elbuzzard
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2008
- Posts
- 558
- Likes
- 14
Went to the premier last night at the Berkley Rep. Scored some free tix. The Set was pretty awesome. 40+ TV screens built into a Gigantic wall plastered with old punk flyers/street tags. A live band including a string section, spread across the stage. A car hanging upside down. Pretty impressive.
The show was what you would expect i guess. A bunch of kids singing GD songs and dancing as if they were in a mosh pit. The performers were wearing Janet Jackson head mics so they were free to mix in Jazz hands with double flip offs as they flew through the air on wire rigging. There were some pretty good vocal performances. The 3 main male roles played acoustic guitar and sang on a few songs before the band kicked in and all the kids sang along like some "High School Musical" scene but these songs arent about kissing cheerleaders and making the winning 3 pointer. More like teen pregnancy, drug addiction and war.
It was almost 20 years ago I was seeing GD shows at Gillman St. and Cybals pizza opening up for bands like Mr T experience, Samiam and Cringer so this whole spectacle was a bit surreal. I admit, I am hardly a GD fan for the last 15 years. But those early shows made a huge impression on me. Some of the most memorable Gillman shows I attended. Not because of the screaming punk girls but the undeniable talent and energy of one Mr Billy Joe. I could never hate on them for blowing up because after every one of those early shows i remember thinking on my 1 hour drive home to the suburbs "these guys are gonna be huge". Id say collaborating with U2 and making a rock opera of this magnitude can be considered huge.
The show was what you would expect i guess. A bunch of kids singing GD songs and dancing as if they were in a mosh pit. The performers were wearing Janet Jackson head mics so they were free to mix in Jazz hands with double flip offs as they flew through the air on wire rigging. There were some pretty good vocal performances. The 3 main male roles played acoustic guitar and sang on a few songs before the band kicked in and all the kids sang along like some "High School Musical" scene but these songs arent about kissing cheerleaders and making the winning 3 pointer. More like teen pregnancy, drug addiction and war.
It was almost 20 years ago I was seeing GD shows at Gillman St. and Cybals pizza opening up for bands like Mr T experience, Samiam and Cringer so this whole spectacle was a bit surreal. I admit, I am hardly a GD fan for the last 15 years. But those early shows made a huge impression on me. Some of the most memorable Gillman shows I attended. Not because of the screaming punk girls but the undeniable talent and energy of one Mr Billy Joe. I could never hate on them for blowing up because after every one of those early shows i remember thinking on my 1 hour drive home to the suburbs "these guys are gonna be huge". Id say collaborating with U2 and making a rock opera of this magnitude can be considered huge.
