Brittany:
Over spring break, I got the chance to go to a Green Day concert with my boyfriend and his best friend. This was my second time at a Green Day performance (my first time I went with my best friend and a priest), so I was already predisposed to the wild ride that the band puts on. I spent most of my break in Brooklyn, because I was staying for the concert and the Saint Paddy’s Day parade. The borough of Brooklyn is an amazing place to explore and make your own adventure, as long as there isn’t a foot of snow everywhere. Unfortunately, due to the blizzard on Monday night, there wasn’t much to do unless you had a snowsuit handy. Nonetheless, my boyfriend and I made the best of it with the concert.
When I first saw Green Day as a freshman in high school, their concert was at the Temple Liacouras Center. So naturally when I went to the Barclays Center, I got flashbacks to how Green Day fans flooded the seats and filled the whole house. From teenagers to fans since the 80’s, people of all ages came to see their show, which made this night even more incredible. The opening act was “Against Me!”, and in my personal opinion, it sounded like they played the same song for twenty minutes. They are still a growing band, so I have confidence that they will improve. Once Green Day came on, there was an upbeat swing to the mood. The music was loud, and everyone was on their feet jumping and screaming back at Billie Joe Armstrong. The band brought up fans to sing, play the guitar, stage dive, and just go wild. In the midst of all the political outbursts and nonsensical screaming and dancing, Green Day has a way to make you feel a personal connection to the band— regardless of the quantity of people in the arena.
The highlight of my night was actually a funny experience I had with some other older concert-goers that were seated in front of us. The couple arrived after the opening act and sat right below us. They were really nice and asked how the opening band was. It wasn’t until right before Green Day came on, when the band made someone run out in a Bunny costume, that the couple whipped out a pair of binoculars. They used them throughout the night to see the band clearer, which was actually a smart move considering the seats were pretty far back. I just thought it was hysterical and clever at the same time, so kudos to them.
Cora:
My boyfriend and I started our day with a train ride into New York Penn Station around 10 o’clock in the morning. After spending most of the day at the American Museum of Natural History, we were beyond exhausted. We hopped on the subway and grabbed a bite to eat at an adorable Mexican restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, then hopped on the subway again, but this time, to Brooklyn. Being someone who has never been to Brooklyn before and loves exploring, I was pretty disappointed when I arrived right at the Barclay’s Center when I hopped off the subway. Nonetheless, this was the best possible situation since the lines to enter the venue were insanely long.
Fast-forward a few hours and the opening band “Against Me!” took the stage. There was no question as to why this band was the opener. They knew how to get a crowd hyped and had the punky-pop-rock sound the entire audience shared a love for. About a half hour later, Green Day took the stage. From the politically charged chants to nonstop upbeat music for over two hours, I never sat down. My boyfriend and I screamed and danced the night away then left with a crazy amount of energy that neither of us had before experienced at one o’clock in the morning. This concert was unlike any other I have ever been to. Throughout the night, a handful of concert-goers in the pit were pulled up on stage to sing into the microphone or play the guitar during a song. The whole experience felt incredibly personal and it didn’t feel as if we were in as large of a venue as we were.
The highlight of the concert was without a doubt the encore. The crowd collectively went nuts as soon as the beginning chords of “American Idiot” were blasted through the speakers. The night ended by a send off from Billy Joe alone on stage playing “Good Riddance.” The whole audience was engaged the entire time and I couldn’t have been more impressed by Green Day’s performance from beginning to close. Although I don’t have pictures from that night, the memories will be in my head forever.
PC: Brittany & Cora