Green Day have the distinction of releasing their two most beloved albums 10 years apart, meaning that the landmark anniversaries of those classic LPs will always be celebrated together. In the case of 2024, it’s the 30th anniversary of Dookie and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, and Green Day are throwing one helluva party.
On their current “Saviors Tour” (tickets available here), which recently kicked off its North American leg, the punk veterans are performing both albums in full, along with a few other favorites and selections from their latest LP, Saviors. If that weren’t enough, the tour features a stacked support bill, including The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas.
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On Monday evening (August 5th) at Citi Field in Queens, New York, the Linda Lindas got the party started at the early time of 5:30 p.m. While the massive baseball stadium was still largely empty at the time, the up-and-coming band of four teenage girls were absolutely thrilled to be there. In the couple of years since a video of the band playing “Racist, Sexist Boy” in a library went viral, the Linda Lindas have honed their skills. They delivered a tight and fun 20-minute, seven-song set that included three tunes from their upcoming album, No Obligation.
Fans didn’t have to wait long for Rancid, who took the stage at 6:05 p.m. The veteran punkers kicked things off with “Roots Radical,” one of six songs they played from their classic 1993 album, …And Out Come the Wolves. “Olympia, WA” was a big hit at Citi Field with its lyrical references to New York City, as was the sing-along closer “Ruby Soho.” Singer-guitarists Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen were in a jovial mood, and even though they packed in a total of 11 songs, a half-hour set for these punk legends was way too short.
In a night filled with punk rock, the Smashing Pumpkins brought a change of pace when they followed Rancid. But if fans were expecting Billy Corgan and company to shoegaze their way through the set, they were in for a surprise. First off, there’s new guitarist Kiki Wong, who earned the job after an open call that attracted more than 10,000 entries. Her look and showmanship are more in line with an ’80s metal band than a ’90s alt-rock act, but she brings a new element of excitement to the Pumpkins.
Thanks to Corgan’s status as a wrestling mogul, we were also treated to an appearance by NWA stars Natalia Markova and Bryan Idol during the song “Beguiled.” The two pro wrestlers pranced around the stage alongside two young kids (Corgan’s children?), culminating with Markova unleashing a vicious cutter on Idol, as he writhed in pain on the stage floor.
Of course, there were also the songs, and even though Corgan recently insisted he doesn’t feel obligated to play the classics, he and the Pumpkins played an hour-long set that was filled with hits like “Today,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “Disarm,” “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” and “1979,” alongside a few deeper cuts and a cover of U2’s “Zoo Station.”
At 8:30 p.m., Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was played over the PA system, and the packed house at the New York Mets’ stadium sang along with unbridled enthusiasm. Green Day then graced the stage and got things started with their recent single “The American Dream Is Killing Me” from their new album Saviors.
Once that song warmed up the crowd, it was time for a front-to-back performance of Dookie, the 1994 album that turned the Bay Area punk act into global superstars. The audience soon found out that this show wasn’t just a musical celebration of the album, but a visual one, as well. The band really went all out to create a scene that captured the images on the iconic album cover, from a giant inflatable explosion cloud on the stage to an inflatable airplane that flew over the crowd and dropped balloon bombs on the fans.
With songs like “Longview,” “Welcome to Paradise, “Basket Case,” “She,” and “When I Come Around,” Dookie is all killer, no filler, so there were no lulls in the full album performance. Billie Joe Armstrong remains a captivating frontman and ultimate live performer, as he revved up the crowd with each song. Green Day are always up for a little humor, with drummer Tré Cool closing out the Dookie set by singing “All By Myself” in a bathrobe.
The middle portion of the show featured Green Day performing a couple of hits from albums other than Dookie and American Idiot, along with a few new cuts from Saviors. A lucky young woman was pulled out of the crowd to help Armstrong sing “Know Your Enemy,” while the infectious “Minority” proved to be one of the highlights of the night.
Then, in what seemed like an instant, the entire stage took on an American Idiot feel, with a giant inflatable hand holding a grenade heart to match the 2004 LP’s album cover. During these uncertain times in an election year, the songs from American Idiot sounded just as fresh as they did 20 years ago, beginning with the blistering title track. The epic “Jesus of Suburbia” took fans on a musical roller-coaster ride, while ballads like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” had the entire stadium singing along.
After the American Idiot set closed out with “Whatsername,” the concert wasn’t quite done yet. The band ended the evening with an encore consisting of the Saviors track “Bobby Sox,” followed by the classic “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” which featured Armstrong onstage alone — but not for long. He was soon brought to laughter as he was joined by Cool and bassist Mike Dirnt, who were dressed as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, paying homage to the current blockbuster that features that very tune in the closing credits.
Green Day could have simply performed both classic albums, and fans would have been thrilled, but the band has gone above and beyond on this tour. The mesmerizing visuals and the stellar support bill make it one of the can’t-miss concerts of 2024.
See our photos of the Citi Field show below (our photographer wasn’t granted access to shoot Smashing Pumpkins), followed by fan-filmed video footage and Green Day’s setlist. Pick up tickets to Green Day’s remaining tour dates here.
Green Day Setlist:
The American Dream Is Killing Me
Dookie:
Burnout
Having a Blast
Chump
Longview
Welcome to Paradise
Pulling Teeth
Basket Case
She
Sassafras Roots
When I Come Around
Coming Clean
Emenius Sleepus
In the End
F.O.D.
All by Myself
Know Your Enemy (with fan onstage)
Look Ma, No Brains!
One Eyed Bastard
Dilemma (with a snippet of “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty)
Minority
Brain Stew (with a snippet of “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath)
American Idiot:
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
Holiday
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Are We the Waiting
St. Jimmy
Give Me Novacaine
She’s a Rebel
Extraordinary Girl
Letterbomb
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Homecoming
Whatsername
Encore:
Bobby Sox
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
