Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT, September 8th, 2005
On September 9th, In Hartford CT, Green Day played an amzing concert. It was the best time of my life and I will never forget what happened there.
I got to the arena at about 7.45, and it was packed. My friends and I couldn't even get in to the actual concert until after Jimmy Eat World had started their set. We had terrible seats, and wanted to get down to the floor, so we had a plan to run in. I went first and ran as fast as I could and had to push a security guard's hand out of the way when he tried to black me. But I made it in, and Jimmy Eat World was pretty good.
After they finished their set, Jimmy Eat World left the stage and setup for Green Day started. I looked around for my friends, but they hadn't made it in after i did. So i tried to push forward a little to get closer to the stage.
Later, after most of the setup had gone up, out came the infamous beer-guzzling Pink Bunny. Everyone loved him, who led us in jumping and dancing to the YMCA and Blitzkrieg Bop. we also started some very spirited chants of "CHUG CHUG CHUG!" whenever the bunny drank his beers.
After the bunny left, I heard the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and immediately felt the surge forward. I moved gladly with it, and saw Green Day appear on the stage. When they started "American Idiot" the pushing got even greater and thanks to it I made it to right on the barrier to Mike's side of the front of the walkway where Billie Joe was. Everyone jumped and screamed as more American Idiot songs ensued, like "St. Jimmy" "Hoilday" and "Jesus Of Suburbia."
When Longview started, people went crazy and sang along, continuing to scream at Billie Joe whenever he came over. Songs from "Dookie" always have a lot of power, and this one was no exception as it got everyone into full swing of the music.
Then during "Hitchin' A Ride," Billie Joe gave us a treat and stuck his hands down his pants, making some very suggestive noises into the microphone. I saw the girl directly in front of him in the crowd and she looked like she was about to hyperventilate and pass out, she was so excited. They played more songs, and then they dedicated a song to a guy who had been following them on tour, and had come to all of their American shows for this tour. They played "2000 Light Years Away" Which is one of my favorite songs ever, and I was so excited and i screamed along and jumped with the song.
And Then Came Knowledge.
I had come prepared with a sign that said "Billie Joe: I Can Play Bass (Swear To God!)" with a big arrow pointing down. When he told us he was going to pick people to play, he came over to where I was and said "Can you play drums?" to me and I said "NO - I'm a Bass Player!!" and pointed to my sign and he said "Ok - i'll come back to you" and picked out a drummer. Then he came back to pick a bassist and started pointing to people around me asking if they could play bass and I yelled his name and he looked down at me and said "Can you play bass?" and I said "Yes!" and he goes "Swear to God?" and I go "I swear to fucking God, Billie!!" and he goes "get this lady's ass on stage!" and suddenly a guard came over and picked me out of the crowd and I was put on stage. As I looked over, I saw Billie Joe over by his microphone on the other side of the stage. I ran to him immediately and hugged and kissed him because I was so excited to be up there. I mean, when will I ever have that chance again? He hugged me back and I went over to Mike. He gave me his bass and taught me how to play a pretty easy bassline. But I was so nervous I screwed up my timing and got confused. Then Billie Joe said "Do we need to find another bassist?" and I thought "there is no way I'm getting off this stage now!!" and started again and finally nailed it, and Billie Joe let me stay onstage. After he picked a guitarist, we started the song over, and I went with the guitarist out onto the walkway to play. after that, we walked back and Billie Joe told us to jump off the drum platform, so we finished the song like that. Billie told the guitarist that he could keep the guitar, he asked "where's the drummer?" because for some reason he was gone. And Billie Joe was like "We need him to stage dive, this is his last night on tour!" which is when I realized they were talking about the drummer from Jimmy Eat World, who had replaced the other drummer. When someone went to get the drummer, Billie Joe called me over and said "She fucking learned the shit outta that bass tonight! - Give it up!" and when everyone was yelling for me, Billie Joe gave me another hug and I walked dazed over to the side of the stage, still amazed by what had happened. Finally, the drummer from Jimmy Eat World came out and Billie Joe got the him to stage dive into the crowd. While I was leaving the stage, I got a picture someone (people have told me it was Mike) had taken with a poloroid camera of me playing on stage, with Billie Joe and the guitarist in the background. I also got to keep my bass pick.
After I got back into the crowd, Green Day played "Basketcase", "King For A Day" and "Shout." After "Shout," Billie Joe dropped to the floor of the stage and started to move like he was humping the floor. Everyone laughed, as he continued with the song. However as he rose from the floor, we noticed a long cape attached to him, in addition to his "King For A Day" crown.
Then they played "Minority" (complete with 20-second long holding of 'heeeeeyy' and a harmonica solo) and "Wake Me Up When September Ends." During "Wake Me Up When September Ends" everyone put their lighters and cell phones up in the air, which looked amazing from where I was. It was very emotional and just perfect.
Then they left, but everyone kept their eyes on the stage as the lightboard led us in a chant of 'GREEN DAY! GREEN DAY!!" and they came back on to play some more songs for us. They played "Maria" (another favorite), "We Are The Champions" and "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)," which was what they ended with. During "We Are The Champions" they shot confetti out of cannons on the stage, and watching them float through the air and landing in everyone's hair and all the cell phones and lighters during "Time of your Life" was just mind blowing... An Amazing end to an amazing night.
Everyone wished that the show could go on for a million more encores after that, but we had to leave. I finally found my friends, and we screamed and I showed them my pick and my picture.
That night was definitely the best night of my life and I love Green Day even more now!!
