Tag Archives: Billie Joe Armstrong

May 8, 2010

Old School Green Day at Pinole Valley High School, May 1990 – New Footage

By Green Day Mind

Folks at the Green Day Community posted links to new footage from 1990 of recently uploaded Youtube videos from a band called Green Day, formerly known as Sweet Children. Other footage from this early, rare performance with Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and drummer Al Sobrante (John Kiffmeyer) exists, but the sound is quieter and the angle is from further away. SoldAmerican, who seems to have gone to Pinole Valley High School and filmed these, posted about 16 videos of the band playing at Foreign Foods Day, May 10, 1990. He’s practically on stage with them while the other video angle shows the band from below and behind a raised barrier that separated parts of the audience from the band. While the video below is only of two songs that the band performed that day, if you go to SoldAmerican’s YouTube Channel, you can see the other videos as well as another band that performed that day. He also has some footage of area bands at other venues around the same time.

Oh, and that circa 1990 fashion that I remember so well, eek! Enjoy!

“I Was There” and “Dry Ice,” Green Day (Al Sobrante on drums), Foreign Foods Day, Pinole Valley High School, May 10, 1990.

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April 10, 2010

Idiots On Broadway

By Green Day Mind

UPDATE: I mentioned yesterday the Amazon.com link to the American Idiot cast album, but I didn’t post the link to the site. I was trying to get this done fast so that I could head off to a fitting for a movie shoot that I was asked to do and then realized I couldn’t do the shoot because I couldn’t get off of work. The story of my life and acting. Oh well. Anyway,  you can listen to excerpts of the songs as sung by the cast at the Amazon site. The album “features” Green Day and includes the never before recorded song, “When Its Time” sung by Billie Joe Armstrong.

Give My Regards to Broadway

"American Idiot's" Green Day Caricature by Ken Fallin

The caricature, a portrait of one’s physical features styled in an exaggerated manner, is an old art form and has a long history and tradition on Broadway. Actors, playwrights, producers, directors, choreographers, composers, and sometimes designers, get their own caricature portrait, usually epitomizing the person at a particular time or moment, in a show, on a set, etc.  Sardi’s Restaurant, directly down the street from the St. James Theater on W. 44th, is legendary for its customers, who tend to be the movers and shakers of Broadway. The restaurant has a long tradition of hanging caricatures of its famous guests throughout the dining area and bar. Wikipedia says the rumored common thread among those hung in the place: they have all eaten in the restaurant. Now that’s marketing!

You may have heard about wild and crazy antics breaking out at Sardi’s after the first preview on 3/24. I’m sure that Sardi’s hasn’t seen that kind of action over a show since the 1950s. (See here – Vince Mediaa link – and here – GD fans ask Billie Joe to sign tattoo and go a little nuts outside of Sardi’s – for videos.) Maybe a portrait of this type will eventually make its way onto the walls of Sardi’s one of these days? Personally, I used to dream about having one at the famed restaurant as a kid. Though, I’ve only had drinks in the bar, I’ve never eaten there (but I’m pretty sure that I’m far from eligible anyway, lol).

The caricature of Green Day is by the modern-day caricaturist,  Ken Fallin as seen on the theatrical website, Broadway World. Thanks to Nicole for finding the photo.

You may have heard of the artist, Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld was the premiere caricaturist of the Broadway theater for a good portion of the 20th century. A master of his craft of illustration, there’s a great Youtube video of him drawing another legend of the theater, Paul Newman, from a production of “Our Town.” Hirschfeld was 99 years old at the time. The drawing took eight hours, but not because of his age. You can take a look here.

Preview Madhouse, 3/24

Billie and Adrienne and Rebecca heading to Sardi's after the first preview. Photo by Tanya Elder

I’ve had the good fortune to see the show three times on Broadway now, including the first preview (a benefit of living in the Greatest City on Earth, New York). I am pleased to report that I am thrilled with the production. During its run in Berkeley, I had some constructive criticisms of the show, and it was difficult to have a differing view from other die-hard fans. I’m a grouchy and jaded, NYC theater goer, so I’ll get over it. As far as I was concerned, the Berkeley run wasn’t meant to be polished. It was meant to be criticized and pulled apart and put back together again in order to make the show even more fantastic when, and if, it got to its destination. Afterall, that’s what a trial run of a Broadway show is all about. American Idiot is now in previews at the St. James Theater and ends this coming 4/19.

