A Tribute to Green Day’s Dookie
On Friday, February 19, fourteen bands playing a wide range of musical genres came together at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA, to pay tribute to Green Day’s Dookie
The event also served as a benefit for 924 Gilman, the DIY all-ages punk club in Berkeley where Green Day got their start. The club successfully raised over $31,000 on their Indiegogo campaign for the show.
As someone who tends not to veer outside the rock genres (obviously), I wasn’t sure what to expect hearing that there would be electronic, arabic, gospel, and orchestral renditions of songs by my favorite band of the past twelve years. However, I was more impressed than not for most of the night and it was really something special seeing so many different genres come together to celebrate an album that will always be near and dear to my heart and so many others. Like many people there (musicians and speakers included), Dookie was the first album I ever purchased myself.
Here’s some footage of the show. (Mostly taken by me. Video of the Mayor and Liz and Jesse were not.) Enjoy!
Right before La Plebe went on I was talking to my friends about how I’d read there were some songs that would be in a different language. I was not anticipating being so impressed by their version of “Having a Blast.” This was probably one of my favorites of the night.
Jazz Mafia was another one I wasn’t expecting to be thrilled with. “Longview” by a gospel choir? They were pretty great.
MoeTar’s rendition of “Welcome to Paradise”
Imagine me waltzing by myself to The Fuxedos’ cover of “Basketcase.” I was not surprised when he ripped the robe off and the music picked up, but I was, however, surprised by the… umm… creative liberties they took with the song.
Like this drug warning, for instance.
And this preacher moment.
I definitely would not have recognized MC Rai’s version of “Sassafrass Roots” had I not known what he was performing. It sounded nothing like the song I know. He also had two dancers on stage for a while.
Things I never thought I’d hear: An electronic version of “When I Come Around.” This was performed by NVO.
Kamala Parks, one of the founders of 924 Gilman and a friend of Green Day, dished out some dirt on the band as they joined her and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf onstage. Above is dirt on Tre Cool, and below are Mike Dirnt and Billie Joe.
The screaming that sounds like it’s coming from an annoying child was really a drunk woman who ultimately had to be dragged away by security. Cue me and every single person around me asking if we could punch her and not even caring if she could hear us. “We’ll just start a most pit! It was a total accident.”
So. Much. Unnecessary. Screaming. Please be respectful of people speaking and audience members listening, folks.
Unfortunately, Green Day did not play, despite being the “special guests” of the night. However, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf declared February 19th Green Day Day! If I didn’t already love Oakland, having a holiday for my favorite band would do it.
“I don’t know if I was late to my funeral or early to it?” —Billie Joe
At one point in the night, Liz Rose and Jesse Townley from Gilman came onstage to talk about what the club means to them and why they’re trying to raise funds for it.
Skank Bank, who covered “Coming Clean,” is a Gilman band, so they were one of my most highly anticipated bands of the night. It was cool seeing a current Gilman band playing a song by one of the most famous Gilman bands of the early ’90s. Of course they weren’t the only band associated with Gilman. Tilt (who played F.O.D., which I sadly did not get video of), La Plebe, and Love Songs (who played Pulling Teeth) are all Gilman bands as well, but Skank Bank was the only one I was familiar with prior to the show.
Awesome Orchestra’s cover of “Emenius Sleepus” was the last video I took of the night.
The night closed with a singalong of “All By Myself,” the hidden track at the end of the album. Every performer came back onstage to sing it, and lyrics were flashed behind them for the audience to join in. I have a feeling very few, if anyone, in the audience needed the lyrics.
Do I wish Green Day had played? Of course I do. But celebrating Dookie and local Bay Area bands and knowing we were helping Gilman remain afloat made the night one for the books. And of course I’ll take any excuse I can to catch up with other Green Day fans (henceforth known as Idiots) from around the country.
Want to hear the whole tribute? You can download the album here.
Want to help Gilman? Go to helpgilman.org
