Green Day @ Target Field (Minneapolis, MN)

Green Day (Rodeo CA), Smashing Pumpkins (Chicago, Ill), Rancid (Berkeley, CA), The Linda Lindas (Los Angeles, CA)

Vindication is the encapsulating word to describe this last event I witnessed.

American Idiot was released almost 20 years ago exactly, on September 21, 2004. That was a period of time that I remember quite vividly. I had just started my freshmen year of high school, and had all those typical accompanying feelings of entering a new space, physically, emotionally and metaphorically. Napoleon Dynamite was the hit movie of the moment, with this school year being filled with endless quotes and references of “TINA EAT YOUR FOOD,” “GOD”, and numerous Vote For Pedro shirts being worn. There were three, now iconic, albums recently release that made up the soundtrack of those days too; Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance, Hot Fuss by The Killers, and American Idiot. Those albums were passed around like hot cakes, so many of us students burning copies for ourselves drawing crude yet intricate album arts on the blank spaces.

Something happened in the year or two afterwards that went along with me delving deeper into heavier music, where it was no longer cool to like American Idiot. Disregard the countless hours listened to “Jesus of Suburbia” and “Give Me Novacaine”, and substitute your usual high school teen hormones as a reason for anything in this time, but I got made fun of a lot for listening to Green Day. “They’re sell-outs!” was a normal thing to hear when they got brought up in conversation. Other common knocks were that their songs were too simple, easy to play, and they relied too much on power chords.

Well, here we are twenty years later. Any time I get to see a band live that I had in regular rotation in my high school days, I get pretty retrospective in my head. Green Day’s most recent stop to the Twin Cities at Target Field last Saturday was the latest instance of having those thoughts run through my brain. “Man I remember wondering back then about how life will be in 20 years. I wonder what I would say to current day self if they knew the concerts and experiences at those concerts I’ve had.”

Green Day is currently on what they’re calling The Saviours Tour, but really, it’s the Dookie + American Idiot celebration. Playing both albums in full sandwiching a handful of Saviors songs in between. Dookie came out in 1994, so it came out a little bit before my time, but over time still because a pop-punk staple of mine, which the help of classic pillar songs like “Burnout,” “Welcome to Paradise,” “Basket Case” and “She”. I could not tell you how many times I’ve played through those songs on my bass. American Idiot was the album that I was there to see. Seeing it played in full has been a dream of mine for a long time and I’m still stoked that it was made a reality.

Complain about Green Day all you want. Say they suck, say they’re shit. Say they’re dumb and simplistic and they sold out. But at some point, you have to admit that they’ve ascended above those sentiments. The band has been around for 37 years, and these 30 and 20 year old records were able to pack a 40,000 capacity venue and not just as a millennial nostalgia act. And that;s where the vindication comes in. Like I knew that these dudes were special back then. Dookie is a bit on the stupid fun side of musical meaning, but American Idiot is just as relevant today as in 2004, if not more. It’s was incredibly cathartic to be in a space like Target Field on this night, surrounded by like minded cynical people sick of the status quo of the current ongoing issues. I honestly and emphatically commend the band deeply for sticking with the stance against fascism.

Even so, it’s bonkers to me that a band like Green Day can pull as many people as they did this night. I guess part of me is still used to bands like Journey, and Aerosmith, and Kiss being stadium rock bands, so it’s a bit wild that a band of my time can do the same. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m realizing I’m getting old.

Highlights of the night were, well, all of American Idiot (I’m never gonna not be mindblown over that), but more specifically these moments: Jesus of Suburbia. It was my third time seeing the greatest punk song ever written, and it’s always such a treat to see and hear the whole crowd chant the “Hey!”s during the City of the Damned part. Nine minutes never feels so fast as when listening to that song. The whole crowd chanting “”We’re Coming Home Again” during “Homecoming” was special. The whole place getting lit up with phone flash lights during “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”

“Letterbomb” and “Whatsername” are going to be moment that I take with me for forever going forward. I had a bit of a rediscovering of American Idiot over covid times after not having listened to it for a long time, and those two songs have hit me the most in recent days. They’re my favorites, “Whatsername” is the perfect closure, and I was so happy to be able to scream sing it.

I know I listed off a huge chuck of the album, but that’s the type of album it is. It’s stood the test of time and has held special for me, and for 40,000 other people in attendance. Don’t miss out on this tour if you can help it.