When the show opens on 4/20, it will be set, and it will be perfect.

I was able to buy a ticket to the show on 4/20 — International Pot Day — otherwise known as the Broadway opening of Green Day’s American Idiot. As they do in the theater, I’m going to wait to offer my review of the show until it officially opens. I’ll be in the balcony that night, along with a bunch of other Idiots. I will say that I am happy and quite pleased with the work done on the show. It shows more depth and feeling all around. Bravo!

Night View, American Idiot on Broadway Billboard. Photo by Tanya Elder.

I do want to highlight something that Time Out New York recently wrote in an article entitled, “Green Day’s concept album could revolutionize Broadway” by Rob Weinert-Kendt:

Though Mayer added little dialogue to Armstrong’s often impressionistic lyrics, he hopes that by sharing words among a dozen performers, he’s created a kind of found-text libretto for a multi-pronged narrative that entwines city, suburb and battlefield.

I have read others say that the story is “weak,” but I’ve always maintained that the story was adequately served (see my Book overview here) not only by the album’s lyrics, but also by the liner note-type “monologues” that appear in the few special editions of the album version released when American Idiot (see scans of the liner notes here) first came out and I stick to that. It certainly is a “soundtrack to a life” script or even a “portrait/snapshot of life” and I think that Mayer and Armstrong successfully found a way to make the lyrics and music stand out, combined with aspects of video, spoken word, captions, images,  all coming together to present a visual sense of what it feels like to head toward  a mental blow-out — as the mover of the story’s narrative arc. “Found-text libretto” is a good way to describe the mechanics of American Idiot‘s underlying book — a snapshot of memory affecting everyday life. It’s the most experimental feature of the show, and I like its hazy memory quality. Each piece of “found text” throughout the show contributes to the story.

OMG Greenday.com

New York Daily News article on the Greenday.com site

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Mike Chickenman, Nicole Gary and I (as well as 12-year-old Ethan Udell, who I don’t know), appeared in a feature article on the show in the New York Daily News. I’m happy to say that both Greenday.com and Greendayauthority.com posted the scans on their sites! The three of us had a slight “21st century breakdown” when we saw it on the official site on 4/3. We all swooned a bit.

American Idiot on Broadway Facebook

If you haven’t been visiting American Idiot on Broadway’s Facebook or Main page, I suggest you do it you are interested in the show, opinions about the show, contests, and fan- and newsbuzz. While the FB site got off to a slow start, they have started posting up some great stuff, including Youtube videos of a backstage view of the theater with actor Ben Thompson, and the assistant director Austin Regan talks with guitarist Alex Berlin. (Thanks to Grassmah Girl for the correction!) The site also had an awesome contest for SUPERFANS to attend opening night, and tweet about the show from the show and attend the After Party. I didn’t enter the contest, and there are five or six Youtubes videos that I think are fantastic, three of which are terrific. There is one in particular that I have in mind that I hope wins, but I’m not gonna say what my favorites are until the winner is announced. Good luck to everyone who entered!

The Tony Awards

The Tony Award nominations are coming up on June 13th, and as I’ve noted before, Green Day’s European-tour leg, which kicks off May 29th (so far, at least, and it will be GREAT to have the band back on the road again), has a built-in break around Tony time. Unless some concert in Europe is going to pop up, which I doubt, Green Day will be flying from Austria to New York to Manchester (maybe?) because buzz has American Idiot winning Best Musical of the 2009-2010 Tony Season.

We’ll see. First of all, before that pans out, the Tony Committee has to meet in order to haggle over which shows are eligible for what categories for this season. Here’s an interesting article on who is allowed to vote this year. It also talks about American Idiot‘s biggest competition, “Fela!” The fellow who is predicting that American Idiot will win for Best Musical and Enron for Best Play will be nominated/win in their respective categories has some interesting things to say about “Fela!” that I had not considered before. Thanks to Justin for finding the article.

Mayer on Armstrong Interview – Playbill.com

This article from Playbill.com is a must read and listen-to. Michael Mayer interviews Billie Joe Armstrong about American Idiot, and talks about what happened at the Grammy After Partys.

