Green Day’s Billie Joe to star in Broadway’s American Idiot

In case the title of this post  is not clear, or if  it put you in some sort of pop culture shock, I’ll reiterate:  Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day is going to appear in the American Idiot musical adaptation of the album of the same name.  To comment on this, I feel that I should explain my feelings on Green Day, musicals, and the Green Day musical.

Let’s travel way back to the early nineties:  the song was “Basket Case,” and I heard it on MTV, because kids, believe it or not, they used to actually play music on MTV.  I know that’s  a crazy revelation and your head is already spinning, but stay with me now, because here’s another one:  Green Day used to be punk.  Now I want to be clear that I’m not referring to “Dookie,” the Green Day album that blasted them into the consciousness of American teens everywhere, because by definition, one cannot be punk with an album on a major record label – it fact, it goes against everything the counter-culture punk movement stands for, and Green Day’s original fan base largely abandoned them for leaving Lookout Records – not that it mattered, because teens like myself and millions more were there to pick up “Dookie” (damn Green Day for making me write ‘pick up dookie’), because it’s a fantastic album.  I don’t think folks will study it until the end of time, but it’s a great little pop album filled with tons of power-cord fueled three minute energize-you-before-the-big-game songs that I would still listen to today if I was not totally burned out on every single one of them.  But yes, before this, Green Day was a fairly legitimate punk band, although Armstrong was often criticized for singing with a fake British accent.  (Does he?  Growing up a Beatles fan and having a very specific standard for a British accent, I’ve never been able to detect this, but whatever.)  Their first two albums, “1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours” and “Kerplunk” are solid punk albums – I particularly like “Christie Road” and the gritty guitar sounds found throughout “Kerplunk.”

This, however, does not make me a punk by any extent, not then, not now.  I grew up in the Jersey suburbs of Manhattan, went to the movies or the mall with friends and was nearly always driven to these places by a parent.  I skateboarded, but I also played hockey on roller blades – during which, I removed my chain-wallet.  (My dad used to insist someone was going to use the chain as means to steal my wallet; I should have reminded him I was 13 – what was someone going to steal, my student ID?)  I bring all this up because I want to illustrate that I know what punk is, even if I never was one – this is how I know I wasn’t punk in the first place.  Besides, I’ve always been a Pearl Jam kind of guy.

So I heard “Dookie,” loved it, got their first two albums, loved those, and eagerly waited for their fourth installment…  and what we got was “Insomniac,” which I think event he most hardcore Green Day fan hast to admit is a pretty lame album.  There was just nowhere left to go – punk, like the blues, has only so many rooms, and you really have to know what you’re doing to keep redecorating year after year, and frankly, Green Day didn’t know how to do that, and never really figured it out.

Award Winning Sets & Lights!

Finally, I learned of the abomination that’s currently polluting Broadway.  Now I know it’s not fair of me to criticize a show I’ve never seen, but let’s be real:  do I really need to see 30 people on stage, head banging and singing in unison (OK, they don’t always sing in unison, but they do always scare me!) to know it’s a pile of flaming crap?  I think not.  Besides, I’ve listened to the the albums the show is based on; what else do I need to know?  And speaking of not fair, I’d say it’s unfair to refer to “American Idiot” as “the Tony Award winning show that everyone is talking about” when the show only won awards for sets and lighting – of which I saw pictures, and yes, they are awesome – especially the lighting.  I know that’s what I’m looking for when I go to the theater – excellent sets and lighting, and I go home happy, all be $150 lighter.

From the New York TImes:
With “American Idiot” selling unevenly at the box office after six months of performances, and still a ways off from possibly turning a profit, Mr. Armstrong is making his Broadway debut on Tuesday night in the supporting role of St. Jimmy, a punk rocker with an evil streak that Green Day first created in lyrics from its 2004 album, “American Idiot.” Mr. Armstrong will appear for eight performances ending Sunday evening, suddenly turning the show into a hot ticket.

From the NY Times:
Rock musicians have crossed over to Broadway for years to create or promote shows featuring their music, like Pete Townshend with “The Who’s Tommy” and U2’s Bono and the Edge with the upcoming “Spider-Man” musical. Kevin Cronin, the front man of REO Speedwagon, planned to perform the band’s hit “Can’t Fight This Feeling” on Monday night at the Broadway production of “Rock of Ages.”