“What am I, nothin’ here blue eyes?” the usher playfully asked me as I tried to zoom past the entrance to Tower D.

“Nah, we’re sorry,” I said. “We thought we had to go over there, because our tickets say ‘Tower C’”.

“Lemme see,” he said, smiling as he took the page I held out to him. “Oh! You’re in heaven.”

How right he was.

As the Kaiser Chiefs cleared the stage the excitement grew. The minutes passed by painfully slowly while the crew set up the stage. The pink bunny kept us entertained, but even he wasn’t what we were waiting for. So close. So very, very close. Then there was darkness and a rising scream. It was on.

There was so much to love about the show Monday night I hardly know where to start. There was the massive singalong to “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” thousands of people roaring the words at the stage like their lives depended on it. There was “Disappearing Boy” with Billie pounding away on trusty old Blue. There was the girl who played guitar on “Jesus of Suburbia” and absolutely nailed it. Every time I thought we’d hit the high point the band made us climb even higher. I know that might seem gushy, but it’s true. When Tre attacked his drums for “21 Guns” I could have done backflips, the energy was so electrifying.

At one point I glanced down and realized just how vast a sea of people there was below me. Every one of them had their eyes trained on Billie, ready to wave their arms in the air and yell “Heeeeey ooooh!”. For once we had found something to do together, rather than using cellphones and petty differences to block each other out. Which brings me back to the singalong of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. It echoed to the rafters. Perfectly focused, we roared, “Sometimes I wish someone up there will find me/ till then I walk alone!” That’s the power of Green Day’s music. No one was going to miss that line because everyone knew how it felt to spend a night in aimless wandering. Everyone knew that isolation could eat at their hope, but they were determined to walk on anyway. In that moment I thought, I can do this. I can take it and I will survive. Go on, universe, just you try to mess with me. There were quite a few times I lost myself singing along with the entire arena spellbound. I stepped out of my life just long enough to regain a little bit of faith in the world. Those will be my fondest memories.

After the first encore Billie Joe strode across the stage saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you” more times than I could count. He pointed at several people in the crowd to really bring home the point. Well Billie, you don’t know who I am, or who most of the people in that arena were, but I have to say one thing. The one thing that echoed in my mind long after the confetti had fallen. Thank you. I’m in heaven.

~Read Larry Livermore’s review of Green Day’s Webster Hall show: “Maybe The Best Show I’ve Ever Seen”

Whew, I’m at a loss for words… So much Green Day, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed! I wanted to write something about the new songs, but I’m still a bit frazzled by them. I’ll admit I’m not very sophisticated when it comes to music — mostly I just feel it in my gut — so there’s not a lot I would be able to say, but even my gut is feeling a bit churned up. I think I may like my Green Day best when it’s stripped down and raw, so I’m not really sure if this will be my favorite album (which in itself is something I’m reluctant to say) but it’s too early to tell without hearing the whole opus all laid out in its complete and complex glory. (By the time this is posted, the whole album may be available to listen to, but I haven’t heard it yet as I’m writing this.) The very fact that I can’t quite come to grips with what I’ve heard so far is probably a good sign: there’s so much you can’t take it all in!

The song I’ve been enjoying the most, and this may be in part because I’ve listened to it more, since it’s been out longer, is “Know Your Enemy.” It’s so direct, such a delicious kick in the head.

And I’m liking that even in interviews the band are readier to say what they mean than when American Idiot first came out: they seemed a little shy then, perhaps because they were a bit apprehensive about how the album would be received. I’ve always admired their refusal to try to tell other people what to think, and in a recent interview, they specifically say that their album can be enjoyed on whatever level anyone chooses, whether it’s to listen for a specific message or just to rock out. But they’re also saying now that they were a bit surprised that Republicans liked American Idiot. Even Howie Klein picked up on Billie Joe’s recent comment: “I had Republican friends who were really into American Idiot… that’s cool; it ain’t about you, but that’s cool. Or it is about you, but whatever…” It may be more direct than before, but I think that’s still a very fair and non-judgmental remark.

There’s a very well thought out review of 21st Century in the Chicago Tribune that looks at the message-oriented aspect of the album (and the author is, thankfully, not at all lost for words):

He ventures only one piece of advice: “Silence is the enemy/Against your urgency.” In other words, participate or perish. That sums up the tone of the album, and presents the biggest difference between the new Green Day and the old, the one that celebrated slacker indifference on “Dookie” and the one that challenges a generation of listeners to engage with the world around them on “21st Century Breakdown.”

I would challenge the statement that Dookie was about indifference. I think it was more than anything about frustration, anxiety about the future, and self doubt. (And no, I don’t mean the, ahem, sexual frustration that was the topic of Dookie’s famous hit…) The Guardian also talks about the political content of 21st Century, but it feels less focused. They had a better article on the subject last January, if you’re in the mood for some reading. But virtually all articles insist on painting Green Day as snotty goofballs prior to American Idiot. Not that they didn’t — and still do — enjoy a nice dose of snottiness and goofing around (and would we have Green Day any other way?), but that doesn’t mean they weren’t serious in their thinking, nor that it didn’t show up loud and clear in their songs throughout their career.