LOGO Drama Club Interview

This interview that appeared on the LOGO Network cracked me up. It’s from LOGO’s Drama Club. I think it was the music. And Tre’s favorite, The Drowsy Chaparone was a good show that I wish I had seen. Oh well.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

eBay Auction – Two Front Row Mezzanine Seats for Final Preview, 4/19

My friend Diane is auctioning off two tickets to the final preview of American Idiot on 4/19. Diane was to travel to New York with her friend to see the show. Unfortunately her friend has breast cancer and will be unable to come to New York at this time. Diane and her community of friends in the Northwest are helping as her friend goes through cancer treatment, so she is also unable to attend the show that night. I was fortunate to see the first preview of the B’way version of AI with Diane. I’m glad you got to come and see the first preview and all the best with your friend!

All proceeds from the auction go to her friend’s cancer treatment fund. She does not have health insurance.

Original Cast Recording, MTV’s PUSH, Buzzworthy, and 4/22 contest

I posted last time about the back cover of the American Idiot Original Cast Recording. Green Day’s Facebook and site posted the front cover this past week, and again, thanks to Justin, Amazon.com says that the album will drop on 4/20. You can also pre-order until then, a copy at the theater. Just fill out a form and pay at the time. (h/t plaidducky) Lastly in the American Idiot on Broadway realm, MTV and Green Day have combined together to present many “Buzzworthy” presentations of AI on Bway. MTV’s offices look down from Broadway onto 44th street where the  St. James Theater is located, according to MTV’s twitter. Whatever one may say about corporate blahdeblah, I gotta say, this is an excellent move on MTV’s part. MTV is giving away tickets to a “Special Performance” of the show for April 22nd. I have no idea what this entails, by being special… but I’m going to the show that night as well. Hmm. Whatever could “special” and MTV mean? Double hmmmm. You can enter the contest here.

And with that, I’m off! Don’t forget coming up, Billie Joe on Bill Maher (last night, 4/9), and the Jimmy Fallon show is being taped here in NYC on 4/14. Later!

See the cast album cover after the jump.

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March 16, 2010

Iggy and Billie Joe – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction

By Green Day Mind

Iggy and Billie - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction, Waldorf Astoria, 3/15/10

UPDATE: A great blog entry from Detroit’s Metro Times on Iggy Pop’s speech can be found here.

It was rock ‘n’ roll (as opposed to the more formal rock and roll) in action. And the fact that it took this band – who are the very definition of the term, with a lead singer who is the very embodiment of rock ‘n’ roll – eight years to get into this institution makes one question the validity of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all over again…especially when Billie Joe mentioned a multitude of bands and solo artists who would’ve never existed without this crew’s influence. As Iggy joked to me more than a decade ago when discussing the subject of the Hall of Fame and his chances of joining the elite crew: “Well, maybe if I titled one of my albums Fucking Heroic Young Record Executive or something like that…”

– Bill Holdship, Metro Times Music Blagh

Billie Joe Armstrong inducted legendary band, The Stooges, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night at the Waldorf. He was really excited and rattled off a long list of incredible bands that have been influenced by The Stooges. Afterward, the master himself, Mr. Pop, sang “I Want to Be Your Dog,” and invited the rockers and the suits and the rich in the audience to sing with him onstage. Tre and Mike rushed up, Mike with bottle in hand. It was a classic and strange Iggy moment. If there is some sanctioned video out there of Iggy’s performance (I love me some Mr. Pop), I’ll add it to this post when I find it. Meanwhile, the GDA put up a gallery of photographs that can be found here.

Courtesy of the Green Day Authority (for however long the clip will stay up):

UPDATE: Stooges Press Conference:

UPDATE: Stooges performance of “I Want To Be Your Dog”

And VIA the political websites Balloon Juice and Wonkette, comes this lovely screen shot of Iggy scaring the former United States Rep. Harold Ford who is sitting in the front row of the Hall of Fame festivities, because, well, y’know, Harold’s… uh… well… uh… rock and roll.

Harold Ford and Iggy Pop, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction

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March 15, 2010

Pinhead Gunpowder, Full Band Onstage, 924 Gilman, 2/12/10

By Green Day Mind


Pinhead Gunpowder 2/12/10

Originally uploaded by ingridjohansen

Pinhead Gunpowder, Full Band, 924 Gilman. By Ingrid Johansen from Albany, CA

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March 14, 2010

Pinhead Gunpowder – Show of a Lifetime – 924 Gilman, 2/12/10

By Green Day Mind

I started writing this right after the Pinhead Gunpowder show happened on February 12, but a few things got in the way, including the death of my Uncle while I was still in California. So, I know it’s been a while, but enjoy nonetheless.

