Justin Nuoffer
CONCERT REVIEW + PHOTOS
Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins,
Rancid, The Linda Lindas
8/24/24 – American Family Field – Milwaukee, WI.
©Justin Nuoffer/Nuoffermedia.com
Few things are better than the Summer heading into Fall. The weather is sunny, comfortable, and warm. The parking lots opened up early to accompany the massive amount of fans coming to Green Day‘s “The Saviours Tour“. American Family Field is home to the Milwaukee Brewers, but tonight it is home to punk rock royalty. As car after car filed into the lots, fans began the great Wisconsin tradition of tailgating.
The parking lots were buzzing with a playful attitude. Grills were hot and the beverages were cold. Pop-punk classics blared from car speakers. Without a doubt, Wisconsin came prepared and ready to party. Every game possible was being played. You could’ve sworn this was just another home game for the Brewers. The main gates had lines reaching back into the lot relatively quickly. The sidewalks around the stadium were bustling. The level of activity was off the charts.
Entering the massive stadium the security check-in line went quickly. Fans filled the spacious hallways. Every concession stand was open and bustling. Known as Cream City, Milwaukee and the Brewers do not shy away from the city’s rich history of brewing beer. Craft and micro beer stands are on all 3 levels of the venue and open for business. As you pushed through the corridors the lines heading down to the field and the pit were in constant motion. The stage had been erected in Center Field. The massive structure stood in front of the video board and up above the field and general admission the retractable roof was wide open. Behind the entire outfield wall, the sliding glass panels were also opened up. There was no chance of a rain out regardless. The wind wiped through the stadium. It was beyond comfortable on field level.
The Linda Lindas were the first act to hit the stage. With sisters Lucia (guitar) and Mila de la Garza (drums), cousin Eloise Wong (bass), and a friend Bela Salazar (guitar) walking out with smiles on their faces they clearly were there to have fun and deliver happy vibes. They did just that. Bouncing all around the stage and delivering quick pop-punk hits one after another. Despite only performing for 30 minutes they were met with loud cheers.
Almost immediately afterwards, punk legends Rancid arrived to loud applause. With a large catalog in their back pockets, they had a career-spanning setlist. The unrelenting assault from these timeless veterans levied one hey-maker after another. They captured the audience almost instantly. Their …And Out Come The Wolves album being nearly 30 years old they focused half of their time on that material. The first two opening songs “Maxwell Murder” and “Radical Roots” from said album warmed up the cooling air.
There is nothing on stage besides themselves and their gear. The road warriors are true the meaning of punk. They’ve never swayed away from the fact it was about the performance and the music itself. Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederiksen, Matt Freeman, and Branden Steinekert have consistently released their angst and fury onto every crowd in front of them for decades and on this night it was no different. Heads bobbed up and down, bodies were 2 stepping in the pit, and the dancing never stopped until the closing notes of “Time Bomb” and “Ruby Soho” as the night’s anchors. Rancid gave the building crowd plenty of reasons to check them out if unfamiliar.
No strangers to Wisconsin, The Smashing Pumpkins, whose first album, Gish was recorded up the road in Madison. They had a huge draw of their own. Making waves and breaking through around the same time as tourmates Green Day, the Pumpkins were radio darlings for most of the 1990s and 2000s as well. Having just surprised dropped a new album, Aghori, Mhori Mei, not more than a month ago, one would think they would focus on playing it out live. Surprisingly, only a single track, “Sighommi”, was performed and it couldn’t have been a better selection to perform live. Everything about it screamed classic Smashing Pumpkins.
Besides the new song, the setlist was a career retrospective. Every single massive hit such as “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, “Today”, and “1979” was performed. Their opener “The Everlasting Gaze” set the tone. The intro riff and guitar tuning was a wake-up call to those in attendance. The alternative rock giants were there to rock your asses off. Even “Disarm” shook the concrete. The orchestral parts floated through the air as Billy Corgan strummed away on his acoustic guitar. Simply, a beautiful moment in an otherwise heavy set.
Saving their best for last, drummer Jimmy Chamberlain sped up the tempo and jettisoned the band into fan favorite “Jellybelly”. The two lighting towers popped off at a rapid pace and the smoke rolled over the stage. The final two songs of their hour-long set “Cherub Rock” from Siamese Dream and “Zero” off of Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness held the loudest ovations out of any songs they’ve performed. That beloved Pumpkins sound was alive and well with Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlain, and James Iha together again. The Smashing Pumpkins prove their music transcends across generations. After 33 years of releasing music and regular radio play, it is safe to say their legacy is well established and the live show is only getting better with time.
