Gateway

Media Credit: Michelle Bishop Green Day singer Billy Joe Armstrong rocks the crowd. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Michelle Bishop Mike Dirnt of Green Day plays at the Qwest Center may 15. [Click to enlarge]

On May 15, thousands of fans gathered to see pop-punk political activist group Green Day at the Qwest Center in Omaha. The band made a stop to the sold-out show as part of their "American Idiot" tour with My Chemical Romance.

For some in attendance, it was their first concert ever; for most, it was their first arena show.

My Chemical Romance opened up the night with its single "Helena" setting the stage for the next couple of hours of pop-punk mayhem. While the band is not the best live, they definitely pumped up the crowd for what was yet to come.

Including our nosebleed seats and $7 beers, the arena show was everything I'd hoped it'd be and more. My Chemical Romance did an updated version of putting up lighters in the air by including cell phones, lighting up the dark arena with glows of orange and blue. Green Day even started the wave during its set.

Green Day hit the stage with enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb. After playing three songs off its latest effort, the album American Idiot, Green Day turned back the clock playing fan-favorites from Dookie, Warning, Nimrod and Insomniac. As you probably could have guessed, the 12-year-old girls sat down while the old-school fans got up and rocked out to songs that provided a soundtrack to their adolescence. Well, the songs provided to mine at least.

The band played "Longview," providing a great opportunity for thousands of Midwesterners to drop the f-bomb in unison. If that isn't beauty at its finest, then I don't know what is.

While doing a cover of Operation Ivy's "Knowledge," singer Billy Joe Armstrong called out for three fans: one who could play guitar, one bass and one drums. Three kids were pulled up on stage to live out their dream of playing a sold-out arena, even if only for five minutes. The kid who played Billy Joe's guitar even got to keep it. Believe me, if for only five minutes in my life I could play guitar, this would have been it.

After $50 worth of beer, sing-alongs, Bush-bashing and almost two hours worth of entertainment, Green Day closed with the ever popular "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." The band left the stage leaving most of the audience awestruck and wishing that they too, could be a rock star.

Article Tools