More 90's Goodness; Green Day 8/15 @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Concert Review

A few weeks ago, I saw Alanis Morissette at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. Thursday night was another group of 1990s legends, who've had several periods in the limelight, Green Day. Like Morissette they announced their summer plans last Fall and I scooped up tickets. This was the one my wife had been most excited about.

I could guess you say I'm not or wasn't a huge, huge Green Day fan. Or maybe I am. They have some killer songs and they take me back to several eras. I loved them as a 12 year old for their "Dookie" singles and then 10 years later for the standout tracks on "American Idiot." So they take me back to the mid-1990s and my 12 year old self, as well as to my early 20s.As a matter of the fact in addition to being out on the road for their new album, "The Saviors," they were also out for the 30th Anniversary of Dookie and the 20th Anniversary of American Idiot, planning on playing both of the latter albums in their entirety. Which of course was fine by me.

Their 2024 tour is a stadium tour with the Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and the Linda Lindas. Of course Missouri got two of the maybe three shows that weren't at stadiums (and without the Pumpkins) settling for the water sheds at Maryland Heights and Bonner Springs, Kansas. Which on one hand was good, I didn't have to go to downtown St. Louis. But on the other hand a trip to Riverport and the nightmare that goes with it. I was looking at Bonner Springs to compare prices and the dates and whatnot, and apparently they have no roof over the seats, which meant unless I found a really good deal, I was going to Riverport. Which after reading the title of this, obviously is where I wound up.

The past few weeks had been cooler, so naturally this was the most scorching day with 100 degree temperature feel. And add on top of that, the risk of severe storm starting at around 6PM, had me worrying we'd get all the way down there and it would be cancelled. Or worse postponed and having looked at the Green Day tour schedule and Hollywood's concert list, meant that it would've likely been early the next week before Bonner Springs (they went to Minneapolis in between on the weekend) and I would have had to burn another vacation day.

Alas, the heat held out and the forecast changed where it wasn't supposed to come until around 11 PM. We arrived about 40 minutes before the scheduled start time of 6:45 and it was scorching, but it didn't effect me like it did several weeks ago. Of course not eating before, we splurged for dinner there and it probably added another 6 months we both have to work at our retirement age. Our seats were about 12 rows back on the stage right side. Decent vie, especially if performers headed to our side of the stage.

The Linda Lindas took the stage five minutes early at 6:40 and played for around half an hour. Comparing to other set lists it seems like they got an extra song compared to their stadium shows. The group is an all-female teenage/pre-teen punk pop band that blew up for Racist, Sexist Boy several years ago. They were loud and eventually got the sound dialed in a bit better. All in my Head and Oh! were pretty good. It was also the drummer's birthday, which lead to a sing-a-long to her and Tre Cool appearing early dumping confetti over her head. During the last song, one of the guitarists walked around the concourse playing.

After a 20 minute set change, Rancid took the stage for 30 minutes. I'll be honest, I didn't do my due dilligence in trying to listen and familiarze myself with them and their songs. They were loud and sounded like metal punk pop in my best words. One of the vocalists, I believe the lead guitar player, had a voice very similar to James Hetfield of Metallica. Several of the women in the crowd were going crazy during their set. My wife, whose musical tastes are in this vein wasn't too interested. One thing I noted was front man Tim Anderson, should have left his guitar and hat off. He was frequenlty swinging his guitar to his side instead of playing it and taking off his hat and putting to his chest.

After a 30 minute or so change, the lights dimmed and the intro/pump music began. After about ten mintues Green Day took the stage, augmented with their three touring members, with The American Dream is Killing Me before driving into Dookie. I was more familiar with the Dookie album and had been listening to it over the past week. It was pretty much straight forward run through including the hidden track, All By Myself which featured Tre Cool doing a vamp complete in robe. I don't know if he was going for a lounge act or drag vibe or what. It was funny. But with his dyed blue hair and face, he did kind of look like a blue haired granny.

Following Dookie, was mid-set burst of other various songs. During Know Your Enemy they brought up a teenagish girl to sing-a-long. At the end when Billie Joe Armstrong tried to coax her into stage diving, she didn't want to. Afterwards, he said, "...She didn't want to and that's okay. We respect that...saying, 'no."

The show featured a bunch of pyro as well as fireworks percussion,(no actual fireworks here), which my wife hated. Billie Joe worked the crowd as I've heard him on live albums and recordings the whole show. Almost every song, had him getting on the crowd to get their hands up or going crazy. Early on he gently chided fans to put away their cell phones. "They'll be time for that later. Live in the moment." To me it does get a bit tedious over and over and people only have so much energy. Then again he's up there for two plus hours giving his all and certainly plays his role well. Another quip he had in interacting with the crowd, was mentioning, "We don't have a baseball team anymore and that's alright." I can't remember the set up or it just may be something from them playing in baseball stadiums.

