November 17, 1997

I've never seen the Embassy that full for a concert before. With ages ranging from about 10 into the thirties, from Barbie Doll to Goth, I was quite taken aback by the range of aficionados who are attracted to Green Day's melodic punk (if that isn't a contradiction in terms). Perhaps that's why the band only appeared for 45 minutes or so, lights up at 10:15 to get the minors into bed. Who the hell ever heard of a rock concert finishing at that sort of a time? It might have had something to do with the inordinate number of comfy tour buses outside - one for each group member?

Still, for the brief time that Billie Joe Armstrong and crew - in that classic three part rock combo of lead/rhythm, bass and drums - deigned to appear on stage, they ripped with great gusto into a full spectrum of their discography, with the more radio friendly numbers like "When I Come Around" naturally raising the crowd to more frenzied levels. Even the security seemed pretty mellow, not really tearing into the mosh pitters when, borne aloft, they careened over the crowd's heads in an attempt to ascend the stage and dive headlong back into it while not encountering a black hole of nothingness.

Front man Billie - a chunky hulk of manhood - kept the masses entertained with the rather alarming habit of spitting great globules of goo into the air and then attempting to catch them again, mouth agape. More subtly, all of his guitars were adorned with the letters 'BJ'; a double entendre on his initials?

Bassist Mike Dirnt took it upon himself to spray the crowd with beer after the show, no doubt endearing him to many parents come wash day. The only question was what the hell you do after getting your energy level up so high - home in bed by 11 with a cup of hot cocoa? Yeah, right.

Peter Lewis A true African-American, Peter has led a peripatetic lifestle, and after graduating from UCF with a film degree, he is pondering life as another wannabe, devoting his time to working on a novel, his thesis film, a suntan and the dubious benefits of Rogaine. Other Articles I've Written