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Notes: If you haven’t seen some of these already, don’t miss:
~Green Day’s performance of “Know Your Enemy” on Germany’s TV Total was amazingly good. The YouTube video was deleted and then reposted. If it’s gone, download it here. (You may need the VLC player.)
~The link to Ross Halfin’s photos was in the sidebar, but you have to click through within the site to find all the photos, and there are loads. Links to more pages are in the tiny thumbnails at the bottom of the page.
~Most of the video interviews with the band are a bit repetitive, perhaps not surprisingly since they all seem to have been conducted in the same room, one right after the other. The one with IGN had some different questions, and the band acknowledged their broad appeal to all ages (uh, including some of us…) And they make a funny joke about appealing to broads.
~Keep checking Comcast for new videos, including the live performances from the Fox Theater, here or here. (Some can be downloaded on GDC.)

~There’s an insightful and glowing review of 21st Century Breakdown in The Guardian: “an apocalyptic protest album as complex as the era that shaped it.”

~There’s a nice little review of Pinhead Gunpowder’s recent 7 inch release, with some thoughts on the history and attitude of the band, on Razorcake.

~The Foxboro Hot Tubs continue to draw notice from a very diverse base of fans. This is a new, rave review of Stop, Drop and Roll posted on a site that specializes in jazz. Their take on the album: “in a word, fantastic.”

~Diablo magazine, which is published out of Green Day’s own home town, in the San Francisco East Bay, has a review of Stop Drop and Roll. They mention that Ruby Room is “an affectionate shout-out to the Oakland dive bar.”

The Von Pip Musical Express asked various characters in the London music scene for their opinions of the song Mother Mary by the Foxboro Hot Tubs. Though some of the reviews are not very positive, it’s fun to read the impressions of a different set of people than Green Day fans, and some of their comments are pretty funny and offbeat. Some people reading them may find them just as confusing as the Rev’s own blog posts… but I tend to be very amused by silly off the wall commentary. Here’s a sampling, edited. Read the full reviews here.

LINDA HOLLYWOOD (HAVANA GUNS): This is a really sweet and very retro track, a potential summer hit with all the sure-fire ingredients. Singing about drinking too much wine and holding hands, Foxboro Hot Tubs’ “Mother Mary” makes me long for lazing in sunny parks and jumping around in sweaty clubs. This is very different - in a good way. This song may not move mountains but it will fill dance floors and perhaps set a few hearts on fire.

ANDY VON PIP: This isn’t so much punky, as jaunty, it did have me drumming my fingers on the table top, a strange idea though, a multi-platinum selling garage band, pretend to be um, a garage band. Still I shouldn’t really do what everybody does and compare this to classic Green Day, seeing them live “Dookie” era still remain some of the most exciting live gigs ever. Anyway this is initially a little uninspiring but played loud in your convertible on a hot summers day it becomes strangely thrilling. It actually made me want to get a tattoo of a waitress, thankfully I remained resolute.

LAURA TROUBLE (SCREAMING BALLERINAS) : Green Day were my fave band when I was little, I don’t know if that’s embarrassing or not. I’m proud of it. Ha. So they are branching out and experimenting, which I can imagine is a lot of fun. I kind of like the 60’s vibe of the production and the oooo’s and aaaa’s are kind of cool but I think the fact that Billy Joe is singing through his nose spoils it, hahaha. I used to draw pictures of me and Billy on our wedding day! Hurrah. I like it more and more now. . . . Ha.

DOGWOOD: When youngsters get this riotous my usual instinct is to open the window of Dogwood cottage and throw a bucket of water over them. But then I took a look at their myspace pictures and was suddenly beguiled by monochrome photos of the sort of women that you just don’t see at the local butchers anymore. So these American idiots have won a reprieve. On the power of the leggy fifties/sixties ladies on display – Dogwood is willing to accept an apology for the music and let this lot in.

~If you’re in the mood for a lot of reading, here’s a bunch of reviews of Stop Drop and Roll. They’re all excitedly positive. And of course I have to agree! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. “American Idiot will be followed up when the band are good and ready, until then embrace The Hot Tubs. Essential.”

~Reviews of Stop Drop and Roll have been popping up steadily, and they’re all good, of course: 1, 2, 3, 4.

~BBC Music has a review of Stop Drop and Roll. “All blusterung chords, minimal guitar lead lines and a touch of wiggly organ thrown in for good measure. The writing is tight, the playing suitably spry and the hooks are plentiful.”

~There are two new reviews of Stop Drop and Roll, here, and here.

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