The wait is finally over! After a triumphant European run, global rock icons Green Day (Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool) officially kicked off the North American leg of their massive Global Stadium Saviors tour last night in front of over 41,000 fans at Nationals Park in Washington DC. Their career-spanning 37-song setlist has thrilled audiences around the world, and now they're back to perform it overseas.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dookie and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, the band performed both albums in their entirety, as well as songs from their latest critically acclaimed 14th studio album, Saviors. Green Day's Saviors tour was the talk of the summer and a testament to how bands continue to shape, inspire and change pop culture as we know it.
Green Day's electric set kicked off with the fiery opening chords of “American Dream Is Killing Me,” which brought the crowd to its feet. Armstrong then passionately shouted, “Welcome to 30 Years of Dookie!!” to introduce the next chapter of the setlist. The opening chords of “Burnout” rang out across the stadium. Cools' trademark thunderous drum solo drew further applause from the stadium. Dirnt's trademark thumping bass lines got the crowd pumping on fan favorites “Basket Case,” “Welcome to Paradise,” and “When I Come Around,” before dropping a bomb (or two!) on the crowd during “Coming Clean,” in which Dookie's 42-foot-long inflatable plane, ripped straight from the album cover, dropped a bomb on the crowd's heads.
After a rock-out rendition of Dookie, the band kept the energy up by playing smash hits “Minority” and “Brain Stew,” as well as “Dilemma” and “Look Ma, No Brains!” from their latest masterpiece album, “Saviors.” Armstrong's powerful vocals dominated the stage with the same energy he had when the band first formed over 30 years ago.
The setlist finally reached their 2004 smash hit, “American Idiot.” Known for their politically charged lyrics and rebellious spirit, Green Day delivered a stunning performance of the album in the heart of the nation's capital, which felt different from usual. In true Green Day spirit, Armstrong replaced the title track's lyrics with “I ain't no part of the MAGA agenda,” eliciting stadium-shaking cheers from the crowd.
The night kicked off with performances from legendary rock bands The Smashing Pumpkins and Rancid, along with teen rock band The Linda Lindas, who will continue as support for the remainder of the tour. The Saviors tour, produced by Live Nation, will run through the end of the summer, concluding on September 28th at Petco Park in San Diego, California.
The Saviors North American tour dates:
With support from Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and Linda Lindas
Thursday, August 1 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre
Saturday, August 3 – Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival*
Monday, August 5 – New York, NY – Citi Field
Wednesday, August 7 – Boston, Massachusetts – Fenway Park
Friday, August 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park
Saturday, August 10 – Hershey, Pennsylvania – Hershey Park Stadium
Tuesday, August 13 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field
Thursday, August 15 – St. Louis, Missouri – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre!
Saturday, August 17 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Field
Tuesday, August 20th – Kansas City, Kansas – Azura Amphitheatre!
Thursday, August 22 – Cincinnati, OH – Great American Ballpark
Saturday, August 24 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Field
Monday, August 26th – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion!
Wednesday, August 28 – Atlanta, GA – Trust Park
Friday, August 30 – Nashville, TN – Geodis Park
Sunday, September 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – PNC Park
Wednesday, September 4 – Detroit, Michigan – Comerica Park
Saturday, September 7 – Denver, Colorado – Coors Field
Tuesday, September 10th – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater!
Wednesday, September 11th – Arlington, Texas – Globe Life Field
Saturday, September 14 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium
Wednesday, September 18 – Phoenix, Arizona – Chase Field
Friday, September 20th – San Francisco, CA – Oracle Park
Monday, September 23 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park
Wednesday, September 25 – Portland, Oregon – Providence Park
Saturday, September 28 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park
*Festival Dates
!Only support from Rancid and Linda Lindas