REVIEW: Green Day w/ The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, The Linda Lindas | 8.30.24 @ Geodis Park [PHOTOS]

Green Day
w/ The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, The Linda Lindas
Geodis Park; Nashville, TN
August 30, 2024

Review by Philip Obenschain. Photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship.

Undoubtedly one of the most successful, popular, and influential bands in not only punk and pop punk, but rock history in general, legendary California trio Green Day recently returned to Nashville for the first time in 15 years, for a massive performance at Geodis Park (the only concert scheduled to take place there this year, after an inaugural 2023 season hosted several), along with The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas. Not just a Music City homecoming, the tour celebrated several occasions: the release of their new album (and perhaps best in more than a decade), Saviors, which is why it was dubbed “The Saviors Tour,” but, more significantly, it also marked monumental anniversaries for the band’s two most defining LPs- a 30th for 1994’s Dookie and a 20th for 2004’s American Idiot, both of which they played in full for the bulk of their two and a half hour spectacle. Green Day, since first becoming massive stars in the ’90s, have long been an impressive and dazzling live force, and nearly 40 years into their existence (made all the more impressive by the fact that the core members are only in their early 50s) not an ounce of that showmanship, dynamism, and punk spirit has faded. Read on for our review of the show!

I’d only been to one prior concert at Geodis, and traffic was a bit of a nightmare, so this time around, I gave myself plenty of extra time, which meant I showed up mid-afternoon for what was already a quite early show. Only in recent years has Green Day been playing spaces this large (Geodis holds around 30,000 people, compared to Bridgestone’s ~20k), and they’ve been bringing a lot of great extra talent along to really justify the massive space. Still fitting in their full two and half hour show though, meant all three supporting acts felt a little briefer than usual; especially the first two. Getting in was a breeze and as I grabbed a drink and took my seat, the stadium only appeared to be about half full. All around were people rocking ties and all-black outfits a la 2004 Green Day (maybe the most “dressed in costume as the artist” I’ve ever seen at one show). First up though, were young LA punks The Linda Lindas, who, though only allotted about 20 minutes, made their opening set count. Like most people, I first became hip to the group after a video of them went viral a few years ago, and I’ve been wanting to see them live ever since (this was their first Nashville show; quite an epic debut). I knew they were super young, but I didn’t know that even now, a few years after springing onto the scene, they’re still just 14-19. With two albums out already, and a couple years of performance experience, they play with the polish and skill of a band a decade their senior, but it’s that fiery, youthful energy that really gives them a scrappy, bona fide punk spirit (it’s hard to image, but they’re around the age Green Day were starting out in the ’80s). Trading lead vocals, alternating from catchy power pop to visceral, riot grrrl screams, expressing humble gratitude and espousing sociopolitical stances, and performing with a confidence and electricity, The Linda Lindas were a total blast, and hearing songs like “Growing Up,” “All in My Head,” and “Racist, Sexist, Boy” live was an awesome way to began this show.

Rancid are one of my all-time favorite punk bands and I’ve seen them several times over the years, often at the former Vans Warped Tour, which is the vibe I was really feeling here, given that they, too, only had about 30 minutes to perform, and did so while it was still daylight, to a crowd still filling in (I know Green Day wanted this to be a spectacle, and I love both bands, but this tour probably could’ve lost either Rancid or Smashing Pumpkins to give the schedule a little more breathing room). No surprise, but they stuck to the hits, covering almost half of their brisk 1995 classic (and punk rock all-timer) …and out Come the Wolves, a just a few other songs from over the years. I wasn’t really sure what real punks would still be showing up to see Green Day in 2024, given how massively mainstream popular they’ve been for so long, but I definitely spotted some mohawks, studded jackets, and Doc Martens-clad folks around, scream-singing along to every word. Rancid never quite hit the huge, breakout and enduring radio heights that Green Day would in the late ’90s and beyond, but in the early to mid-’90s, they were arguably as significant in ushering in a new wave of interest in punk and pop punk, and songs like “Roots Radical,” “Olympia, Wa,” “Time Bomb,” and “Ruby Soho” remain some of the most important in punk history, and sounded as fresh and propulsive as ever. It’s been several years since I last saw a Rancid show, and they still absolutely rip, with frontman Tim Armstrong performing with a ferocity and effortless cool, and guitarist and co-frontman Lars Frederiksen really upping the charisma and taking on more vocal duties than I had remembered. I feel like the crowd was a little split on how familiar they were with Rancid (something tells me the folks more excited for Dookie than American Idiot were more predisposed to love this set), but those were were into it (like myself) were really into it, and seeing this band play in such a large space was a little surreal.

