Random Musings...

So the beginning of this summer has had it's ups and downs. I've yet to post anything that's a complete ramble so I figured I'd give it a go now. Last Friday was a half day...which I spent the last half of completely consumed in Green Day Rockband. Which, I will have you now, is insanely addictive. At one point I'm very proud to say that I was sixth in the world for Warning on the leader boards. I'm sure people have beat me now, but it was a glorious triumph while it lasted. The weekend passed by like any other, doing hardly anything because my family thinks it's fun to sit at home and do ABSOLUTELY nothing...ever. My one escape however was my best friend's graduation/birthday party. The evening included quite the game of truth or dare, and a massive FAKE sexual assault out in the parking lot. That was fun... did I mention I was the victim? In all seriousness though it was the highlight of my weekend. Things were going okay until yesterday. I hit a wall, a wall I'm willing to guess was many miles thick. Upon hitting this wall I found myself crying and very sick to my stomach. Someone I care very deeply for is quite possibly in a horrible predicament and I can't stand the thought of it. I do have someone to thank though for helping through it. It's still a process but I'm getting there, and staying hopeful. Here's to hoping the rest of the summer improves and that this was all just some awful rumor.

Song of the Day

Song: When It's Time

Artist: Green Day

Album: American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording

This song is an unreleased song from American Idiot. For whatever reason the band has decided to release it as a part of the Musical Cast's Recording of the album and I couldn't be happier. The song is gorgeous and ridiculously sweet. you can give it a listen before the album comes out April 20th on MTV the Leak.

Lyrics:

Words get trapped in my mind

Sorry I don't take the time to feel the way I do

'Cause the first day you came into my life

My time ticks around you

But then I need your voice

As a key to unlock all the love that's trapped in me

So tell me when it's time to say I love you

All I want is you to understand

That when I take your hand, it's 'cause I want to

We are all born in a world of doubt

But there's no doubt

I figured out...

I love you

And I've been lonely for

All the losers that were meant to take the time to say

What was really on their mind, instead

They just hide away

Yet they'll never have

Someone like you to guide them and help along the way

Or tell them when it's time to say I love you

So tell me when it's time to say I love you.

They're Not Just A Band To Me

I get this question all the time, "Why do you love Green Day so much? They're just a band." Well, here's an answer to your question.

I've never been a confident person. The farthest thing from it actually. I heard Green Day for the first time when I was in fifth grade. My fifth grade teacher played the guitar and every Friday we'd stop class and sing songs while he played. The lyrics to every song were put up on the overhead and we sang through them. There was a coffee cup with popsicle sticks in it, each one of us had one with our name on it, and every time your stick was drawn you could pick from the songs he had. I remember every single time my stick was drawn I picked "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." The one thing that I will always regret seeing to this day was the name of the artist in the upper right hand corner of the sheet: Green Day.

By the time I hit sixth grade, I knew that Green Day was the band who sang Good Riddance, and I was more than intrigued to hear the rest of their music. So I did, and I fell in love with every single song I heard. I can honestly say, without hesitation that Green Day's music has made me who I am today.

With a lack of confidence and excess of self consciousness, I'm unhappy with myself the majority of the time. It's easy to appear happy and cheerful all the time but all the while secretly hating yourself. If there is one thing that Green Day has taught me, first and foremost, its that no one else's opinion of you matters. The only opinion of you that matters is your own. If you're at ease with who you are then nothing else matters, and you're guaranteed a happier life.

I'm no longer shy about my opinions. If I have an opinion I'll voice it. I stand up for things that are important to me instead of hiding behind false opinions. If I disagree with something I'm more than happy to say something about it and I don't care what anyone else things about it.

I know a lot about Green Day. I know where they came from, what life was like for them growing up, and what they went through to get to where they are now. They've given me an appreciation for a genre of music that actually stands for something and makes a difference. That's why going to that concert meant everything in the world. That's why being on stage next to Billie Joe was the most overwhelming and amazing that's ever happened to me.

I wear what I want. I am what I want. I do what I want.

And I love Green Day unconditionally.

Green Day - July 13th 2009

This first post is a personal one. I'm not sure where I want to take this blog so this is simply a post to start it off.

July 13th 2009 was quite honestly the best day of my life, the day I finally got to see Green Day in concert. We left for Chicago, arriving 4 hours before the concert started. The ride there was pretty calm until we saw the Verizon sponsor bus with their picture on the side.

Even though it wasn't their tour bus it was enough to get us going. We made our way over to Will Call to pick up our sweet floor tickets and then continued to the line that had started in front of one of the many gates around the United Center.

We were pumped, to see our heroes for real instead of the pictures and videos that we spent hours and hours looking at before. Time passed quickly and 6:30 arrived, the time that they finally opened the gates and let all of us rush in. We made our way through the crowd and approached the table where we could get our wrist bands for the mosh pit. After we had them we practically ran down into the pit hoping we'd make it to the front. We got there only to find that the first row had been filled, so we stood behind the first row on the right side of the catwalk. With my friend Kylie's help we squeezed into the first row and waited until eight o'clock.

