The parking lots of SoFi stadium were packed with cars Sept. 14 as nearly 70,000 people filed into the venue. Animated conversation hung in the air as footsteps echoed off the walls. The Linda Lindas stepped onto the stage, followed by Rancid and then The Smashing Pumpkins. After three openers and two and a half hours of music, Green Day emerged from the wings of the stadium.
The band was greeted with enthusiastic applause as they took their positions — Tre Cool sat down behind the drum kit, Mike Dirnt picked up his bass and Billie Joe Armstrong, the band’s frontman, lead vocalist and guitarist grabbed the microphone, screaming, “What’s up, Los Angeles!” Green Day played for three hours, performing the entirety of their hit albums “Dookie” and “American Idiot,” along with select songs from “Savior,” their 2024 project.
The concert itself was nothing short of spectacular. The stadium pulsated with the energy of Green Day’s live music and the crowd’s enthusiasm. Despite sitting in one of the furthest seats from the band, I felt as though I was being pulled on stage with the group themselves due to Armstrong’s dramatic stage presence. Green Day kept the audience engaged throughout the show, as Armstrong consistently encouraged the crowd to sing along. At one point, the band brought a fan on stage to sing one of their songs, and her smile glowed as she belted the lyrics to “All By Myself.”
The lighting and set changes used during the show added energy to the performance, each song being perfectly encapsulated by spotlights that swooped over the stage. For upbeat songs such as “American Idiot” and “Jesus of Suburbia,” the band was lit with vibrant colors like green, red, blue and gold. In contrast, for songs with a slower melody and sadder tones, such as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” the spotlights turned to simple white lights, creating a more serious atmosphere. Since the band’s song “Wake Me Up When September Ends” deals with the subject of Armstrong losing his father at the age of 10, a singular spotlight shone on his face, demonstrating the somberness of the song.
Perhaps a more subtle element of the concert was the outfits Green Day wore. Green Day has developed a reputation for wearing all black during their performances and straying away from designer brands. The band’s message is clear: punk is for everyone — we might be up on stage, but we are all together in this show.
Green Day has been performing in the punk scene since the 90s, and the time they’ve spent developing their music and performance craft shows. Every minute detail seemed to be carefully crafted to gift the audience a worthwhile performance. As the show came to a close, Armstrong switched his guitar from electric to acoustic and the lights went down to one singular spotlight focusing on the band as they joined together for “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”
Armstrong raised his guitar after the song was done and said, “and just like that, 20 years!”
Contact Arlo Gallati at gallati@oxy.edu