Next up, and perhaps the slight oddballs on the bill were alt-rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins. Like the similar large-scale tour from a few years ago Green Day did with Fall Out Boy and Weezer, I think Smashing Pumpkins were here as a sort of complimentary add-on who might draw a different crowd, and, certainly, they share a huge ’90s legacy and falling, and were peers to Green Day during the same era of rock, if never really apart of the same scene or genre. I’m a big Pumpkins fan too, and I’ve seen them several times, but their energy is definitely different, and given the pop punk nostalgia of Rancid (and the youthful scrappiness of The Linda Lindas), I do admit that having them as direct support felt a little out of place to me. They’re in Nashville fairly often, and I think they work best when they’re inside, can get more weird and theatrical, and have the time to balance their ’90s singles with the more heady, avant-garde stuff from the last 20 years. With only an hour-long set though, and, as mentioned, a more punk leaning audience, Billy Corgan and co. wisely stuck to the hits, with much of the performance made up of songs from classics Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. They sounded really great (and really live; you could hear some tiny imperfections in the vocals and instrumentation, a sign that their auto-tune and track use is minimal if at all), and by the time they took the stage, the venue was nearly full, with tons of fans singing along and losing their minds over tunes like “Today,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “Disarm,” Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” “1979,” and “Cherub Rock.” Having both guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin also really makes a difference in their live presence as well, with that older material feeling extra special with the spirit of the original guys who contributed to it (the band has been a bit of a revolving lineup since reforming back in ’06). The Pumpkins, though artsy and cool, have never been ones for gigantic spectacle, and for the most part had minimal production and kept the set very song-focused, which, when you’re playing so many great songs, is more than enough. I’d maybe rather seem them at a headliner, and I think Green Day alone could’ve sustained without a big direct support, but the Pumpkins still rip, and it was fun to see them again.

The one and only time I’ve ever been to a Green Day concert was back in 2005, on the original tour for American Idiot. I’m in my mid-30s, so the perfect sweet spot to have been aware of Green Days early work and massive ’90s influence just as my musical taste was being forged (Dookie was one of the first CDs I ever owned, and the band’s International Superhits! comp helped introduce me to more of their early catalogue), and a teen when American Idiot dropped, and once again singularly changed the trajectory of musical history in a new decade, catapulting a new pop punk scene further into the mainstream, and becoming a foundational work for a young generation of “emo kids.” I’ve never stopped loving the band, even if I haven’t been as interested in any of their records of the last 15 years (I maintain that 39/Smooth to American Idiot is one of the best runs in musical history, and as much as I still love American Idiot and Dookie, there’s another three or four albums from that time period you could make a solid case for as their best), and ever since that first show, back when I was 17 years old, I’ve always wanted to see them live again. Aside from one of those special, small club shows they’ve been known to do from time to time, I genuinely cannot think of a better occasion than a dual anniversary tour for Dookie and American Idiot.

