Brick of Self Control

I've made an effort this summer to get out and see more shows here in LA. I've been buying tickets to everything that catches my fancy since I've come back from London. Tonight was the first of the shows I bought tickets for. I first saw Green Day while they were touring for Dookie way back when I was a wee lass. That was back when I was way into my Britpop days and for me to even give a band from California a second listen they had to be as good as Green Day. Over the years I've admittedly only kept up with them through their radio singles and haven't picked up a full album since Dookie. But this is LA and KROQ plays tons of Green Day, I think they played the full American Idiot a few times when it came out. This tour they had Franz Ferdinand in tow and that set me in motion to buy a ticket for this show.

I was out all day today having another wandering adventure with some friends and was a bit tired when I set out on the Vespa down to Inglewood. Shows at the Forum start right at the time listed on the ticket, I had forgotten this fact so I missed half of the Franz set but I'm seeing them in two days so I didn't mind too much. Before Green Day came on there was someone in a pink bunny suit that came out to dance to YMCA. I was buying water and there may have been an explanation as to who this was but I missed it. After the bunny was gone the band came out through the back of the venue and walked along the anxious crowd on the floor. This interaction with the crowd would carry on throughout the show. During various parts of the show the band brought on audience members to sing, play guitar, dance along and at one point they asked for children to be 'saved' and some family handed their kids down to the stage. A boy named Andrew came up and sang "Longview" although he was kind of doing a radio edit version he knew most of the words and didn't seem scared. Near the end of the show they also pulled up a guitarist to play Jesus of Suburbia. This guy came up and was immediately running all over the stage. He knew the song really well, he could be a plant into the audience but if he wasn't he's definitely been practicing his rock star moves.

It was a good show all around, I had a great seat next to this family that had all come out to see the band. I really got a second wind of energy after the band came on and was jumping around with the rest of the crowd after just a few minutes. The band also used lots of pyro and kept running into the audience, just when you're getting too tired and think you'll have to sit down they set off some explosion and you're right back into it.

There was a lot of political talk from the stage and lots of testament to the loveliness of California and how lucky we all are to live here. I don't think either of these things will inspire the young crowd to do much but whatever when you're like 14 you don't care about that stuff. The band played for a full three hours with a full band encore and a second that was an acoustic set from Billie Joe to end the night on a mellow tone and set all of the kids off to fall asleep in the backseat on the ride home. I would recommend seeing them if you're "of the era" especially if you haven't seen them before. Be forewarned though, you may be pulled on stage and when you are you will have to stage dive to get off. You also may be subjected to some band nudity, massive mosh pits, random cover medleys and security staff that isn't doing their job because they're watching the show and singing along. I was most pleased with the inclusion of "She" in the set, which is my favorite of all their songs and with my ride home, La Brea is amazing when it is empty and the view from the crest by Stocker is unbelievably beautiful. Now I have to get to downloading to fill some gaping holes in my iTunes library, I've already started with "Last Night on Earth".