The punk aesthetic speaks to the angst of youth rebellion. This proves difficult for aging rock stars, for it demands a prolonged awareness of the nuances of adolescence. Last Thursday night, at the Alliant Energy Center Exposition Hall, 1919 Alliant Energy Way, Billy Joe and his cohorts Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt made it perfectly clear that Green Day can still relate with its adoring fans while pushing into their 30s.
The set list highlighted the many years of success that Billy Joe has had at crafting teen anthems. The first half of the show was dominated by songs from Green Day's early career, including \Welcome to Paradise,"" ""Longview"" and ""Basket Case."" Even when these songs first came out, it was apparent Green Day was focused on pop melodies more than punk bravado.
Green Day's pop sensibilities have become much more refined over the years. This latest tour, in support of their new album Warning, has Billy Joe playing in a much more contemplative vein than past efforts, although the smash hit ""Good Riddance"" hinted at this change of direction a few years back. ""Macy's Day Parade"" and ""Waiting"" are songs of true pop brilliance that capture the maturation of the band on the new album.
Though Green Day has a much more refined sound, the delivery continues to hinge on pure spasmatic energy. Billy Joe has lost the taste for disrobement that caused his arrest at a show a few years back in Milwaukee, yet the show still had an improvisational flair. Billy asked for song requests, though distinguishing the voices from the crowd proved impossible. At one point in the show he made it clear that ""there is no set list.""
The highlight of the performance, from Green Day's perspective, may be the fan participation segment. Billy selected three audience members from the crowd who claimed to be capable of replacing Green Day in playing a simple punk motif. This section of the show can be frustrating for the audience, however, as it can be a time-consuming endeavor.
Critics have deemed the new album Warning as being less heartfelt than the previous albums. This may be true, but not on stage. The title track and ""Minority,"" the first two singles off the album, were delivered with the same intensity as the anthems from the past, although many of the new songs are played with an acoustic guitar.
The Kansas City-based Get Up Kids opened the show with their unique indie-tinged sound that was successful in getting the crowd riled up. Many people in the audience came solely for this up-and-coming band, which was apparent in the crowd reaction. The fans of both bands were left with little to want.
The North Carolina metal band Corrosion of Conformity, exploded upon the Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave., Saturday night with their mix of loud, fast and raw music. Even though the band has been around for almost 20 years, it still plays with a garage-band attitude. Its hour-long set featured songs mainly from its three most recent albums, including their latest effort, America's Volume Dealer.
The band opened the show with the fast-paced ""King of the Rotten"" and never looked back. Corrosion of Conformity played each song with the same intensity as the first. Older songs like ""Seven Days"" and ""My Grain"" were opened up for jams and solos.
Corrosion of Conformity has a dedicated fan base. New songs like ""Diablo Blvd."" received the same reaction as familiar tunes ""Albatross"" and ""Senior Limpio."" The biggest crowd pleaser for hardcore fans came when the band dedicated ""Vote with a Bullet,"" from the 1991 Blind album, to President George W. Bush.
There were a few technical problems during the set. Before the song ""Wiseblood,"" Pepper Keenan's guitar didn't work quite right, but they decided to carry on anyway, making the song even more raw and gritty than intended.
Corrosion of Conformity ended the set with an extended version of its biggest hit, ""Clean My Wounds."" After the song ended, fans stuck around hoping for more, but they would have to settle with what they got. Not too hard considering the pure intensity of the show and quality of music. Along with co-headliner Clutch, and openers Spirit Caravan and Clearlight, the music lasted four hours. Not too shabby for $16.
Friday night, Minnesota jam band The Big Wu made its triumphant return to the Barrymore Theatre, enthralling a capacity crowd with the happy, ""good time"" music its name has become synonymous with.
If the relation between a band and its fans can be used as an indicator of the quality of that band's concerts, then The Big Wu is assuredly one of the best acts around. A self-described ""family,"" the Wu and its fans are a tightly knit, nomadic group, following the trail laid out by The Big Wu's tour schedule. Although the composition of this family may change from city to city, the spirit always remains the same.
Recent months have been busy for The Wu, filled with incessant touring and the promotion of their newest album, Folktales, which was released in October 2000. This album marked a major step for the group, revealing quality songwriting skills, so critical in separating the true concert attractions from a disturbingly large group of mediocre acts.
Friday night at the Barrymore, the Wu decided to keep the covers it's known for to a minimum. This allowed the band to more thoroughly explore its own sizable amount of material. The band started the show with a series of upbeat songs, including two fan favorites, ""Two Person Chair"" and ""Red Sneakers."" Another highlight of the first set was inarguably the fifteen-minute version of ""Jazz 88,"" which compelled nearly everyone in the audience to stand up so they could get down.
The second set continued the energy of the first and included a good version of ""Midnight Rudy."" As the set came to a close, it was not surprising to hear the Wu play at least a few covers. They picked the Grateful Dead's ""Greatest Story Ever Told,"" Warren Zevon's ""Werewolves of London"" and encored with a cover of ""Tell Me Something Good,"" a song written by Stevie Wonder for Rufus, a commercially successful funk band from the mid-'70s.
Many would rightly argue that the most important component of a live musical performance is the sense of energy a band must create and maintain for their audience. Friday, The Big Wu did so beautifully.
