It was a tale of two classics, a tale of two eras, for Green Day at Citi Field on Monday night.
Like a dog-days double-header — in which the Mets home field was transformed into a melting mosh pit by the heat and humidity — this night was set in two acts as the punk-rock triumvirate of singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool celebrated two anniversaries: the 30th anniversary of their major-label debut, 1994’s diamond-selling “Dookie,” and 20 years of “American Idiot,” their 2004 concept-album classic that was adapted into a Broadway musical.
But in actuality, this was the “Saviors” Tour — named after the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame trio’s 14th studio LP that was released in January — which is hitting US stadiums through Sept. 28.
And after the Linda Lindas, Rancid and Smashing Pumpkins had already played in what amounted to a mini Lollapalooza the day after the festival finished in Chicago, Green Day came pogoing on the stage in all their spiky-haired glory to “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” the stomping “Saviors” opener.
In this critical political moment, suddenly — 30 years after an unserious title like “Dookie” was hardly a harbinger for longevity and enduring importance — Green Day was just as relevant as ever.
Then the threesome quickly pivoted back three decades — and gallons of hair dye ago — to “Dookie,” which they played its entirety.
And apparently Armstrong wanted cell-phone culture to go back 30 years too.
“Turn those TVs off! We’re not watching the Olympics — we’re watching f—king Green Day!” the 52-year-old frontman admonished the crowd. “Put your cell phones away!”
But while that command was to no avail, “Dookie” singles such as “Longview” and “Welcome to Paradise” did transport O.G. fans back to their rebellious youth — and, in a way, innocence.
“Basket Case” still gave the eternally boyish — and ever-weird — Armstrong “the creeps” after all these years. “When I Come Around” was still guitar-pop perfection that hadn’t lost any of its giddiness.
But as Green Day kicked off the show’s second act with “Know Your Enemy” — the politically charged anthem from 2009’s Grammy-winning “21st Century Breakdown” — it was also clear just how much they had evolved from their “Dookie” days.
Several songs later, they launched into “American Idiot,” which they also played from start to finish. “Well, maybe I’m the f—-t, America,” raged Armstrong, who came out as bisexual way back in 1995 — long before it was cool to do.
But while the band still played with endless energy in their 50s, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” — perhaps their finest moment — showed just how much they had matured as artists and melodists from “Dookie” to “American Idiot.”
“Wake Me Up When September Ends” was likewise a thing of beauty and majesty, with its titular month just 26 days away,
Was it a bit ambitious — and perhaps a tad indulgent — for Green Day to play not one but two albums in full? Maybe. Especially when it came at the expense of hits such as “21 Guns.”
Still, by the time it was all over, Green Day had given fans the time of their lives.
