By Amanda Moses
On July 26th, Green Day performed on Good Morning America’s (GMA) Summer Concert Series their latest single “Dilemma” ahead of their Saviors Tour at Citi Field earlier this week.
Hundreds of fans excitedly gathered inside of Rumsey Playfield as early as 5 a.m. for the free opportunity to watch their favorite punk band perform live on national TV. Green Day’s Saviors Tour marks the 30th Anniversary of their smash hit album Dookie as well as the 20th anniversary of “American Idiot.” But how did it all begin?
The year was 1989 when punk rockers Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer John Kiffmeyer (which was later replaced by Tré Cool) joined forces in San Francisco to form one of the most legendary bands to grace the music industry. However, it wasn’t until 1994 when the group changed the trajectory of their lives as Rock and Roll Hall of Famers with their landmark album, Dookie.
Green Day has always been a band to utilize their platform to put at the forefront political issues and discuss true life experiences like their latest single “Dilemma,” which touches on substance abuse and surviving through that experience.
Their performance at GMA was followed by an all-star concert at Citi Field on August 5th, which featured Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas. Kicking off at 5:30 p.m. with opening bands, Green Day made sure to play the Dookie and American Idiot albums in their entirety along with other hits and their latest release, the Saviors album.
“I like their energy! Billie Joe is such an incredible performer. The energy that they had with the crowd [at GMA] and at actual concerts is like no performer I have ever seen. I love his energy, I love “American Idiot,” the themes and topics. All of it can be still applied to today. I think their music is really timeless. Dookie too. Their music is a lot of fun,” Charlie Murphy, 20, from the Upper East Side told the Spring Creek Sun.
“Today was great, I wasn’t a big fan of waking up at 5 a.m., but it was all worth it to see them perform ‘Basket Case’ and ‘American Idiot,” Murphy added.
Photos by Amanda Moses
