You’ve really got to admire these guys in Green Day, staying the course with their music, even in such a large venue as the United Center, in keeping to the spirit of having a big sense of humor, “nod nod wink wink”, even when attacking George Bush whose long long gone.

These guys say: LET’S ROCK!!
Billie Joe threw out “CHICAGO!” in songs too many times to count, and that tells me a lot- he really enjoys working the room, even though it’s 20,000ish strong, and he definitely pays attention to the city he’s in, as stupid as that sounds..
Billie Joe loves- and needs crowd participation- like a true active front man, marching band leader and such. Case in point: lots of fist pumping, hand waving, jumping up and down, sing alongs, bring a kid up onstage to enhance a song, give him some hand gestures to do, then make him die in gunfire as a prop; squirt guns ( I mean LARGE SQUIRT GUNS!), toilet paper shooters, T-shirt shooters, and shouting. Lots and lots of shouting.

Gotta say I loved every minute of it. Green Day, even in their political intensity, love to have a rollicking good time and try to hammer home their apathy while turning the other cheek. Nothing wrong with that- it just goes to show that you can deliver the message and act goofy at the same time…Just pay attention!

My opnion, the show worked on many levels, and I found myself laughing out loud at Billie Joe’s antics and bufoonery too many times to count. As much as I enjoy Jim Derogatis, a friend and all around good guy, I do not agree with his review. This show definitely DOES work in a large venue, and it definitely wasn’t “annoying”, as he so attests in his review in the Chicago Sun Times. Everyone lighten up! This also includes Bob Gendron of the Chicago Tribune….It’s fucking Green day for crying out loud! Jeez….!

Tags: Bobby Talamine, Chicago, Green Day, United Center