Photo by: Marcelo Brandt/G1
Seven years after their last performance in São Paulo, Green Day returned to the same venue, Arena Anhembi, located in the northern part of the city, to remind fans why the trio is one of the greatest punk rock groups in history.
The incredible night began with the American band The Interrupters. The band consists of Aimee Allen (vocals) and brothers Kevin Bivona (guitar), Justin Bivona (bass), and Jesse Bivona (drums).
Right on time at 9 PM, the group took the stage to perform for approximately 25,000 people, the largest audience they've ever played for, according to Bivona. Despite their music not being widely known, vocalist Aimee Allen made sure everyone left with a new band on their "must-listen" list.
In a generation of people who go to concerts and especially festivals without even knowing the names of the bands that will be playing, the group, and especially Aimee, reminded us what it really means to go to a concert: to enjoy good music.
With their amassed success over six years of their career, The Interrupters displayed a passion and dedication to music that lit up Anhembi. Throughout their entire set, there wasn't a single person who didn't dance or try to sing along. "Take Back The Power" and "She Got Arrested" were the highlights of the show.
The Interrupters warmed up the crowd for Green Day's arrival, but while that moment hadn't yet arrived, classics were played, eliciting a chorus from the 25,000 people gathered there. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" were sung with love and respect for good old Rock and Roll.
From that moment on, there was no way to go wrong. The audience was already making the night worthwhile. But of course, when Billie Joe, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool took the stage, jumps and screams erupted at full power.
Starting the set with “Know Your Enemy” from the album 21st Century Breakdown , the trio showed they were there to have a good time and an incredible night. Between chants of “Brazil, are you ready?” , Billie Joe invited the first fan to join him on stage. Singing and having fun in the presence of his idols, the fan capped off his moment of glory with a stage dive.
“Bang Bang” and “Revolution Radio” were the first tracks from the new album. At that moment, Billie Joe made a point of showing that the band is still relevant. “We’re still alive ,” he repeated throughout the show.
Moving on to a beautiful sequence from the 2004 American Idiot “Let’s live in the now ,” said the vocalist, alternating between the Brazilian flag and the LGBT flag on his shoulder.
Being one of the few bands that still manages to unite people from countless different backgrounds, colors, ages, and nationalities, Green Day took the opportunity to send messages of peace, love, and freedom. Billie Joe became a master and spoke about the importance of acceptance, affection, and respect for others.
“Just the fact that we wake up in the morning is enough to have a good day ,” “ We are stronger together,” and “I want more love” were just some of the powerful messages conveyed by the vocalist.
In a great sequence of older songs, the band proved to veteran fans that they are truly still alive. “Armatage Shanks” from Insomniac (1995), “JAR”, “FOD” from Dookie (1994), “Nice Guys Finish Last” from Nimrod (1997), and “Waiting” from Warning (2000) marked the childhood and adolescence of many who were there.
Green Day followed with "King For a Day," where the band members appeared in costumes. The highlight was Tré Cool, who, switching places with Billie Joe and performing in the middle of the stage, revealed a carnival-themed costume that thrilled the audience.
With a medley that seemed improvised, the band's saxophonist played a snippet of "The Girl from Ipanema," driving the audience wild. The medley continued with tracks by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Doors.
Before heading into the encore, the band lit up the stage with a shower of light while playing “Still Breathing” and “Forever Now” from their new album Revolution Radio .
The first encore featured two classics that didn't leave a single person standing still: "American Idiot" and "Jesus of Suburbia." The second encore featured Billie Joe on acoustic guitar playing "21 Guns" and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," calming the crowd's excitement and leaving fans wanting more.
Despite the satisfying and incredible ending, many missed the classic "She," which may have been left out to make room for Billie Joe's speeches.
Whatever the reason, it didn't diminish the fans' sense of a dream fulfilled and a night well celebrated.
Green Day setlist in São Paulo:
1. “Know Your Enemy”
2. “Bang Bang”
3. “Revolution Radio”
4. “Holiday”
5. “Letterbomb”
6. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
7. “Longview”
8. “Youngblood”
9. “2000 Light Years Away”
10. “Armatage Shanks”
11. “JAR (Jason) Andrew Relva)”
12. “FOD”
13. “Scattered”
14. “Nice Guys Finish Last”
15. “Waiting”
16. “When I Come Around”
17. “Welcome to Paradise”
18. “Minority”
19. “Are We the Waiting”
20. “St. Jimmy”
21. “Knowledge” (Operation Ivy cover)
22. “Basket Case”
23. “King for a Day”
24. Medley: “Shout” / “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” / “Break on Through (to the Other Side)” / “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction” / “Hey Jude”
25. “Still Breathing”
26. “Forever Now”
BIS:
27. “American Idiot”
28. “Jesus of Suburbia”
BIS 2:
29.” Guns”
30. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”
