Preview
Rattaya Nimibutr
Staff Writer
Green will be the color of choice tonight at the Aerial Theater at Bayou Place, when a few certain Nimrods take the stage.
Already having established themselves as a punk-rock household name with 1994's breakthrough, multi-platinum Dookie, wacky rock boys Green Day once again offered up another worthy collection of tunes with late-1997's Nimrod, their best studio product yet.
The currently-gold album contains 18 melodic, pop-punk tracks that will be dominating a sold-out audience here in Houston, where Green Day kicks off its American tour.
"It's going to be the most incredible Green Day show. We are now better live than ever. There are going to be so many surprises during this tour," said drummer Tre Cool between sips of morning coffee during a recent phone conversation.
Nimrod has already brought the band considerable radio success, with singles like "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" and "Hitchin' A Ride," and the band conquered concert crowds overseas before hitting the road here in America. It was an experience that band will not soon forget.
"We started off our tour in Belfast, Ireland, and that was scandalous and definitely amazing. Everyone was wild, and the fans were just nuts," Cool said.
Jet-setting from London to Japan within a moment's notice, imaginations and moods can run rather frantic. Screaming girls were ripping off their tops for a simple autograph or scrap of memorabilia, illustrating how the rock scene across the world is not much different than in the U.S.
"When we were in Glasgow, Scotland, they were singing the national anthem before the show, and we had to wait before we got on. It was a total honor and a lot of fun," said Cool, who obviously finds a bit of pleasure in all this big-rock star stuff.
With that, the trio returns to its homeland to let everyone in on what Nimrod is really all about. But why was Houston chosen as the starting point for such a major rock tour?
"Houston is a rock-and-roll city. It's also geography, and it was a good place to start," admitted Cool. "(Houston) deserves the first lashing out, and it's going to be an extravaganza beyond belief. (The concert) is gonna be a titanium water-polo medicine bag being shot up by muscle man," said Cool. Whatever.
Traveling from city to city can prove a daunting, tiring and usually boring task. For the members of Green Day, though, it's simply an excuse to let the child within come screaming out, kinda like recess.
"We just play around a lot, having fun and stuff. Hopscotch, four-square, leapfrog, jump rope, just doing a lot of silly things until the real fun on-stage," Cool said, not trying to contain his excitement.
Despite all the success they've encountered in the past few years, Cool stressed that Green Day doesn't enter a studio or venue expecting, or hoping for, massive commercial success. It's simply something they do.
"(Lead singer) Billie Joe wrote so many songs, and we tried to record as much as we could," Cool said. "This was the most difficult record. He would not stop coming in with new songs. Everyday he comes in with four more (songs). But we focus on each track one by one and not think of how this record will be," said Cool.
The band just completed filming a music video for the third single from Nimrod, "Redundant," but Cool toiled when deciding what his favorite song was on the entire record.
"I don't have a personal favorite. It changes everyday," Cool said. "We will be listening to it, and after each one we'll say, 'This is the best one!' and just kept repeating it."
What Cool does seem very confident about, though, is the fact that this album is a clear step up in maturity in the band's recording career.
"We're very serious when we're playing our music, though you can't take yourself too seriously," Cool said. "We're just going to keep doing what we did to get here, which is write good songs and tour. We're a touring band."
Samian will warm up the crowd with songs from its fifth release, You Are Freaking Me Out. Considering the ten-year experience this band has behind them, Samian will undoubtedly deliver its upbeat rock/ska style with frantic energy and abandon.
This band is no joke, and they know exactly what they're doing and what they want. Samian should be a perfect complement to the night's inventive headliner.
Green Day kicks off its American tour with a sold-out show tonight at the Aerial Theater at Bayou Place, 520 Texas Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m.