Anilrgowda

Our Winning Rock Journalist is Revealed!


This past summer, Xbox sponsored Green Day's American Idiot tour, and we wanted to share the love with our Xbox Live® members. We gave away a pair of tickets for every show on the North American leg of the tour. But that wasn't all: Post-concert, the winners had the opportunity to submit a piece of rock journalism; a concert review, a rock 'n roll recap. Out of those received, we picked the very best. SubhumanJackyl, who won tickets to the show in Oklahoma City, wrote the essay that we felt best gives the flavor of the show. Plus, TriXie loved his James Brown reference and the new word "aflip." He'll be receiving this Xbox® console autographed by Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool, and Mike Dirnt.

The Winning Entry:
On Wednesday August 17th in Oklahoma City at The Ford Center around 8ish ... something took place that will forever change the lives of the near-capacity crowd in attendance.
Xbox, granting gamers the time of their life, one thumb fiddler at a time. Thanks to everyone @ tha BOX." -SubhumanJackyl, winner of the Xbox Rock Journalist Contest featuring Green Day

The Intro
It all started with a 30 min "delay" that I later found out was Jimmy Eat World; a performance that left everyone feeling a little weary to say the least.

The Beginning
After the set change and the stage was decked out in heart grenade banners and backdrops the long awaited silence unfolded with a white rabbit tipping back on a 20oz bottle of "sweet home Alabama" dancing to the music of YYY!! MMM!! CCC!! AAA!! The bunny soon retreats off the stage, the music stops, the stage goes black, the crowd turns silent and that's when it all began ....



SubhumanJackyl
American Idiot Montage
The theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey roars from the speakers as Billie Joe, Tré, and Mike took the stage dressed in mostly all black while Billie was wearing two arm bands which read "rage", they kicked off the night with the big adrenaline-pumper "American Idiot" that got the crowd hopping like a box of Mexican jumping beans. Followed by "Jesus of Suburbia," the brilliant 9-minute rock opera, that was played flawlessly, and might be their finest live work. Followed by a furious version of "Holiday" that rocked the house like an anti-political rally. It was after "Holiday" that Armstrong, grinning like a schoolboy, told the crowd, "We've been a band for 16 years, and this is the best [expletive] tour we've ever had." The band then slowed it down a notch, with a war echoing ballad better known as "Are We the Waiting," a true sing-along for the ages, only to be kicked into high gear with a foot stomping/fist pounding rendition of "St. Jimmy" that sent an array of fire into the air (nearly consuming Tré).

The Essentials
Shortly after the "crash bang boom" of "St. Jimmy," Billie announced that some of his family was at the show, including his mother Ollie, his aunts, and a bunch of his cousins, he made them stand up and of course we all cheered like a pack of wild animals. Then the guys got down to the bare essentials, starting with a round of "trademark Billie Joe" HEY!! OHH's! that would continue throughout the night. Then Mike starts playing a familiar bass line from "Longview" that brought memories of times past. Not to be outdone, "She" brings a warmth of camaraderie among the crowd, that can only be overlooked by an anthem such as "Basketcase" which still had the same surge as it did in 94' when released. "Hitchin' a Ride" was next, (when Armstrong brought a young girl onstage to join him in soaking the crowd with a big water cannon). Next, they had in store for us, the crowd pleasing (personal fave) smash hit "Brain Stew/Jaded" that really sent the show to the next level, with each chord causing a chain reaction of fist pumps.
Making the Band
After the show had reached a peak, Armstrong announces they will be forming a band from the audience, the fans erupt into a frenzy: "Right here!" "Pick me!" you know how it works. Finally Billie selects 3 lucky fans to play a little ditty called "Knowledge." Billie and the guys showed them the notes, then they broke into song, with the lead guitarist taking over the whole show, working the crowd along with the "whole nine yard" head banging while strumming on Billie's Stratocaster, so well that he told him to keep the guitar. (Yes, Billie did have his kiss with the guitarist that he pulled up on stage like always). Hmmm. Strange?

Horns and Heartache
"King For A Day" really shined a new light on things when they brought out a couple of horn players while Armstrong sported a king's crown, during which Armstrong had both sides of the arena screaming to see which was loudest as he ran from side to side. With the crowd at his every command, Armstrong breaks into a spirited cover of the Isley Brothers' "Shout." As he sang "A little bit softer now," the whole band hit the ground, at which point an assistant ran out with a cape and draped it over Armstrong's shoulders so that when the song kicked in again, he was able to rise, James Brown-style, and bring it home in cape and crown. It was brilliantly over-the-top; quintessentially Green Day, simultaneously "spoofing" and "saluting" rock n roll all together. "Wake Me up When September Ends" might have been the most "heart felt" of all the ballads, played only under the lights of a huge disco ball hanging over the stage, with Armstrong dedicating the song to "anybody that's ever lost someone." The performance ended with a strum of the guitar as the lights fell dim ...

SubhumanJackyl
The Encore
All that remained was the marquee flashing "G_R_E_E_N D_A_Y!...G_R_E_E_N D_A_Y!...G_R_E_E_N D_A_Y!" with a chant soon to follow. After three minutes of anticipation the crowd erupts with a cheer as Green Day came running back with some expensive pyros blasting away as they start, what seemed to be a whole new show. They started with "Maria" which kinda seemed out of place, but still possessed a powerful sense of urgency that led right into another great sing-along/fist pounding song known as "Minority," a song that defines Green Day as a band. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was a sight; with lighters aflame and cell phones aflip, the unity of the crowd was strong while joining together like some kind of choir, to the words of "My shadow's the only one that walks beside me". Then Green Day dipped their feet where only eagles dare, playing a cover of Queens' "We Are the Champions" which lifted the crowd to new heights, the kind of grand finale no sane person would attempt to follow.

Which, of course meant Armstrong had to try. And he succeeded, with a heartfelt one-man electric performance of "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." That will forever be lodged in my brain ... along with the night that TriXie and all the people at Xbox.com made possible. Thanks