Song Lyric of the Day:
What’s the worst thing I could say? / Things are better if I say / So long and goodnight / So long not goodnight
My Chemical Romance / “Helena”
I can finally let the cat out of the bag. April 8 was not only my 5th wedding anniversary, but it was also my last day at work–Rich and I are moving home to Knoxville, TN. I had to wait until he’d given his notice before I could say anything. I have a new job where I am doing technical writing from home, so I no longer have an awful commute. It also makes it easier to move home, since my office environment is virtual. While I don’t miss the daily drive for the job I just left, I really, really, really miss my co-workers, especially my cubemates, Lee, Bob, and Sam (and Johnny B, Mae, Brigette, and Faye–there are too many others to list). Things have been so crazy and busy lately I’ve barely emailed anyone, but I definitely would like to stay in touch with all the wonderful friends I’ve made here in Virginia. I WILL catch up on email soon!
Rich and I were going nuts trying to pack up our house. I guess I’d been in a bit of denial that we were actually leaving, so I had really been dragging my feet when it came to packing. My hardcover book collection really bit me in the a$$; talk about a pain to pack. But we managed to finish and get everything packed up. Although we were very close to ending up a murder-suicide.
We closed on the house sale yesterday, so now we have to focus on getting to our closing on the house we’re buying in Knoxville. You can check out pix at this handy site Rich set up. Basically, we’re hoping to transform it into a modern interior A-frame. It’s going to be really interesting living in a house shaped like a giant vertical triangle.
This past Sunday, I ended up inadvertently becoming an expert on the rogue mover scams out there. Bottom line—research who you choose to move you very, very carefully. We were lucky in that we figured out the moving company we’d hired was pretty shady before they got their hands on any of our belongings. We put in an emergency call to a certified mover, who was able to squeeze us in and get our stuff safely, competently packed today. So now we just have to cross our fingers that everything gets from point A to point B safely. Due to the late notice, the timeframe for delivery to the house in Knoxville is anytime between this Friday and next Friday.
Amidst all this craziness, we did take a break Friday night to go to the Green Day concert at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk. I’d bought tickets a couple of months ago as a birthday present for Rich, so we were really looking forward to it. In a word, the show was amazing.
The opening act, My Chemical Romance, was entertaining enough. I liked their music, but I found myself playing a game where I counted how many times the lead singer used the f-word, or a variation of it, during their performance. I counted 22 distinct uses, although there may have been as many as 25. Impressive considering they were only on stage about 40 minutes.
Green Day hit the stage at 9PM in a most impressive fashion–the lights were dimmed and the theme from the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” played as they made their way on stage. No sooner had the theme ended than the stage lights came up and they ripped into “American Idiot.” Rich and I managed to convey to each other over the music that we were surprised by how little the lead singer, Billie Jo Armstrong, is. But, man, oh, man, is he a performer. He even had minor costume changes throughout, including a crown and a cape.
After the band played “Jesus of Surburbia” and dedicated “Holiday” to our intrepid president, they had played the first 3 songs off the “American Idiot” album, convincing Rich and I that maybe they were going to play the whole punk opera after all. We were surprised, but not at all disappointed, when they started playing older songs, including “Basket Case,” “Brain Stew,” and “Hitchin’ a Ride.”
Throughout the show, Billie Jo and the boys managed to keep all of us–and I mean everyone–dancing, singing, doing the wave, and actively participating throughout. Billie Jo took full advantage of the stage and its accompanying runway out into the floor audience. The lighting and pyrotechnics only added to the energy in the auditorium. At one point, the band brought audience members onstage to play the guitar, bass, and drums, with Billie Jo, Mike Dirnt (whose arms should be bronzed), and Tre Cool instructing them on what to play on their respective instruments. I was most impressed with the drummer. The guitarist, a girl named Sammy, made out the best in that she got a hug and kiss from Billie Jo as well as getting to keep the guitar. The drummer exited with a stage jump, clutching his drumsticks, as we all chanted “Jump, jump!” The bassist left the stage with no fanfare, but at least she’s got a great story to tell.
Green Day then swung back into songs from “American Idiot,” playing “Wake Me Up When September Ends” under a disco mirror ball, “Are We the Waiting,” and “St. Jimmy.” Then we were back to older hits, including “King for a Day,” “Minority,” and “She,” followed up by more “American Idiot” songs like “Letterbomb.” They even managed to squeeze in the Isley Brothers’ classic “Shout.”
After one hell of a show, the band thanked us for being such a wonderful audience, and exited the stage. Everyone immediately began chanting “Green Day! Green Day!” knowing it would bring them back on stage for an encore. Sure enough, in less than five minutes, they were back on stage. They played an older song neither Rich nor I recognized, followed by “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” to which everyone was singing along, cementing the fantastic feeling of community within the audience. Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt then took their leave and left Billie Jo on stage alone. He played “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” accompanied only by his electric guitar, thanked us once again, and left the stage. After two solid hours of music, the lights finally came up.
The more I reflect on the concert, the more impressed I am by Green Day’s musicianship, enthusiasm, and, not least of all, their lyricism. And, wow, can those boys rock.
You can read the Pilot‘s Green Day concert review here. But I think I pretty much covered it.
