Green Day by Jax Samsell
The brisk San Francisco air felt refreshingly chilly to the red-faced, sweaty bodies spilling out of the Fillmore on Tuesday night. On an evening that will go down in Bay Area music history, East Bay punk rock legends Green Day returned to their old stomping grounds, playing a one-night-only performance at the iconic venue to raise funds for climate justice efforts and musicians affected by climate change.
Announced just four days in advance, the show caused online hysteria, with over 580,000 fans clamoring for a chance to see the band—which typically sells out massive stadiums—perform in the intimate, 1,315-capacity venue. Chaos reigned outside the Fillmore at the 8 p.m. showtime, with the will call line wrapping around the block and ticketless but unrelenting fans holding signs ranging from “Name your price!” to heartfelt pleas like “HELP! Need ticket to join my wife and 8 year old stepson for the show… and it’s our wedding Anniversary today. PLEASE!! :)”
Inside, lucky ticket holders were treated to a blistering set by Ultra Q, fronted by Billie Joe Armstrong’s son Jakob Danger. While sharing literal and musical DNA with Green Day, Ultra Q nevertheless carved out their own sound—blending hardcore, emo, and garage rock elements that characterize their latest album Empty Eddy (2024). The band’s raw energy set the tone for the night, with the mosh pit pulsating to brothers Enzo and Chris Malaspina’s jagged guitar riffs and pummeling drums.
At 9 p.m. sharp, Green Day took the stage, diving headfirst into a front-to-back rundown of their brand new album Saviors (2024) before segueing into a complete performance of their 2004 opus American Idiot.
The lively pit was a sea of head-thrashing movement, with fans of all ages—from salt-and-pepper-haired dads to baggy-pants-clad teenagers—bumping around, crowdsurfing, and dancing to the iconic trio. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed an older couple singing lyric for lyric together; further in my line of sight, a little boy sat perched near the stage, wearing over-ear mufflers and clutching drumsticks. Grinning at Tré Cool, he mirrored the musician’s hand movements with every beat.
Amid the crowd-pleasers and cult classics, it was the deeper cuts that truly made this show special. Songs like “Father to a Son” took on new meaning given Jakob Armstrong’s presence, while Billie Joe’s impassioned delivery of “Home / We’re coming home again” felt like a love letter to the Bay Area. These words landed with extra weight as the band performed in the very city that had shaped them, surrounded by fans who had been with them from the beginning.
The night’s biggest surprise arrived during the encore, as Green Day unleashed an electrifying rendition of “Basket Case” that sent the already frenzied crowd into a state of pure euphoria. Even those who had previously abstained from moshing joined the fanatic fray.
After the concert had come to a close, Green Day fans poured out onto the streets of San Francisco, continuing the celebration of the band’s triumphant homecoming. Geary Street became an impromptu stage for the lively Green Day tribute band Mary Jane Mafia, who treated onlookers to a spirited sidewalk set, keeping the energy of the unforgettable night alive.
Though it had been over two decades since the band’s last performance at the Fillmore in 1997, the fortunate fans who witnessed this once-in-a-lifetime show can attest to Green Day’s evergreen relevance and renown. The band’s ability to captivate audiences across generations with the same passion and unwavering dedication to their craft that first propelled them to stardom remains unchanged. Right here, in their beloved Bay Area, Billie Joe’s words “We’re coming home again” could not have encapsulated the night better. For one glorious night, everything felt right and everyone in attendance knew that they were exactly where they were meant to be—home, in every sense of the word.
Written by Dorothy Eck
Photos by Jax Samsell