Then came the performance of American Idiot, which featured the better hit singles and more political ones. There wasn't much direct political speech, other than encouraging people to vote and the unity of people, especially at this concert where we're all having fun. Of course he did change the line in American Idiot from redneck agenda to MAGA agenda, which I was glad they kept the updated version. Another standout was She's A Rebel. I guess it was just something I hadn't heard in forever or I just liked the sound, but it was standout song for me. During this portion of the show a big inflatable hand with the album's design was blown up on stage. And during one song, they shot confetti and streamers out over the audience.

For a few other things, this was keyboardist Jason Freese's first show back with the band on this tour. His brother is drummer Josh Freese, who is the drummer for the Foo Fighters and others. And speaking of drumming, Tre Cool every so often would launch his sticks up behind the drum kit. I don't know if he just used them or pounded so hard he lost control, but it was neat to see. Mike Dirnt the other member of the trio, just went about his business rocking away, with the occasional punk sneer.

Of course right before the planned last two songs, Billie Joe mentioned that lightning storms were on the way. He asked if they had time for one more, but was told to get us out. Still being the person he is, he ran a quick acapella version of Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), even as he was encouraging people to leave. Mad props for him to do all he could to give fans their money's worth and still get their biggest song in. Bobby Sox a song of their new album was the one that got chopped.

The rains hit right about the time we hit the gate for the parking lot and I parked in the very back, so it was a long trek. Even longer was the wait to leave. Again not wanting to burn gas or energy, we waited until it was almost empty. The rains died down by then and I'm not sure lightning was ever a factor even though we could see it on the edges during the show. But it was an hour and a half wait to get out there.

Even though it's same set different city, this was one of the better concerts I've been too. Billie Joe while it may somewhat autopilot and part of the routine, he knows how to give it his all. I have even more respect for that quick version of Good Riddance, doing everyting he could to make sure it was a memorable experience for anyone seeing the band, whether it was their first or twentith time. Two plus hours and 35 songs. Not many acts can keep that up. If the come back around in several years, I think I'll be a bigger fan by then.

Green Day Set List

The American Dream is Killing Me
Burnout
Having a Blast
Longview
Welcome To Paradise
Pulling Teeth
Basket Case
She
Sassafras Roots
When I Come Around
Coming Clean
Emenius Sleepus
In the End
F.O.D. (with Jack and Diane intro)
All by Myself
Know Your Enemy
Look Ma, No Brains!
One Eyed Bastard
Dilemma (with Free Fallin intro)
Minority
Brain Stew
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
Holiday
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Are We the Waiting?
St. Jimmy
Give Me Novacaine
She's a Rebel
Extraordinary Girl
Letterbomb
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Homecoming
Whatsername
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) Quick version

Rancid Set List

Maxwell Murder
Roots Radicals
Side Kick
Tomorrow Never Comes
The 11th Hour
Ghost of a Chance
Radio
Something in the World Today
Fall Back Down
Time Bomb
Ruby Soho

Linda Lindas Set List

Too Many Things
Growing Up
Excuse Me
Happy Birthday
All in My Head
Oh!
Stupid, Racist Boy

Fogerty Saturday Night; John Fogerty, George Thorogood and the Destroyers @ Family Arena 8/10 Concert Review

John Fogerty is one of those iconic voices of rock and roll and everyone knows his songbook from Creedence Clearwater Revival. Pound for pound in the short time-frame, Fogerty and CCR unleashed arguably the greatest run of songs. 1969 saw them release three albums chock full of hit singles and well known songs.

I was going to see him in 2018 Riverport with ZZ Top on Father's Day, but at the last minute I balked on buying tickets. I regret that now, as that was really ZZ Top with the three original members and less wear on Fogerty. But here in 2024, Fogerty is still out there rocking. And in late spring a date was announced at the Family Arena in St. Charles. It must have been late in the process as he was playing mostly outdoor sheds and indeed Five Finger Death Punch was at Riverport on this Saturday night. But this made my dad happy as we were inside versus the outside heat. Of course on this day, the highs were in the low 80s and it would have been a nice outside show.

