Green Day played Dookie and American Idiot in full at Citi Field

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dookie and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, Green Day played both albums from start to finish and brought along the Linda Lindas, Rancid, and The Smashing Pumpkins for support.

I was bummed to miss the very early opening set from teen sensations The Linda Lindas as they played their largest NYC venue to date, but managed to get to Citi Field in time to watch ska-punk veterans Rancid play to one of their largest crowds in the city to date. Playing a brief yet mighty set of their '90s skate punk anthems, the quartet did their best to get their sound across to a crowd that was eager to get things started as the hits from the band's landmark ...And Out Come the Wolves dominated their set. Hearing tracks like "Roots Radical," "Olympia, WA," and "Old Friend" in such a massive setting was stupendous and as they closed with the banger one-two punch of "Time Bomb" and a triumphant "Ruby Soho," it was clear that things were only getting started and that the night ahead was surely to be one for the books.

Alt-rock titans The Smashing Pumpkins were up next and wasted no time in turning things up to 11, their blown-out anthems ringing across the field and up into the rafters of the ballpark, they took their time working towards the hits, but once they kicked into the opening notes of "Today," the intensity sky rocketed and never returned to a peaceful decibel. Like launching a space ship into the outer stratosphere, the gargantuan riffs were mind blowing as Corgan, Iha, and a backing band of unfamiliar faces delivered the goods with a surprising quality that instantly erased any fears of just what exactly a modern version of the Pumpkins may comprise. Littering their set with an incredible number of '90s classic tunes, it was a melee of supermassive hits that felt larger than life with each epic note. Despite the bizarre interaction where Corgan had his kids and pro wrestlers take to the stage, it was an impressive showing that forever proved the tenacity and unbelievable talents of the band. "Disarm" was an emotional, acoustic number that brought things down just for a moment before the band tore back into "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" that catapulted the energy back to the extreme. A feeling that carried on throughout a magnificent rendition of "1979" that nearly had me in tears before "Cherub Rock" produced one of the most life-affirming moments I've ever experienced in live music. The drumming build up was fantastic and by the time the band blew apart into the guitar solo, emotions were off the rails and nothing else could take away from the sheer brilliance that was being emanated from the stage. The lights became transfixing and the way in which Corgan evoked one of the most brilliant solos of all time was a true sight to behold and an experience unlike any other, a moment that transcended from the '90s and felt just as prominent and magical today as it did upon its debut. An astounding moment that was only setting the scene for what was to follow.

Even after such a mind blowing set, the stakes were high as Green Day (now a six-piece) took to the stage to unleash what would be one of the more sentimental and nostalgic concerts I could probably dream up. Following an stadium-sized sing-a-long to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Blitzkrieg Bop" the band opened with a "The American Dream is Killing Me," from this year's Saviors before getting straight to the main event of the night. These days, celebrating an album's anniversary is almost expected, but to do two of your biggest albums from front to back isn't an every day affair and getting to hear an album as righteous and important as Dookie, in-full, still feels like a pipe-dream and not something that has actually happened. From the opening "I declare I don't care no more" that opens the lead-off track "Burnout," it was hard to keep the smile of pure joy and genuine disbelief off my face. Forever one of the most significant albums of my life and an entire generation's (and then some), each song still hit with new burst of elation even when I knew it was coming next. To be surrounded by over 60,000 people screaming along to such crucial songs was momentous beyond compare and a high unlike any other. As the bass line of "Longview" began to unravel, things somehow began to escalate emotionally and the crowd dug deep to respond with the utmost conviction. By now, Green Day are no strangers to baseball stadiums, but they still relish in the act of being an ultra-mega-sized band that can pull off unlimited pyrotechnics at what seemed like the blink of an eye. Everything from walls of flames and explosive balls of fire to sizzling sparklers, the band accentuated every moment to the nth degree. Seamlessly moving into "Welcome to Paradise," this followed "Cherub Rock" as a premier moment of the night and sent the crowd into pure fervor, but "She" came up swinging as it followed suit and kept the momentum of the night pumping. "When I Come Around" was yet another towering song that had the entire building chanting along with Mike Dirnt's classic bassline, making time instantly feel nonexistence, as if these songs have been around forever and their status as immortal cultural moments cemented into everlasting ideas of sonic perfection. Seeing such an iconic album that was so paramount to both a decade and a generation was like a dream come true and somehow bested any kind of expectation. The songs have stood the test of time over the past thirty years and still resonate with the same sense of urgency, despair, and unification that they did back in 1994. Allowing for a slight comedown, the band paraded through some of their more recent numbers following the record's last song, but didn't allow for much of a break as they added "Minority" and "Brainstew" to the the mid-set which got practically the same reception as any of the tracks that appeared on the marquee albums.Going straight into the title track, the band didn't even bother talking to the crowd and instead let the riff speak for itself as they embarked on their pop-punk opera which has taken on a life of its own in the twenty years since it first rocked my world. Even with both records playing vital roles in my musical life, American Idiot hasn't had the same repeat value over the years, but to hear these words and melodies again unlocked core memories of a time when the album dominated my life. Continuing to flex their muscles as one of the most professional rock bands playing their level of shows (it doesn't really get any bigger than ballparks), the pyro was still going off at every possible moment as Billie Joe continued to conduct the crowd in endless cheers of "whoa ohs" like his life depended on it. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" still can carry its weight and get the best out of a booming crowd, the overwhelming response unlike anything I could've ever imagined. Still it was "Wake Me Up When September Ends" that took the crown for the biggest response of the night (until the encore, naturally) with the entire place swelling up with emotion that seemed to outstretch even the nosebleed seats. Riding out the album, Billie Joe came back for one more and delivered the end all be all moment of an acoustic rendition of "Good Riddance." On a night when every song felt like it could've been the emotional peak (and I'll let you argue that any other song was that moment), this one couldn't have done more bring the night to a stunning and immaculate conclusion. These days it's far from rare to see a band play one of their albums from start to finish and in some ways, it almost feels expected when an anniversary rolls around. Still, getting to hear such a special album that helped to define a time and turn punk into a pop spectacle isn't something I'll soon forget. It was a night ripe with emotion and one that felt like a dream come true.

Smashing Pumpkins set list:

01 "The Everlasting Gaze"
02 "Doomsday Clock"
03 "Zoo Station" [U2 cover]
04 "Today"
05 "That Which Animates the Spirit"
06 "Tonight, Tonight"
07 "Ava Adore"
08 "Disarm"
09 "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
10 "Beguiled"
11 "1979"
12 "Jellybelly"
13 "Cherub Rock"
14 "Zero"

Green Day set list:

01 "The American Dream Is Killing Me"
02 "Burnout"
03 "Having a Blast"
04 "Chump"
05 "Longview"
06 "Welcome to Paradise"
07 "Pulling Teeth"
08 "Basket Case"
09 "She"

10 "Sassafras Roots"
11 "When I Come Around"
12 "Coming Clean"
13 "Emenius Sleepus"
14 "In the End"
15 "F.O.D."
16 "All by Myself"
17 "Know Your Enemy"
18 "Look Ma, No Brains!"
19 "One Eyed Bastard"
20 "Dilemma"
21 "Minority"
22 "Brain Stew"
23 "American Idiot"
24 "Jesus of Suburbia"
25 "Holiday"
26 "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
27 "Are We the Waiting"
28 "St. Jimmy"
29 "Give Me Novacaine"
30 "She's a Rebel"
31 "Extraordinary Girl"
32 "Letterbomb"
33 "Wake Me Up When September Ends"
34 "Homecoming"
35 "Whatsername"
36 "Bobby Sox"
37 "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"