Green Day in Pittsburgh, July 22, 2009

Photographer: Not Joe Steigerwald

"Who wants to be saved?!" Billie Joe Armstrong screams at the 13,000 men, women and children packed into Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena, who are hanging onto every word of this rock'n'roll preacher's punk revival sermon. If there are any more entertaining front men in music, I'd like to see one. Billie Joe runs around the stage screaming, antagonizing, preaching his rock music to the faithful. He'd probably be more comfortable in a circus or southern gospel church, but instead his destiny lead him to an arena, with a guitar instead of a bible, and a whole lot of f-bombs instead of WWJD's.

It's hard to believe that Green Day, the same band who burst onto the nationwide music scene with an album called Dookie, would still be a relevant force in the music industry in 2009. In fact, other than Pearl Jam, and Foo Fighters, there are few early nineties bands that still make any semblance of rock music and also continue to be relevant (sorry Our Lady Peace and Offspring). Radiohead went off the deep end with their electronic garbage, Nirvana died, Soundgarden... dead. Rage Against the Machine... gone. Alice in Chains (sort of), Stone Temple Pilots... all dead... R.I.P, don't let the door of the rock music pantheon hit you on your way out of the collective mind of America.

Green Day, against all odds, and after years of skirting with breaking up/complete irrelevance, burst back onto the rock scene with American Idiot, and the impressionable youth of America lapped it up, catapulting it to the top of the charts and possibly saving rock music for at least a few more years. Perhaps more impressive they got their 9 minute opus, "Jesus of Suburbia", on alternative/rock radio, and people actually loved it. By creating a rock opera, they disenfranchised many of their old fans who wanted to hear them remake "Brain Stew" ad naseum. Fortunately, Green Day decided to get ambition and channel their inner Who, while also keeping their Clash and Rancid influences. Their new album 21st Century Breakdown, continues their Who-ish rock opera ways, while also adding what Rolling Stone magazine called "ballads that would be at home on an Air Supply album." Ignore them. The ballads "21 Guns", "Last Night on Earth" and "Restless Heart Syndrome" sound like they could be on a Who album (if they had better lyrics,) but they aren't that much different then say "Time of Your Life", except for of course Billy Joe's new penchant for falsetto. 21st Century Breakdown, at least in recorded form is just as strong as Idiot. While both are good, hearing them performed live, with the massive amount of energy emanating from Billie Joe and friends, is a real revelation.

Armstrong wisely leaves most of the guitar work to back up musicians so he can concentrate on rocking the eff out as long and hard as possible. It's a smart move. Not content just to rock out, Billie Joe also is a master of crowd relations, bringing adoring fans on stage to sing parts of "Jesus of Suburbia," "Basket Case" and "Longview." While the first half of the performance showcases songs from Idiot or Breakdown, all of which sound even better live, the middle of the set is all old school. "Brain Stew/Jaded," "Longview," "Basket Case," a song from their indie days, the crowd laps it up and sings along with every song. Unlike say Pearl Jam, who hates their past popularity and refuses to play "Jeremy," even though every fan in America would go crazy if they did. Green Day is completely content to end the set (and their third encore) with an acoustic, Billie Joe solo rendition of their most annoying hit, "Good Riddance/Time of Your Life." Amazingly it sounds new and fresh, just like all their other songs. Undoubtedly their new album has once again raised the ire of former fans who scream "sell-out!" But this being at least the fourth time they've sold out, (after they signed to a major label, after "Time of Your Life," after American Idiot, after Billie Joe changed his hairstyle... etc. etc.) they wear such accomplishments on their sleeves. Color me impressed.