Taking in the view, the standing room, pit, floor seats, and all of the way up to the very last seat in the Terrace level were filled. The anticipation was sky-high. This may be the “Saviours” tour, but it features two full album plays, Dookie and American Idiot. First, “The American Dream is Killing Me” was featured as the opener.
Billie Joe Armstrong established himself right away as a rockstar frontman. His use of the catwalk and engagement with the fans up front added nothing but excitement. With a constant stream of concussion fireworks and a pyro show with nearly every song his showmanship was only enhanced. Behind Tre Cool’s drum stand a massive inflatable mushroom cloud grew and rose to the rafters signaling the Dookie playthrough. Green Day spared no time in between songs. They ran through the album front to back with ease. Bassist Mike Dirnt‘s bass line kicking off “Longview” gave way to a deafening roar. Arguably, their biggest hit from the album, Dirnt also donned his jumpsuit from the “Basket Case” video during the entire album play.
Armstrong out front often encouraged the crowd to sing along as the band extended outros and breakdowns. The show was truly an all-immersive experience. During “Emenius Sleepus,” an inflatable plane floated across the floor seats and dropped inflatable Dookie bombs. As much as the band has moved away from their early punk roots, their punk spirit and humor was alive and well when Tre Cool walked out from behind his drum riser in a leopard print robe with a spotlight on him to sing along with the orchestral back of “All By Myself”. He then danced his way off stage and back to his kit.
As an interlude between album plays, Green Day performed “Know Your Enemy” which is also known as a part where Armstrong grabs a fan to sing the final lyrics with him. Quinn, a little girl no more than eight years old, decked out in Green Day merch incredibly nailed every single word. The crowd erupted in applause. The smile across her face was enough for Billie Joe to even take the moment in and smile uncontrollably.
They unleashed three new tracks from the Saviours album, “Look Ma, No Brains!”, “One Eyed Bastard”, and “Dilemma”. The album having been released back in January of this past year was well received amongst today’s crowd. These new tracks were backed by hits “Minority” and “Brain Stew”. The slow grudging and chunky pace paired with the heavy and quick strums of the bass and guitars would lead one to believe they were about to launch into “Jaded”. However, a large inflatable fist holding a heart flew up behind the drum riser and like a shock to the senses the opening riff to “American Idiot” roared through the stadium. Fire flew across the stage, hands and bodies jumped up to the rafters. The energy was off the charts. It felt like a whole new generation of Green Day fandom woke up in that moment.
American Idiot was the band’s foray into their more rock era of the band. The anthemic “Holiday” maintained the heads bobbing up and down. The pit had a large area of people simply dancing. The break down that led into a small solo felt a bit heavier than normal. Everything was hitting at 100%. The ballads are masterstrokes of modern rock radio. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” became a powerful singalong. The echoes were far-reaching. No matter how much they slowed the show’s tempo down it was perfectly paced with the accompanying lights, fire, and backing videos. A perfect example of impact and the band’s power came during “Wake Me Up When September Ends”. The band encouraged everyone to light up the venue with their cell phone lights. From the very top to the bottom, cell phones began illuminating the night sky. It was a spectacle.
To close the album play out, “Homecoming” and “Whatsername” were ripped through. The stage lights dimmed and Armstrong re-emerged with an acoustic guitar in hand and walked to the mic. He savored the moment, taking time to look around, then began strumming those familiar notes to “Good Riddance” just by himself. Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool joined in at the end. Armstrong lifted his guitar behind his head and Tre Cool strummed the final note.
As they walked off of the stage a fireworks display began firing off into the Milwaukee night and that was it. Green Day delivered a 37-song masterpiece and performed for nearly two and a half hours without much of a break in between. They truly gave everything they could to the 60,000 plus in attendance.
Once again scanning the American Family Field crowd, it was plainly obvious nobody wanted to leave. The cheering was thunderous and deafening. Cell phone lights were still lit. It is extremely hard to put into words how incredibly fun this billing was. From top to bottom, the energy was felt. The rambunctious crowd appreciated every song note spun. No one could have walked out the doors feeling underwhelmed. Artists of this quality carry vast amounts of experience in how to touch the nerves of their fans and they all succeeded with ease. This was not just another concert event. It was an all-encompassing experience and one to not miss if you get the chance.
Check out the concert photo gallery from Green Day below:
Check out the concert photo gallery from The Smashing Pumpkins below:
Check out the concert photo gallery from Rancid below:
Check out the concert photo gallery from The Linda Lindas below:
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