by Nicole Belair, Staff Writer
Last month, fans received news that one of the biggest groups in the pop punk genre is coming back into the spotlight.
That’s right: Green Day is making a comeback. Not only are they returning to work after more than a year of silence, but they have also announced a world tour, which has already sold out within a matter of days.
Not bad for a band who has been on a hiatus for several years.
Much to the surprise of their fans, Green Day took to social media this summer to announce a new album to be released on October 7.
They released one single from it, “Bang Bang”, on August 11 and released a new music video for the song on September 13.
The band released a trio of albums four years ago, titled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, and took a break after dropping those three albums over the course of one year.
During the years following, each of the band members experienced some kind of family medical emergency, and lead vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong himself was in rehab seeking treatment for drug addiction. Despite this, the band never mentioned breakup or retirement.
Now, for the first time, they have decided to self-produce a new album, entitled Revolution Radio.
For the past twenty years, Green Day has worked with outside producers to create their albums. This time, the band is using Armstrong’s own studio to produce Revolution Radio, which will be Green Day’s twelfth record.
Similar to their American Idiot album, Revolution Radio is going to be a collection of songs about the current chaotic state of America. Green Day is not afraid to get political and touch on different social issues.
For instance, “Bang Bang” is a song written from the perspective of a mass shooter.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Armstrong revealed that he was moved by the culture of mass shooting happening in America, and stated that he was inspired after witnessing a protest in New York.
The song contains lines such as, “bang, bang, give me fame, shoot me up to entertain, I am a semi-automatic lonely boy”, referencing the rising violence in America today.
Even though he wrote “Bang Bang” and other politically inspired songs several months before election season was in full swing, the lyrics almost foreshadow the turmoil that now surrounds American politics.
“Songs like ‘Bang Bang’ went from metaphor to literal,” Armstrong noted, “and that’s the part that was tripping me out. It was almost, kind of like, predicting the future, in a way.”
The band intends for Revolution Radio to be a reflection of the country’s current condition, and hopes that fans will dance and sing together in protests of these dangerous times.
In preparation for the album’s release on October 7, the band is heading out on tour. They are primarily doing small shows, in cities such as New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, and even Boston.
In January, the band will head overseas for the international leg of their tour.
But, with a big, long awaited comeback there comes a high demand for tickets. Most of their shows are already sold out, and their Boston show sold out within an hour of going on sale. Resale tickets are still available for some venues, but prices climb higher and higher as they become harder to come by.
If you’re looking to see Green Day at the House of Blues on October 1, you can still find tickets on resale sites like StubHub and VividSeats, but be prepared to spend about $300.
Be sure to check out Revolution Radio on October 7 and see what all of the hype is about.