A roar of screaming fans welcomed Green Day on Friday as the punk legends rocked Good Morning America’s (GMA) Summer Concert Series stage at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.
Performing their new hit single, “Dilemma,” as the band prepare for the American leg of their Saviors tour, lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong says the song, at its core, discusses his deep rooted, personal issues, battling addiction and surviving a dark time of partying too hard, and is grateful to be alive today. Armstrong has stressed that this new album is meant to be rocked with others and is excited for the tour that will celebrate decades of their repertoire.
This brutal honesty and raw emotion laid out in their music became a source of comfort for fans like Theo Liao, 22, an Englishman living in New York City, who says that Green Day created a fostering environment that he could identify with growing up and applauds them for their candor.
“I love Green Day because they made me feel understood when I was a young boy and they’ve been with me ever since,” Liao told amNewYork Metro.
Liao is no stranger to watching Green Day perform with GMA being his eighth concert experience. Clutching Tré Cool’s drumstick—a memento he received once the concert concluded, Liao was enthralled by Green Day’s GMA performance. It was also the second time he caught Tré Cool’s drumstick, so now he happily says he has a complete set.
“I thought it was brilliant! A lot of energy and I liked the songs they picked. It was good to see them in a different setting from a normal show,” Liao said.
Green Day’s appearance in GMA coincides with their American leg of their “Saviors tour,” which kicks off on July 28 at National Park in Washington D.C.
Armstrong told fans on GMA that this tour celebrated the 30th anniversary of their Diamond album, “Dookie,” and 20th year celebration of “American Idiot.” Each of these albums will be performed in their entirety during the tour along with other hits.
This was good news for long-time supporter 26-year-old Kristian Rodriguez, who shared that his favorite Green Day song is “Longview” from the Dookie album. Sporting a Mohawk, punk rock plaid pants and a Green Day t-shirt, Rodriguez told amNewYork Metro that he has been supporter of Green Day since he was in high school, and he credits the band to inspire him as a musician himself.
“They bring an evolved sense of punk attitude which I love very much,” Rodriguez said. “Today was an extraordinary day, memorable. I was here in 2017’s Summer Stage as well [when Green Day performed then] and just to see them again and see the comparison. It’s actually a blessed moment.”
The five-time Grammy award winning group will be performing in New York City’s Citi Field on Aug. 5.