By the time they took the stage, a little before 8:30, the stadium was packed (if not sold out, extremely close), the sun had set, and the massive stage was glowing and adorned with a wall of amps, lights, and gigantic LED screens. In every direction, I spotted people dressed in the aforementioned 2004 Billie Joe costume, or rocking Green Day merch (mostly American Idiot; man I wish my OG tour shirt, which I definitely still have somewhere, still fit me 20 years later). The lights dimmed, and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” began to play in full, prompting loud singalongs, going into Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” (a show of confidence in their own show, to warm up the audience with two generational hits). Someone in a bunny mascot suit appeared, and began hyping up the crowd, before finally, after several minutes of fanfare, Green Day and their backing band emerged, kicking off the show with Saviors lead single “The American Dream is Killing Me.” Wasting no time, Billie Joe announced they’d next be paying tribute to Dookie, as the screens switched to its artwork, and what appeared to be a giant inflatable of the cover’s mushroom cloud filled the back of the stage, as the group launched into the album. Nothing bugs me more than when bands do full record play-throughs out of order, and thankfully Green Day didn’t go that route, letting the singles fall where they’re supposed to in sequence. The original American Idiot Tour featured only three songs from Dookie, so getting to see all 14 tracks from what I would consider one of my favorite and most formative albums of all time was a dream come true. From the anthemic start of “Burnout,” to the teen angst of “Longview,” to the frenetic propulsion of “Welcome to Paradise,” to the enduring and generational classic of “Basket Case,” to the hypotonic singalongs of “When I Come Around,” I would contend that it’s a perfect LP from start to finish, and despite its intimate, youthful quality, it still sounds absolutely fantastic on a gigantic stage, and as earnest and relevant as ever 30 years later. There was, of course, pyro, immersive lights, and plenty of audience engagement, but this portion of the show felt fittingly more contained, and really embodied the spirit and nostalgia of early Green Day.

I think the band could’ve gotten away with only playing the two anniversary albums, or even billed this as an anniversary celebration without full play-throughs (their own sort of “eras” tour if you will), but not only did Green Day give us both albums in full, but they also managed to squeeze in a few other hits and honor their new album to boot. The changeover began with “Know Your Enemy,” from 21st Century Breakdown (the lone post-Idiot song not from Saviors), and three further Saviors tunes (which, again, I actually think is their strongest LP in ages, so it was cool to see some new stuff that felt inspired), before giving us some more classics in “Minority,” from Warning:, and “Brain Stew,” from Insomniac (oh how I wish that one would get the anniversary treatment too, however unlikely). If you hadn’t peeked at the set list (as I did), this transitional section was perhaps the show’s only real surprise, and it was definitely a great bonus to hear some more classic hits, even if they only had time for a few. It was during “Know Your Enemy” that Billie Joe also invited a fan on stage- a longtime staple of Green Day shows- to help him sing the final chorus and snap a photo, and the kid he selected looked like they were on the verge of fainting from excitement (if my memory serves, he had someone play guitar when I saw them 20 years ago, though I understand how that has much more room to go awry).

The screens began to change imagery as a giant hand holding a heart-shaped grenade inflated behind the band, signaling the start of the American Idiot portion of the show. As I said, that record arrived at such a hugely important moment in my teen life, just as I was becoming obsessed with punk and emo music, and it almost single-handedly shot that scene into a mainstream stratosphere. I can’t think of many bands who accomplished something as influential as Green Day did in two separate decades, certainly not many that first found fame in the ’90s (I think there’s a solid argument American Idiot is the best 2000s “comeback” album from any ’90s band), and I’m not sure if kids too young to remember or adults too old to care totally realize just how culturally significant that album and era was. The fans in attendance here certainly did though, as American Idiot merch was absolutely everywhere, and though the Dookie enthusiasm was high, the response to the latter play-through was unbelievable. This album meant so much to so many, and two decades later, it’s proven to endure the test of time. Like the LP- a record opera which even spawned a Broadway musical- the show got a lot more theatrical here, with more interactivity, even more pyrotechnics, and some spectacular lights. From the politically-charged opening title track (which feels as resonant today as ever), to the rock operatic “Jesus of Suburbia,” to classic signaling and beloved single “Holiday,” to the ballad-y “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” the first few tracks are a dazzling, immense hit of nostalgia, and still seem as genuine and meaningful for the band as they clearly did for the audience, electing palpable, emotional singalongs and unbridled excitement.