Soon the Bravery walked out on stage, starting the show off and opening up for our boys. They had a pretty good setlist including Unconditional, Believe, and An Honest Mistake so it was entertaining enough, but everyone just wanted to see Green Day. They played for a half hour, some of that including tracks off of their new album Stir the Blood that hadn't been released yet, and left the stage. Their set was cleaned out soon after and we watched as all of Green Day's gear was moved onto the stage. This took a half hour as well and we were kept entertained with music over the sound system. The Clash and the Ramones kept us amused until the drunk bunny stumbled out on stage.

The whole crowd was chanting "Chug! Chug! Chug!" and watched as the bunny tumbled over in front of Tre's drumset. He eventually hopped off stage and the lights dimmed. Soon everyone heard "This is Rock n' Roll Radio, stay tuned for more Rock n' Roll" , the end of "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?' by the Ramones, and "Song of the Century" was blaring over the loud speakers, sending everyone into a fit of yelling and screaming. When "Song of the Century" cut out the acoustic guitar intro for "21st Century Breakdown" started. Immediately afterwards, Tre Cool came storming out on stage, hands in the air running around like a mad man, followed by Billie Joe and Mike who grabbed their guitars and went to their spots. Tre started hitting the bass and Billie jumped in the air, strumming the first chord as the song kicked in. Billie always talks about how much he loves to play live and you could see it from the huge grin on his face. During the first song Billie smiled at me and at that point I could've gone home happy...except for missing the rest of the show. "Know Your Enemy" followed and eventually moved on to "East Jesus Nowhere." Billie proceeded to ask us, "Who wants to be saved!?!" and continued with his mock sermon until Jason White started the guitar intro, "Amen..." he waited for us to respond, "I said Amen!" and we chanted back at him as the riff kicked in. Towards the end of the song he brought up a little kid named Jack who was the lucky one that got "saved" that evening. As Billie sang the last "Yeah" of the song he shoved Jack backwards on the stage and played the final chords.

They played "Holiday" followed by "The Static Age" , in which Mike Dirnt winked at me, "Before the Lobotomy" and soon the familiar drum beats of "Are We The Waiting were drifting through the air. The song went on and Billie came out to the front of the catwalk. Kylie and I both had our hands out hoping that he would simply "brush" them with his own. He touched my hand and then I really could've gone home happy. But then Billie motioned to one of the security guards to pull me out of the pit. I felt myself being pulled up by the beltloops and soon I found myself on stage in front of thousands of people, right next to Billie Joe Armstrong, who happened to also have his arm around me. I swayed back and forth with him while we both sang "Are We The Waiting" until the end of the song when he wrapped a scarf ,thrown onstage by a fan but worn by him, around me...sweat covered and all.

I was helped off stage by another security guard and led around to the entrance of the pit right in front of the stage, but this time instead of by the catwalk it was in front of the right side of the stage. They played "St. Jimmy" which I don't remember all to well because I was still in shock at that point and then "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" which they performed entirely acoustic. "Hitchin' A Ride" followed which was the first track that night that wasn't on "American Idiot" or "21st Century Breakdown" but instead on "Nimrod." The normal antics on Hitchin' A Ride followed and Billie mocked a few people in the audience keeping us even more entertained with his great sense of humor. Billie decided to mess around for a bit playing the intro to "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne followed by intros to "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" by Van Halen and "Master Of Puppets" by Metallica. Billie got us all singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and then they kept the older songs coming with "Brain Stew." In the middle of "Brain Stew" Billie got out a toilet paper gun and shot it at our side of the mosh pit along with a t-shirt gun that shot out free tour t-shirts. They followed "Brain Stew" with its usual companion, "Jaded" during which Billie showed off his gangster moves, spinning around on the floor. After this Mike Dirnt headed out to the front of the catwalk looking at Kylie, pointing at her and making a very laughable facial expression which needless to say, made her night, along with Billie Joe squirting her with the super soaker. They pulled up two fans to sing Longview, the second one was a girl who got the "okay" from Billie to do a stage dive. "That was the worst stage dive I've ever seen..." Billie laughed afterwards. She barely made it into the pit and fell more on the barrier than into the fans waiting to catch her.

The boys played "Basket Case" and "She," both nice older tracks from "Dookie." Billie walked around with his police hat on "...this is the Chicago police..." he waddled around, "The party is officially over!" Everyone booed at him. "No more havin' a good time and makin' sexual noises out in the crowd..." he made his way towards my side of the stage. "No more smokin' any of that damn, fuckin' marijuana..." They played "King For A Day" complete with all the crazy hip swinging from Billie and ridiculous outfits and hats. The most ridiculous of all being Jason Freese who was dressed up as Micheal Jackson. Kylie and I were also two of the lucky people who were right in front of Billie when he mooned everyone.

Jason Freese as Micheal Jackson alongside Officer Armstrong.

Tre stood up when "King For A Day" was over wailing his usual terrible solo which got some of the biggest chears of the night as usual and Billie unbuttoned his shirt, which no one was going to complain about! "Shout" was next along with "21 Guns." As soon as the guitar solo kicked in sparks fell from the ceiling which was amazing!

"American Eulogy" followed and in the second half Mike got to take the lead vocals which was cool to hear live. After that they walked off stage. After enough cheering and "Green Day! Green Day! Green Day!" we convinced them to come back out for an encore consisting of "American Idiot," "Jesus of Suburbia," "Minority," and "Good Riddance." It was the best night of my life, and I'd give anything to re-live it.