We got there before it started filling up and looking on Ticketmaster, it looked like there was still a lot of open seats. Once the main acts started playing, it filled up better than 90% I would say. The crowd did definitley skew a lot older than some shows I've been to. But the people to the left of us never showed, so again I had nice spacing. In the presale, I got some in the second row, stage left. The only downside was the speaker stack obstructed the view. And of the two screens, one was behind us and up to the right and the one on the other side was partially obstructed by the lighting rig.

At 7 PM, the opening act Hearty Har took the stage for six songs and thirty minutes. This was a six piece that featured Fogerty's two sons. They have an eclectic sound, but very loud. There was 60's-70's Hippie vibes, electronic music and hard rock. They weren't bad, but loud and a little hard to follow. During the set change, we noticed they peeled the logo off of the drumhead and replaced it with Johny Fogerty. This led us to correctly surmise that they were going to be Fogerty's backing band.

Next up was George Thorogood & the Destroyers. Like Joan Jett this was an act whose songs and sound I liked an was always intrigued on seeing. After the 30 minute set change, Mr. Thorogood like Jona Jett, a few weeks ago, delivered the goods. Backed by a four piece including a sax player, the first notes brought out that blues and boogie sound. During the set change, two massive racks of speakers were brought out and placed on each side. My dad noted later that Thorogood's sound and mix was better than Fogerty's, whose sounded louder and muddied. Thorogood's was sharp and clear.

Thorogood's nine song set, clocking in at around an hour was well paced and he brought his bad boy image to work with the crowd. But it was sort laughable, still running a shtick when's he's in his 70s and been doing it for 40 years. Also he cleaned up his languague, to mother-humper, and used witch instead of bitch on Cocaine Blues. Not quite the bad boy, especially considering Fogerty used the term, "sons of bitches," during his encore speech.

But the variety of blues and rock was well played. He played almost all of his well known songs, including Haircut and One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer. And he changed and ad-libbed quite a few lyrics, including in the latter to calling out Budweiser. And several shout-outs to St. Louis and Missouri. He knew where he was at and could deviate from the same show different city aspect.

After a half-hour set change, John Fogerty and his band took the stage with Bad Moon Rising a little before 9:30 for their 90 minute set. It was preceded with a video of Fogerty talking about getting his songs back. This was the reason for this tour, a celebration of Creedence songs and he mentioned it quite a few times throughout the night.

At almost 80, Fogerty still brought his engery dancing across the stage and putting his all into his songs. His voice is still pretty song, even though on some of the deeper voiced Creedence songs, he doesn't have that power he did at age 24.

Fogerty hit early with a salvo of Creedence and quick to change songs. Only on a few songs did he draw them out and jam. One of the dangers with so many hits is that running through them can make it sound like jukebox, paint-by-numbers feel. Thankfully the quick short burst of Creedence songs that's almost the point.

The middle part featured a run of lesser known songs that dragged down the feel. Most of the crowd sat for these songs. It definitley gave the highs and lows of the concert. I definitley prefer mixing and matching where there isn't such lulls. Unless going full acoustically for a run.

At one point telling a story he began with, "Way back in history. 3000 years ago...Well you know I'm quoting Chuck Berry there right?...We're practically in his back yard."

There was a few Creedence songs he didn't do. But even if he played all of Creedence's Chronicle, he'd have still missed a few songs. Only one I would have hoped to hear, was his solo Rocking All Over the World.

For highlights, definitley Cottonfields. I don't look at set lists except for set lengths sometimes or if they're artists who won't play the same set, same city same show. So that song was one I was really expecting. And of course the baseball anthem Centerfield.

He came back for the fake encore, with a champagne toast of getting his songs. And he did it by "outliving all those sons of bitches" record executives.

Overall a solid concert. Thorogood and Fogerty delivered what you wanted to hear. And as a bonus this wasn't Riverport. So only half the people trying to leave at the same time.

John Fogerty Set List

Bad Moon Rising
Up Around the Bend
Green River
Born on the Bayou
Who'll Stop the Rain
Lookin' Out My Back Door
Rock and Roll Girls
Effigy
Joy of My Life
Fight Fire
It Came Out of the Sky
Long As I Can See the Light
Keep on Chooglin'
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Cotton Fields
Centerfield
Down on the Corner
The Old Man Down the Road
Fortunate Son
---------------
Travelin' Band
Proud Mary

George Thorogood Set List

Rock Party
Who Do You Love?
Mama Talk to Your Daughter
I Drink Alone
House Rent Blues/One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer
Cocaine Blues
Gear Jammer
Get A Haircut
Bad to the Bone

Hearty Har Set List

Can't Keep Waiting
Calling You Out
Scream and Shout!
Radio Man '56
Say Something
Canyon of The Banshee
Boogie Man