I’m not sure if this is a common opinion or a hot take, but I’ve always felt that American Idiot drags a little in the middle, and that’s perhaps one weakness exposed by playing it through in track-order, since it feels a little front loaded. I don’t think any songs are bad, it’s more than some are so good that others feel a little less special by comparison. That’s a minor nitpick though; this album means so much to me, and I wouldn’t want a single track skipped, even if I have my favorites. By “Wake Me Up When September Ends”- perhaps Green Day’s second most iconic ballad- I was totally locked back in, and the second operatic epic “Homecoming” was really impressive to watch live. I truly can’t believe that any of these guys are now in their 50s, but especially Billie Joe Armstrong, who looks as youthful and vibrant as he always has, and still channels an aura of mischievous jokester meets punk rock prodigy, running around the stage, eliciting call and response chants, and performing with the refinement of someone who’s been a professional rock star for decades. Bassist Mike Dirnt has always felt like the low-key, grounding glue of the lineup, and though he’s perhaps the quietest part of the trio, his technical chops are excellent and he, like Armstrong, has barely aged in two decades. Rounding out the core lineup, drummer Tré Cool might be the most technically flashy member of the band, and with his blue hair and eyeliner, is also aging gracefully with enduring punk spirit. From drum solos to hopping on the mic to sing lead on Dookie closer “All By Myself” while rocking a leopard print robe, Cool always feels especially present for a drummer, and I’m eternally grateful that Green Day has kept its lineup intact all these years. Their backing players- guitarists Jason White and Kevin Preston, and keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist Jason Freese- also definitely deserve a shout, as, though they mostly blend into the background except in moments Armstrong gives them their due, they’re the reason these songs (especially the American Idiot stuff) sound so filled out and album-accurate.

By the end of American Idiot, wrapping up with “Whatshername,” the show was creeping up on the two and a half hour mark, but hardly felt like it; we were all hanging on every note and singing along to every word, and when the setlist is something you could sing in your sleep and feel in your bones, it really does fly by. The band seemed incredibly grateful to be able to still play to such crowds, and to honor these albums like this, and I think they are, very rightfully, so proud of these two records and what they mean to millions of people. Again, they could’ve just played the albums and called it a night, but, of course, Green Day returned for an encore, first with new tune “Bobby Sox” (bringing the Saviors tally to five; something I’m really impressed they found room for, even with this being The Saviors Tour), then, of course, closer (and sole Nimrod song) “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” Green Day’s signature ballad and perhaps most recognizable single of all. Despite it being a pretty laid-back song to end on, they didn’t waste a chance for more pyro, and fireworks erupted from the stadium as the show came to a close. I hope it’s not another twenty years until I see Green Day again (I have no doubt they’ll still be rocking into their 70s), but if it is, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate nostalgia, and to revisit a band that meant so much to so many important moments in my life, at a time when their music feels as fresh and their message as relevant as it ever has.

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All photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship

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Setlist:

The American Dream Is Killing Me

Burnout
Having a Blast
Chump
Longview
Welcome to Paradise
Pulling Teeth
Basket Case
She
Sassafras Roots
When I Come Around
Coming Clean
Emenius Sleepus
In the End
F.O.D.
All by Myself

Know Your Enemy
Look Ma, No Brains!
One Eyed Bastard
Dilemma
Minority
Brain Stew

American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
Holiday
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Are We the Waiting
St. Jimmy
Give Me Novacaine
She’s a Rebel
Extraordinary Girl
Letterbomb
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Homecoming
Whatsername

Bobby Sox
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)