A Green Day Story

Photo: Tina Fineberg

I am the author of a blog about The Psychedelic Furs called Blog of Days, and I have been blogging about them for three years here on Blogger. The Psychedelic Furs are my favorite band and had changed my life, but before I got into The Furs there was another band that I was really into (and still am), and they are the one and only Green Day. Yesterday I had the idea of creating another new blog, and I wanted it to be all about Green Day's seventh studio album American Idiot, released back in 2004. Here is my story of how I discovered Green Day and American Idiot.

I discovered Green Day in 2005 and my first encounter with them was sort of amusing. I remember when I saw the music video for "American Idiot" on TV I thought they looked annoying and didn't like them. But some time later, my mind changed when I saw the video for what would become my favorite Green Day song ever, "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams." The moment I saw Billie Joe Armstrong on screen, I thought he looked so handsome and I started to have a crush on him (I still do after all these years!). And after that, I got into Green Day. Although the two songs I mentioned weren't the first Green Day songs I heard. They were actually "When I Come Around" and "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)." I remember hearing those songs on the radio as a kid but I never knew who sang them until years later when I found out they were from Green Day.

Growing up during the American Idiot era was an amazing experience, and the things I remember the most were getting merchandise and teen magazines that would have Green Day posters, going to Hot Topic to look at Green Day stuff, and hearing the songs on the radio and watching the videos and interviews on TV. Unfortunately my parents wouldn't let me get American Idiot or the other albums because I was too young at the time (I was in my early teens). I remember being in the CD section at Best Buy and I would hold the American Idiot CD and looking at it, front and back. I really wanted it so bad. In 2008 I downloaded some of the songs from the album that didn't have the bad words (and also songs from the other albums that were decent to listen to) and burned them on a CD. But in 2013 I finally got American Idiot and I felt like I hit the jackpot. When I listened to the whole thing I was blown away, and it became one of my favorite albums of all time.

This is the reason why I created this blog because I wanted to share the nostalgia and my memories of that era. I have to say I feel sorry for the younger fans of today who didn't get to experience the American Idiot era and I wish they did. It was such an awesome time and that era gave me a lot of special memories I will never forget. I'm so glad I was a part of it.

Hope you all enjoy my new blog and thank you for reading. See you all soon.

P.S., Speaking of The Psychedelic Furs, in 2018 Green Day formed a covers band and at one of their shows they performed The Furs' song "Pretty In Pink!" I wrote about it on Blog of Days a few years ago. Here's the link if you would like to read it: https://ontomorrowspages.blogspot.com/2019/02/pretty-in-pink-covered-by-coverups.html