Time Of Your Life

Just got back from the Green Day concert. SO. MUCH. FUN. It was quite possibly one of the most genuinely fun times I have had a concert possibly ever. I took my 14 year old nephew. His first real concert. It was just an amazing thing to share with him. Getting to experience this show with him. We just jumped up and down and clapped and pumped our fists and yelled until our throats were raw.

I think the reason why the show was so great was that they were so determined that everyone in the audience was having the best time possible. Lots of crowd participation required. Some concerts, while amazing, are more you just watching that person/band perform. At this concert, the audience was part of the show. We felt as important as any part of the band. Okay, maybe that is a little bit of an exagerration. I am sure that they were a bit more concerned that Tre Cool was there than me. But you know what I mean. It was just a really great, almost childlike fun. It was like being 15 again. I was bouncing up and down in my Chucks pumping the air like I was closer to 13 than 30. (Yikes! Bad thought)

Some highlights of the show:

An impromptu band was formed out the crowd. Billie Joe pulled up a young guy from the crowd to play drums, a guy to play bass and then spotted this guy in the crowd and asked how long he had played the guitar. The kid said 7 year. Then Billie Joe asked how old he was. Eighteen. Then he asked if the kid had ever gotten layed. Apparently, the answer was no. Billie Joe said, well tonight, you're gonna! And pulled the kid up. The kid runs at Billie Joe and gives him a huge, rather lengthy hug. Which Billie joe gets into, then he kisses the kid. Hilarious! So they play a song which was pretty good though not very difficult. After, Billie Joe stops the kid from leaving the stage and tells him he gets to keep the guitar. That kid is so going to be the shit on Monday morning! Then they bring the drummer back on. He has a of drumsticks in his hand which he is holding like they are gold. Billie Joe is like, hey man, we will give you back the drumsticks, don't worry. Just come over here. You. Are going to. Stage dive. The kid drops the stick and starts tightening his shoelaces. Bilie counts to three and the kid takes off running and goes flying into the air. It rocked. Poor bassist. He didn't get any love.

So at some point in the show, Billie Joe breaks out this sprayer. I don't think it was actually the type they have a the car wash, but that shape. Anyway, he is having a blast spraying the crowd then he spots someone in the crowd. He makes the crowd split to let this kid that was all of 8 years old come up onto the stage. He gives the kid another gun and they proceed to soak the crowd. Lucky kid.

As I said, there was a lot of crowd participation. During the middle of Longview, he starts getting the crowd to shout Heeeeyyyy Aaaayyyy. Then Hooooo ooooooh. Then Aaaaaawww. Then Mmmmmmm. At this point, his hand starts to travel down, then the mmmmmmms take on more of a sexual tone. The the hand goes down the pants and things get, well, enthusiastic. It was pretty funny.

During the encore, they played "We are the Champions." Everyone starts breaking out thier lights. However, cell phones are the new lighters. Instead of the crowd glowing yellow, the crowd had more of a blue LED glow.