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dgJrt6toOo

What you ALSO can't see is Tré GRABBING himself by the ball (ha!) and yanking downward to help himself hit the falsetto he goes for. Dear Treseph: Never stop. And no, I don't know what that guy in the crowd said to make Mike crack up.

+ Also of note: Billie Joe grabbed the video camera from one of the guys who were filming at one point (one of the professional videographers) and kept right on singing as he filmed the crowd and then the videographer himself. It was pretty funny.

+ Jason & Jason (Jason squared!) were playing footsie/chicken with each other at the back of the stage again during King For a Day/Shout. Adorable.

+ I should also note that Billie, um, pretended to fuck his own ass with his microphone at one point, right in front of my goddamn face. (We nearly spontaneously combusted at this point.) This was in addition to all the hip-thrusting, crowd-diving, crotch-rubbing and general tomfoolery he got up to. He probably landed on me and Mary 3 or 4 times, and I know he came over and rubbed on everyone over by Marisa and Audrey a couple of times too.

+ I also want to note that while I would have been perfectly content if Billie had totally ignored me the rest of the show, he didn't; he gave me another beer at one point, and during "King For a Day" he shoved the mic in my face to let me sing ("Who put the drag in the drag queen? Don't knock it until you've tried it!"). When they were asking the crowd what they wanted to hear, I yelled for "409 in your coffee maker," and he leaned down and made me repeat myself so he could hear, but then shook his head and said they'd fuck it up too badly to play it. And at the very end of the show, after Minority, he came over to the end of the stage, put his pick in my hand, and closed my fingers over it. I want to note that Mike yelled at Adam until Adam took his baseball cap off so that Mike could lean forward and put HIS pick in Adam's hat, which was super-cool.

Mary, Bren and I all got sticks; we got MULTIPLE sticks, actually, and passed our extras out to our line-buddies who had waited faithfully with us. (The roadies were just kind of chucking all the sticks at the crowd, ow.)

+ Aaron Cometbus, like the previous 3 shows (as far as I know) was also at this show, down in the pit. After the show was over, I tracked him down to say hi, and I just want to note here that he's a really super-sweet guy. He was very friendly and easy to talk to. I told him how cool it was that he was down in the pit for all 4 shows, and he responded that he always thought it was fun for the band to actually see familiar faces in the crowd, instead of all their friends and family being hidden away sidestage or up in the VIP section. He added that even though the band tries to pretend they don't notice him (not wanting to draw attention to him) that they also snigger when they see him get kicked in the head or something. Hee!

I think that's it. Sorry it was so huge. I hope everyone enjoys it, thanks for reading if you got all the way through that monster!