Green Day Brought their Saviors Tour Finale to Petco Park with Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas
Green Day closed out their Saviors tour Saturday at Petco, wrapping up months of celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dookie and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot. The trio certainly didn’t show their age; frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was as cool the rock star as ever, Mike Dirnt never stopped moving, and Tré Cool lived up to his name behind the kit. The nearly 50,000 people packed in to Petco Park – ranging from kids significantly younger than the music being played to those who first heard it late in adulthood – was energetic, celebratory, and were treated to a phenomenal show.
90s punkers Rancid followed the Linda Lindas, playing a half hour of their early hits, primarily off of …And Out Come the Wolves. The early-arriving audience was treated to Time Bomb, Roots Radical, and of course, Ruby Soho. The pit was opened up by none other than the Linda Lindas themselves; Tim Armstrong thanked them for having mixed it up every night of the tour and getting things started.
The Smashing Pumpkins took the rapidly growing crowd in to evening, playing an hour of favorites, treating botoh diehard and casual fans to the songs they most wanted to hear. Billy Corgan sounds as good as ever, and guitar playerJames Iha similarly doesn’t appear to have aged an iota; new addition Kiki Wong brought the energy and presence one would expect. After opening with Everlasting Gaze, the band wound its way to Today mid-set, before closing out with a four song run of 1979, Jellybelly, Cherub Rock, and Zero. It’s always felt like San Diego (particularly our alt-rock radio stations) have a special place in our hearts for the Pumpkins, confirmed by the love radiating towards the stage at the end of their time.
Green Day was, in short, unreal. The rockers played for over two and a half hours, with a set spanning 38 (!!) songs, two entire albums, multiple inflatable album-art backdrops, and a dang good time. After warming up the crowd via a natural singalong to Bohemian Rhapsody and Blitzkrieg Bop, the band opened with The American Dream Is Killing Me off of the tour’s eponymous album, before sliding comfortably in to the opening notes of Dookie as the stage transformed in to the familiar atom cloud.
The band played through Dookie before pulling a fan named Parker on stage for Know Your Enemy, the first of a seven song interlude between full albums.
American Idiot sounded as good – and felt as relevant – as ever. Billie Joe hasn’t lost a single step, and had the crowd in his command throughout the entire show, but especially throughout St. Jimmy.
As ever, the band ended with a solo rendition of Good Riddance, bringing their tour to an end.
Before the final song, Billie Joe expressed the celebratory nature of the evening, encouraging all in attendance to set aside the political divides and come together for a new America – one focused on compassion and inclusivity. He expressed his thanks for the crowd, everyone who had made the tour possible, and the band’s 32+ years together, stating that the gratitude in his heart could fill the stadium. Petco played perfect host for this show, funneling the noise and energy to the center field stage, letting the trio know how much we appreciated them too.
Photos and Review: David Israel