Green Day has become a staple in the American rock scene, garnering fans from across demographics. Their reach in American culture spans over 20 years and as no one doubted, they still got it. With pyrotechnics and punk rock, Green Day puts on an iconic performance on The Saviors Tour.
Green Day is bringing along three openers on this tour: The Linda Lindas, Rancid, and Smashing Pumpkins. With three openers and a setlist spanning two full albums, you can expect this show to span close to 5 ½ hours. However, it will definitely be worth your while.
The Linda Lindas are an all-female rock band who have also opened for Paramore on the This is Why tour. After making music for Moxie and The Claudia Kishi Club, the band put out the song “Racist, Sexist Boy”, putting them on the map. What’s really remarkable about The Linda Lindas is the age of the band members and their excellent musicianship. To be playing on tour with iconic bands like Paramore and Green Day before you can legally drink is quite a feat. Also, to see women of colour in a space like this, primarily dominated by middle-aged white men, is something to behold. I think it’s safe to say we will continue to see The Linda Lindas around as their career really takes off.
Rancid took the stage next; a punk rock band from California. In their 33-year existence, Rancid has become one of the most well-known punk rock bands in the United States and played a large part in the revival of punk rock in the 1990s. Most of their set consisted of songs from album “…And Out Come the Wolves”, starting off with a charged performance of ‘Maxwell Murder’. Even in a venue as large as the Rogers Centre in Downtown Toronto, Rancid’s performance will still give you the feeling of being in a dark, underground dive, rocking out and being completely immersed in the music.
At this point, the venue is beginning to really fill up. As mentioned, the 5 ½ hour runtime of the show had doors open from 4pm. Fans called in sick or rushed from work to make sure they caught Smashing Pumpkins, another iconic rock band from Chicago. Smashing Pumpkins opened their set with ‘The Everlasting Gaze’ and ‘Doomsday Clock’ before performing a cover of U2’s ‘Zoo Station’. Of course, fans were treated to the iconic ‘1979’ that really had the arena going. Many fans were particularly impressed with guitarist Kiki Wong for her electric and animated performance as she joined the band on tour this year.
Now, time for the main event. The crowd is well warmed up and ready to go as a medley of famous rock tunes begin to play on the loudspeakers, including ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’. One of the band’s mascots, Drunk Bunny, hyped up the crowd. You could feel the anticipation building as the music vibrated off the Rogers Centre’s domed roof. As Drunk Bunny ran off stage and lights lowered for a moment, all hell broke loose. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong sprinted onto the stage, arms aloft, and greeted the crowd before the band started the show with ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’.
Green Day’s set for The Saviors Tour is primarily made up of two albums: ‘Dookie’ and ‘American Idiot’. However, what’s a Green Day concert without songs like ‘Welcome to Paradise’ and ‘Good Riddance’, too?
For the next two hours, the energy in the stadium never faltered. Between songs, Armstrong channeled Freddie Mercury with a call-and-response in tribute to the forever iconic Live Aid performance from 1985. Billie Joe Armstrong is known for inviting fans on stage, so when a young woman from the audience was brought up to sing ‘Know Your Enemy’, everyone in the stadium cheered her along. Armstrong greeted her with a big hug and shared the mic while everyone in the crowd jumped and screamed right along with them.
During ‘Letterbomb’, an inflatable Dookie plane floated from the back of the stage, over the crowd, releasing mini-planes as it reached the centre. In a domed arena like the Rogers Centre, you could get a great view from wherever you were seated.
Even for songs like ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’, a slower song in Green Day’s discography, fans waved their lights in the air and sang as loud as they could. For many listeners, this song holds many memories and hits an emotional chord.
To end off the night, the band performed ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’; fitting for fans who probably did have the time of their life during this show. Once again, singing loud and proud with cell phone lights in the air, Toronto sent Green Day off with a performance to remember.
Green Day will continue on tour throughout North America before venturing to South America and Asia. However, a new set of openers will be joining Green Day on tour after the North American leg. Regardless, if you’re a casual fan or die hard groupie, Green Day put on one hell of a performance and it’s not one to be missed. Just make sure you’re ready to rock and get real crazy
Review and photos by Julia Bissessar
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