Coming Soon II

A compilation of things past and future:

Yesterday was the 5th anniversary of the release of the album American Idiot, on September 21, 2004 (GDC), and as I mentioned in Coming Soon I, the boys took a ‘working’ vacation for the month of September. While it seems that it’s been a tad slow without the band on tour, some big things have happened to them: a performance at the VMA’s, resting with the family, tweaking a possible Broadway-bound show, and putting out a new live EP. It sounds a bit daunting for ‘vacation’, if you asked me.

I’ve been a bit overwhelmed myself, as my rental management company cashed my rent check.. twice! Woot. bwahaha. Needless to say, this was the LAST thing that needed to have happened, particularly since I’m heading to Oakland this week to see some rock musical I hear is playing out there. Carrying on…

Last week, on September 17, 2009, the premiere of the musical, Green Day’s American Idiot occurred, after two weekends in previews. Green Day won a MTV Moonman for Best Rock Video (voted on by fans) this month and performed the shit out of “East Jesus Nowhere” on an exceptionally whacked-out night of VMA’s. (You know, a bleeding Lady Ga-Ga, and Kanye West’s disastrous, “I’m gonna let you finish, Taylor, but I just want to say, Beyoncé had the best video of all time.”)

It was also recently announced that Green Day has been nominated for three European MTV awards, being held this year on, as someone pointed out at the GDC, on “Guy Fawkes day” also know as the Gunpowder Rebellion or the Day of Bonfires, November 5, 2009. While the date is usually associated with England, the European awards are being held in Berlin this year. (Just remember that, “remember, remember, the 5th of November” came way before the movie…)

Let’s hope that in commemoration of the event, Green Day “will to burn the house down” as they are performing, along with Tokio Hotel, Leona Lewis, Beyoncé, and Shakira. According to Wikipedia, they are performing “21st Century Breakdown,” but I will believe that when I see it. And I hope I see it.

Whatever they play, it will be hard to top their 2005 performance in Lisbon at the awards. Someone posted this at the GDC and I almost spontaneously combusted:

Green Day Perform “Holiday” at the European MTV VMA’s, Lisbon, 2005

Green Day find themselves pitted against the Jonas Brothers in the category of Best Group. I swear if I see the Jonas frigging Brothers win, I’m going to go out and torture kittens, so… (ok, not really), so… vote early and vote often here!

This coming Thursday, I hop on a plane to Oakland! Northern California, here I come! In a three-fold trip, I will see old and newly made friends (two from college, one of whom teaches at the Berkeley Rep School, and one I know from political boards from the old days of Air America Radio, and hopefully some people from the IC and GDC boards), visit Northern California for the first time, and see Green Day’s American Idiot on Friday. I am super-psyched but I’m also a bit exhausted, too, even before I head out there.

Sometime this week, Green Day, along with opening band Prima Donna, will be flying to Europe to kick off the European leg of the 21st Century Breakdown tour. The first date occurs on Monday, September 28, in Lisbon, Portugal.

While I am in a holding pattern, as it were, waiting to head off to Berkeley, I was looking at a great set of  photographs posted by a friend on Facebook. They were taken by a company called Polite in Public at the premiere of American Idiot, including this beautiful shot of Adrienne and Billie:

Adrienne and Billie Joe Armstrong, Premiere, Green Day's American Idiot at the Berkeley Rep.

Nothing Wrong with Me pointed out a few photographs of Tré with, I believe, cast members:

What the Fuck!?! Tré and Cast, Berkeley Rep

Levi Strauss is one of the sponsors of American Idiot, like Verizon was for the North American tour. Additional photos in this series, with audience, cast, and band members, is a must view here.

Coming up for me next month: London. Four days. Green Day. Prima Donna. 23 and 24, October.

Rock on.