Pinhead Gunpowder. Photo by Michelle Lawlor, The Rock and Roll Picture Show - http://therocknrollpictureshow.com/?p=681

Update: 924Gilman posted the raw file of this show on 3/13/10. While the board levels are all over the place, nonetheless, the file reflects the rawness and intensity of the show. A great night. They also posted a great set of photographs from the stage. The link to those may be found here. The Green Day Community editorial regarding the show, written by J’net, can be found here. Michelle Lawlor’s blog post and pictures can be found here. Photographs from Lawlor may be purchased and all proceeds go to help Anandi Wonder with her cancer treatment. A gallery of photographs by me, mostly of attendees, can be found here.

A Show? There’s Going to Be a Show?

I had heard that there was going to be a super-secret benefit show by Pinhead Gunpowder at Gilman and I became obsessed (or as I like to say, focused) on the possibility of seeing a Green Day-related side project band in a small and intimate, show. My friend who introduced me to Billie Joe at Fake New Year’s in Los Angeles back in November keeps telling me that I heard it directly from Billie Joe himself that night because Billie Joe told him about it and I was standing there when he said it, but hell if I remember that happening. That night, all in all, is a bit of a blur.

After going to London in October to see Green Day at the O2 and then missing the Foxboro Hot Tubs by a bloody week, I became determined to head to my now favorite place on Earth, the East Bay, to see the band. PHGP is a band that I was only slightly aware of (shoot me) seven months ago and I wanted to see my friends in the Bay. As an extra bonus, the Mystic Knights of the Cobra (MKOTC) were playing at the Uptown at some point during the weekend, too. (I’ll be writing about that show in the next week.)

The rumor machine had PHGP playing on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at first, and MKOTC were rumored to open for them. However, it became evident that MKOTC weren’t going to open as they had been… Uh… banned from Gilman from the last time they played there. Then MKOTC booked a show at the Uptown for Saturday and were certainly not playing with PHGP and everyone’s attention somehow obsessed (focused) on the rumor that the benefit for Anandi Wonder, a friend of PHGP’s who was suffering from breast cancer, would happen on Friday, February 12, 2010, instead.

There had been some hard and fast talk saying that if news of the show came out too early and too furious, that the show would be canceled. I’m paranoid and pretty good at keeping a secret, but after a bit of sidestepping around the subject, a group of, shall we say… well-researched folks… from the Green Day Community somehow found themselves planning a weekend in the Bay.

I asked a friend to help me out (again) with a cheap buddy ticket on Continental, asked my friends in the Bay if I could stay with them, rented a car and prayed that nothing like a blizzard or anything would stop me from going. I had no cash, really, for any of this, and the cheap Continental ticket was a godsend that eventually turned into a nightmare.

Pinhead Gunpowder Crowd

And while everyone was busy keeping their mouths shut, Billie Joe himself, who is not known for keeping some things quiet, spilled the beans the night before the show on Twitter…

02-11 – PINHEAD GUNPOWDER TO PERFORM FRIDAY
Having band practice with PHGP today! Can’t wait for friday night show! -Billie

… and greenday.com was geeky enough to actually twit about his Tweet. It always cracks me up when they do this.

Snowpacalypse 2010

There was one giant glitch in my crazy plans: Northeast winters and their ability to make things go a bit haywire. The week before the February 12th show, a storm caused major disruptions in transportation and life in the Maryland and DC areas and I literally thanked my lucky stars that it hadn’t reached NYC. Of course, I still had a week to leave the city so anything could happen, and yes, it did.

On Wednesday, February 10th, two days before the show, with people heading to the Bay from the East Coast on Thursday and Friday, a proclaimed “Snowpacalyse” poised itself to hit the East Coast again and this time, NYC was destined to be in the eye of a twenty-four hour storm. Just. Fucking. Peachy.

A few folks including me were slated to fly standby. Standby works only if the airline does not sell out seats and they end up distributing tickets to friends and workers for a nominal fee at the gate. And I mean, nominal. If a storm disrupted service for a few hours, we still had good chances of getting the cheap seats. Any longer than that, and we were screwed. Wednesday’s 24-hour storm busted the best of good intentions for people WITH tickets, let along dweebs like me catching a good deal.

Larry Livermore posted on his Facebook a declaration that the storm had better be a doozy, because he had just given up his spot on his flight after being told that he couldn’t get booked on any other flights. Read more on his story, which sums up a lot of my own feelings about the Snowpocalypse here.