If you ever have a chance to go to a Green Day concert - DOOOO ITTT!!!!!!!
--By Christine
I got to the arena at about 7.45, and it was packed. My friends and I couldn't even get in to the actual concert until after Jimmy Eat World had started their set. We had terrible seats, and wanted to get down to the floor, so we had a plan to run in. I went first and ran as fast as I could and had to push a security guard's hand out of the way when he tried to black me. But I made it in, and Jimmy Eat World was pretty good.
After they finished their set, Jimmy Eat World left the stage and setup for Green Day started. I looked around for my friends, but they hadn't made it in after i did. So i tried to push forward a little to get closer to the stage.
Later, after most of the setup had gone up, out came the infamous beer-guzzling Pink Bunny. Everyone loved him, who led us in jumping and dancing to the YMCA and Blitzkrieg Bop. we also started some very spirited chants of "CHUG CHUG CHUG!" whenever the bunny drank his beers.
After the bunny left, I heard the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and immediately felt the surge forward. I moved gladly with it, and saw Green Day appear on the stage. When they started "American Idiot" the pushing got even greater and thanks to it I made it to right on the barrier to Mike's side of the front of the walkway where Billie Joe was. Everyone jumped and screamed as more American Idiot songs ensued, like "St. Jimmy" "Hoilday" and "Jesus Of Suburbia."
When Longview started, people went crazy and sang along, continuing to scream at Billie Joe whenever he came over. Songs from "Dookie" always have a lot of power, and this one was no exception as it got everyone into full swing of the music.
Then during "Hitchin' A Ride," Billie Joe gave us a treat and stuck his hands down his pants, making some very suggestive noises into the microphone. I saw the girl directly in front of him in the crowd and she looked like she was about to hyperventilate and pass out, she was so excited. They played more songs, and then they dedicated a song to a guy who had been following them on tour, and had come to all of their American shows for this tour. They played "2000 Light Years Away" Which is one of my favorite songs ever, and I was so excited and i screamed along and jumped with the song.
And Then Came Knowledge.
I had come prepared with a sign that said "Billie Joe: I Can Play Bass (Swear To God!)" with a big arrow pointing down. When he told us he was going to pick people to play, he came over to where I was and said "Can you play drums?" to me and I said "NO - I'm a Bass Player!!" and pointed to my sign and he said "Ok - i'll come back to you" and picked out a drummer. Then he came back to pick a bassist and started pointing to people around me asking if they could play bass and I yelled his name and he looked down at me and said "Can you play bass?" and I said "Yes!" and he goes "Swear to God?" and I go "I swear to fucking God, Billie!!" and he goes "get this lady's ass on stage!" and suddenly a guard came over and picked me out of the crowd and I was put on stage. As I looked over, I saw Billie Joe over by his microphone on the other side of the stage. I ran to him immediately and hugged and kissed him because I was so excited to be up there. I mean, when will I ever have that chance again? He hugged me back and I went over to Mike. He gave me his bass and taught me how to play a pretty easy bassline. But I was so nervous I screwed up my timing and got confused. Then Billie Joe said "Do we need to find another bassist?" and I thought "there is no way I'm getting off this stage now!!" and started again and finally nailed it, and Billie Joe let me stay onstage. After he picked a guitarist, we started the song over, and I went with the guitarist out onto the walkway to play. after that, we walked back and Billie Joe told us to jump off the drum platform, so we finished the song like that. Billie told the guitarist that he could keep the guitar, he asked "where's the drummer?" because for some reason he was gone. And Billie Joe was like "We need him to stage dive, this is his last night on tour!" which is when I realized they were talking about the drummer from Jimmy Eat World, who had replaced the other drummer. When someone went to get the drummer, Billie Joe called me over and said "She fucking learned the shit outta that bass tonight! - Give it up!" and when everyone was yelling for me, Billie Joe gave me another hug and I walked dazed over to the side of the stage, still amazed by what had happened. Finally, the drummer from Jimmy Eat World came out and Billie Joe got the him to stage dive into the crowd. While I was leaving the stage, I got a picture someone (people have told me it was Mike) had taken with a poloroid camera of me playing on stage, with Billie Joe and the guitarist in the background. I also got to keep my bass pick.
After I got back into the crowd, Green Day played "Basketcase", "King For A Day" and "Shout." After "Shout," Billie Joe dropped to the floor of the stage and started to move like he was humping the floor. Everyone laughed, as he continued with the song. However as he rose from the floor, we noticed a long cape attached to him, in addition to his "King For A Day" crown.
Then they played "Minority" (complete with 20-second long holding of 'heeeeeyy' and a harmonica solo) and "Wake Me Up When September Ends." During "Wake Me Up When September Ends" everyone put their lighters and cell phones up in the air, which looked amazing from where I was. It was very emotional and just perfect.
Then they left, but everyone kept their eyes on the stage as the lightboard led us in a chant of 'GREEN DAY! GREEN DAY!!" and they came back on to play some more songs for us. They played "Maria" (another favorite), "We Are The Champions" and "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)," which was what they ended with. During "We Are The Champions" they shot confetti out of cannons on the stage, and watching them float through the air and landing in everyone's hair and all the cell phones and lighters during "Time of your Life" was just mind blowing... An Amazing end to an amazing night.
Everyone wished that the show could go on for a million more encores after that, but we had to leave. I finally found my friends, and we screamed and I showed them my pick and my picture.
That night was definitely the best night of my life and I love Green Day even more now!!
If you ever have a chance to go to a Green Day concert - DOOOO ITTT!!!!!!!
--By Christine
