Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid August 24 2024

  So back when I was in the hotel room with my daughter and son in law after watching Metallica, I had asked my son in law Kaden who his favorite band was that he wanted to go see. And he said Green Day. Now I have never really got into Green Day. They made it big after I had left high school, got married and had a kid. I was set in my ways and I love heavy music. Green Day was labeled as "Pop Punk". And I didn't even want to give them a chance back in 1994. 2024 is different. I love my kids and I want them to enjoy life as much as I do. They just came with me to see my favorite band of all time so I thought I should go with them to see theirs. I had just seen the Green Day tour announcement in a facebook ad, so as I'm laying in the hotel room exhausted from the 4 hour drive and Rocking out to Metallica, we discussed what day would be good to go on a road trip to see Green Day. The best day for all of us was a Saturday. The closest show to us on a Saturday was in Milwaukee. It's about the same distance to Milwaukee from our home as it is to Detroit which is where the Metallica show had just been, so I bought the tickets. At first it was just going to be Kaden and myself. My then pregnant daughter would have been only a month or less out from having my first grandchild (or so they were told) so she would not be able to attend. I bought 2 seats down on the field. and that was it. Or so I thought. Metallica was doing the "No Repeat Weekends" for this tour, and the show the kids went with me to was night one. On night two, I was sitting in the crowd with my friend Mike waiting for the show to start when I got the text from Kaden that his Hetero Life Mate Cyin wanted to go see Green Day too. So sitting there at Ford Field I searched for another ticket to Green Day, and low and behold there were two left right next to the ones I had already bought! So I got one more, leaving a single seat in that row next to us. Then a few months passed, And some stuff happened with my daughter and her pregnancy that is very personal so I am not going to go into that. But she was now able to go to the show. I will say everything ended up fine and we have the most beautiful healthy grandson. anyway about two or three months after I had purchased the first three tickets, I figured I'd look and see if that single seat was still there. To my astonishment, it was! So now there are four of this going to this show! 

Home of the Milwaukee Brewers

Me and my kids! 

                                           

 If you have read my post about the Sonic Temple Festival back in May of this year, you would know that Cyin got very ill with food poisoning and missed the Misfits! So he was on a strict no chicken diet at this show! We made the four hour plus ride to Milwaukee and checked into the hotel. Had some tacos at a great mexican restaurant next to the hotel, and headed to the show. No drama, everyone was healthy and everything went great. We got to our seats about 10 minuets before the opening band hit the stage. The Linda Lindas. I'm not really into female led bands, I'm not saying they were bad, it's just not what I'm into. We had walked past the merch booths on the way to our seats because the lines were extremely long. As I'm siting there, I notice a merch tent down on the field off to my left. The line didn't look too long and I wanted them to all have a shirt. So I decided to go stand in line. Cyin joined me. As I got closer, I noticed this line was extremely long also. But at this point I was committed. We could still see the stage and hear the band perfectly. The Sound mix for all four bands that night was excellent! As The Linda Lindas played, I was plesently surprised at the heaviness. I really enjoyed them. Lead vocal duties were shared by at least three different band members (possibly more). The really heavy stuff was when the bass player took the lead. I didn't know any of the songs, but I liked it! I am going to pick up some CDs soon! Here's A bad picture and the set list.

The Linda Lindas

1. Too Many Things

2. Growing Up

3. Resolution Revolution

4. Excuse Me

5. All In My Head

6. Oh!

7. Nino

8. Racist, Sexist Boy

Up next was Rancid. I had bought their CD "And Out Come The Wolves" to prepare for the show. I really like the first song on that album and was looking forward to see the bass player kill the solo! But, I was still in line for T shirts. Kaden and Cyin were as excited for Rancid as much as they were for Green Day. I could still hear that wonderful bass solo in line, but I couldn't really see. We were off to the side. And to be honest, we couldn't really see the stage that well even from our expensive field floor seats. We all admitted to watching the Jumbotrons more than the actual stage. Cyin and I didn't miss much. We were back in our seats by the third song. Now this next sentiment goes for the remaining three bands equally. I believe I enjoy the live show much more to the studio works. Not saying any of it is bad, I just enjoy the energy of a live performance better. Rancid Rocked! I am getting into bands I never thought I would have at this show! Here's a couple of bad pics and the setlist.

  

                                                                                                                                                        

1. Maxwell Murder (THAT BASS!!!)

2. Roots Radicals

3. Side Kick

4. Tomorrow Never Comes

5. The 11th Hour

6. Ghost of A Chance

7. Radio

8. Something in the World Today

9. Fall Back Down

10. Time Bomb

11. Ruby Soho

 Kaden had talked up Rancid and Green Day so much before this show, that I had totally forgot that The Smashing Pumpkins were even going to be there till about a week before the show. Now this is a band that I actively avoided solely based on their image. Boy was that a mistake! Damn they are good! A little subdued  (with the exception of the touring guitarist Kiki Wong! That chick is Metal!) , but DAMN GOOD musicians! The only song I even kind of knew was "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" And I didn't even know what the name of it was. I've got a lot of time to make up with this band. Here's a few bad pics and the set list.

                                       

1. Everlasting Gaze

2. Doomsday Clock

3. Zoo Station

4. Today

5. The Which Animates the Spirit

6. Tonight, Tonight

7. Ava Adore

8. Disarm

9. Bullet With Butterfly Wings

10. Sighommi

11. 1979

12. Jellybelly

13. Cherub Rock

14. Zero

 And now, Green Day. They are out supporting their new album "Saviors", but they have their two most successful albums celebrating significant anniversaries this year. Their breakthrough album "Dookie" 30 years and "American Idiot" 20 years. So they are playing BOTH of those albums in their entirety. I had bought both of these CDs before hand so I would not be going in completely ignorant. I listened to both a few times before the show, and to be honest, I still wasn't feeling it. But like I said earlier, there is more energy in live performances and I really enjoyed the show. I Found myself singing along to more songs than I thought I would. The highlight was when during "Know Your Enemy" they pulled up a young fan named Quinn, Who couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 to help sing. As a new grandfather, I find those kind of things hitting me in the feels a little more than they used to! And the Orchestral version of "All By Myself" was hilarious! Here are some bad pics and the extremely long set list.

Me and my Baby Girl

1. The American Dream Is Killing Me

2. Burnout

3. Having A Blast

4. Chump 

5. Longview

6. Welcome To Paradise

7. Pulling Teeth

8. Basket Case

9. She

10. Sassafras Roots

11. When I Come Around

12. Coming Clean

13. Emenius Sleepus

14. In The End

15. F.O.D. (with Jack & Diane Intro)

16. All By Myself  (Orchestral version)

17. Know Your Enemy (with The Mighty Quinn on Vocals)

18. Look Ma, No Brains!

19. One Eyed Bastard

20. Dilemma (with Free Fallin intro)

21. Minority

22. Brain Stew

23. American Idiot

24. Jesus Of Suburbia

25. Holiday

26. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

27. Are We The Waiting

28. St. Jimmy

29. Give Me Novacaine

30. She's A Rebel

31. Extraordinary Girl

32. Letterbomb

33. Wake Me When September Ends

34. Homecoming

35. Whatsername

36. Bobby Sox

37. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

  I had a blast at this show and I know the kids did too, which makes it even more satisfying for me! I'm also glad that I now have some new bands to enjoy. The next day on the way home, we stopped to get some cheese curds, went to a dinosaur museum and took some pics next to Lake Michigan. And then made one more stop in Trevor Wisconsin! Because my name is Trevor! And I'm a Dad! And those are the kind of things us dads do!