Anyway, long story short, by the time my flight was suppose to leave the East Coast on Thursday, we had such a blanket of storm that my satellite teevee went out on Wednesday, which hardly ever happens. I had already changed my original Thursday flight to Friday in anticipation of the airline industry shutting down on Wednesday (announced on Tuesday), and I went into work on my vacation-day Thursday, hoping in vain that I would actually get on a Friday standby flight. I was, to say the least, freaking out.

Another person who lives down in Virginia was slated to leave on Thursday, but her flight out of Dulles was canceled, and another friend helped her rebook her ticket by way of multiple destinations. I could feel the entire weekend that I had looked forward to for so long becoming something that would not happen if I didn’t take action. So I did.

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February 25, 2010

BJA and GD: Approved Characters (USA Network Award)

By Green Day Mind

I wrote that the USA Network will be honoring Green Day (among other artists) tonight with a “Character Approved Award” cocktail party put on by Vanity Fair. A friend of mine is going to this, though he will be huddled by the free food for most of the night. I’ve asked him to bring me any extra goodies that they may be handing out. Vince Mediaa over on Facebook posted the Billie Joe vignette that USA Network will be showing on their network over the next month or so. The cocktail party itself will not be televised, from what I understand. Anyway, go and watch after the jump!

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February 18, 2010

Green Day Twitter Followers Create Worldwide Trend for Billie Joe’s Birthday

By Green Day Mind

For about two hours, Green Day followers on Twitter were able to get the tag #happybdaybillie to become a #TT (trending topic) for the day. Good work, kids! And happy birthday, Billie Joe!

Aleeeexx_ 1 Hour & 50 Minutes Left Of Billie’s Birthday D: Seriously, #HappyBdayBillie HAS To Trend Again ❤

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December 27, 2009

Los Luchadors y Las Luchadoras

By Green Day Mind

I was listening to The Network today while rearranging my mind, and started thinking of wrestlers… Luchadors, Luchadoras and Snoos…

El Luchador. Table Top, San Loco, Avenue A, NYC

The First and Only Luchador: The Snoo

More Luchadors and Luchadoras after the break!

3 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in 21st Century Breakdown World Tour 2009-2010, Green Day Audience Participation, Green Day's Other Bands, Tré Cool

December 23, 2009

BJ’s Blue Wishes You… a Merry Christmas… Ornament

By Green Day Mind

UPDATE: Dorie Watts, who made this beautiful replica of Blue, asked me to hold off on her name due to the holiday season. Now that Xmas is over, thank you to Dorie so much for making this and sharing these wonderful photographs of the ornament as well!

=======

I cannot say at the moment who made this beautiful replica of Billie Joe’s guitar known as Blue (I’ll let you know after the Xmas holiday) but I can say that when I saw pictures of it I went, “oooooooh.”

It’s sweet.

And with that, I’ll see you on the other side of the frigging holiday.

And, Merry… Christmas.

BJ's Blue Christmas Ornament

BJ's Blue with Guitar Player Cover

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December 22, 2009

Adrienne and Billie Joe Armstrong Wallpaper by Naomi Lir

By Green Day Mind

Billie Joe and Adrienne, "Christian and Gloria," by Naomi Lir

Naomi Lir, a.k.a., BillieJoesEntourage, has created a nice “Christian and Gloria”-type wallpaper from a second photograph taken at the American Idiot opening, a reverse image of the one below of Adrienne and Billie, both of which show off Adrienne’s beautiful tattoos. You can download a large version of the above wallpaper here or by clicking on the image above. Check out more of Naomi’s work at her DeviantArt site as well.

I don’t post often about the wives or family members of Green Day. For one thing, the band is pretty private about their lives, and personally, it’s none of my business. I make an occasional exception for Adrienne Armstrong, however. From what I can tell, she is pretty neat and incredibly gorgeous, and it’s obvious that after 15 years of marriage, Billie and Adrienne are in love. And it’s a beautiful thing in this day and age of temporary rock star marriages.

People find this blog, according to my search engine stats, by looking for variations of “Adrienne and Billie” moreso than any other aspect of Green Day. I have only posted two photographs of them together, a really hot one of them for their anniversary this year (hey, what, it was published!), and the one below at American Idiot in Berkeley. These two posts are the most consistent photographs or subject that people stumble upon.

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


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