Green Day @ Allstate Arena (8/10/2005)

Green Day rolled up their sleeves as they took over a sold-out crowd at the Allstate Arena on Wednesday night. On the latest leg of their North American tour, Green Day returned as conquering kings still riding a wave of confidence with their Grammy award winning album American Idiot. During a show that packed its share of explosiveness from the songs to the pyrotechnics, Green Day pulled out every arena rock cliche in the book but showmanship factored into the band losing their focus on delivering the real goods--the tunes.

As guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong slashed the opening chords of the band's pledge of allegiance "American Idiot," the band's no mercy attitude flooded the arena just as if it had been boiling for hours backstage, waiting for release. The atmosphere from the very beginning breathed of resistance with banners hanging all around of red fists and the crowd responding in unison to every move Armstrong made. It was the anti-rally of all political rallies. The band appeared on a mission as they fired off song after song in the early moments of the show, sometimes punctuated by song ending explosions. Then the early warning signs began to appear. Armstrong did his best Bono impersonation by breaking out a hand spotlight to shine over the crowd during "Holiday." It was a popular stage act that Bono would perform at U2 concerts during "Bullet The Blue Sky." Armstrong, borrowing from Ozzy Osbourne's bag of stage tricks, later armed himself with a water gun and showered the crowd in mad delight. The Kiss-esque stage presentation was one thing, but Armstrong overextended his frontman position by constantly leading the crowd into chants. Five minutes would be spent on which side of the arena could be louder than the other, thus breaking up the momentum of the show. Even the band's drawn out introduction took up more space than needed to be taken.

If there was indeed a moment where the band-crowd interaction lived up to more than just a routine, it came in the middle of the show when Armstrong orchestrated the formation of a band made up of fans in the audience. One by one, he picked out teenagers (no older than 18 years old) to take up the band's instruments. "Have you ever been laid?" asked Armstrong to his young guitar playing prospect. "Well, you will after tonight." With that remark Armstrong had the young man pulled from the crowd and onto the stage to meet his two new bandmates already holding down a beat. Armstrong became the teacher as he coached his replacement what chords to play. As he counted down the final beat, the fan excitedly launched into the chord and struck his best guitar pose before the cheering crowd. The trio of teens made the most of their once in a lifetime moment and were a beautiful reminder of rock and roll's true, uncorrupted spirit. The fan band went their separate ways but one fan walked away with much more. Armstrong had chosen a girl from the crowd to play Mike Dirnt's bass. He called for her before she departed the stage and presented her with his guitar and a kiss.

When the band found their direction again they hit the ground running. The old glory of songs like "Longview," "She," and "Basket Case" from their 1994 breakout album Dookie still resonated brightly and fiercely as they did ten years ago. Perhaps the most poignant song of the night was "Wake Me Up When September Ends." Already stirring a buzz as a music video depicting a couple affected by the boyfriend's decision to join the U.S. miltary effort in Iraq, the song's statement of disillusionment seemed almost lost to a crowd that slowly waved their lighters and their cell phones--the new lighters of the 21st century--in the air. This wasn't some overblown Maroon 5 or Journey ballad. This was a conscious statement about the time and place the world now finds itself in, but, like all songs, the meanings they are meant to carry can become entirely something else to the ears of a new listener. Regardless, the band pressed on as masters of their arena domain. Armstrong sensed an importance about the sell-out show and often thanked the crowd for their continued support in Chicago; citing the tour has the best the band as ever had and reminiscing about their first ever visit to Chicago as openers for local punk legends The Effigies. Without doubt Green Day has worked their way into becoming an important voice in rock music. What their show at Allstate Arena proved was that Green Day have the seasoned tools to handle the big shows. As they worked their songs with unrelenting conviction, they worked the crowd even harder. In that sense, their concert is truly a shared experience between the band on stage and the people in the seats. But like any band that reaches the levels of the arena, Green Day now have to consider how much theater is too much and recognize when they've gotten too close to surrending their songs for the mirrorballs. The second they cross that line they suddenly become the American idiots they sang against, the bloated rock shows filled with glitter and no magic. For now, Green Day has deservedly earned their top spot in the rock world. Next time just remember to leave the fireworks behind.

All Photos By: Barry Brecheisen