Green Day blows the lid off Scotiabank Place

Green Day is known for their live shows; despite this fact, even I was somewhat skeptical about how they could possibly top the grandeur of the American Idiot tour, especially with an indoor venue which would limit the use of pyrotechnics. Apparently, I had nothing to worry about.

Starting with Song of the Century and 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day exploded onto the stage with an energy that never waned, not for one moment.The seasoned rockers then hit the fans with Know Your Enemy and East Jesus Nowhere, but not before calling a child onto the stage to be "saved". I won't ruin the surprise; you'll have to go to the show yourself to see what it's all about.

Billie Joe then lead the crowd in singing Boulevard of Broken Dreams. There's something about hearing thousands of fans singing their hearts out, combined with the ambiance that is set by the glowing lighters and cell phones, and the look on the faces of the band members during the performance that sent shivers down my spine. It was definitely a highlight of the evening, but certainly not the last.

I, for one, was surprised when Billie Joe asked if there were old Green Day fans in the crowd. Assuming they would begin one of the tunes that we've expected over the years - Basket Case, Welcome To Paradise, etc - my ears perked up when the first few notes of 2,000 Light Years Away, off album Kerplunk, was played. Of the many times I've seen Green Day live, I have never seen them perform that song. The surprises didn't end there when they began to belt out the words to Coming Clean, off Dookie. I was in old school Green Day heaven, to put it mildly. This lead into Welcome To Paradise, Brain Stew, and Jaded.

When the familiar bass line from Longview found its way to my eager, waiting ears, I was surprised when a fan was called onstage to lead the crowd. If it wasn't for the required stage dive afterwards, I think I would have fought a little harder to be the one singing to the Ottawa crowd.

After classics Basket Case, She, King For A Day/Shout/Stand By Me, we were lead back to 21st Century Breakdown for 21 Guns and American Eulogy, songs that manage to be even better live.

Then came the encore. And boy, what an encore. American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, and Minority had the crowd rocking 'til the very end. Just when you thought it was over, Billie Joe came out, alone with his guitar to perform a stripped version of Good Riddance that summed up the entire evening; we'd had the time of our lives.

I'm not sure how Green Day manages to top themselves every single tour; despite the arena size, they always manage to maintain an intimacy with the audience, something I'm not sure I'll ever fully understand. The fact that they change up their setlist at the drop of a hat makes me smile. Expect explosions, fireworks and fire - it's the Green Day way. They play their new songs as comfortably as if they were playing Basket Case. Seasoned musicians? Yes. Crowd pleasers? Definitely. One of the best live shows you will ever see? Absolutely.

Check out our pictures from the show here.

Setlist

1) Song Of The Century
2) 21st Century Breakdown
3) Know Your Enemy
4) East Jesus Nowhere
5) Holiday
6) The Static Age
7) Before The Lobotomy
8) Are We The Waiting
9) St. Jimmy
10) Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
11) 2000 Light Years Away
12) Coming Clean
13) Welcome To Paradise
14) Brain Stew
15) Jaded
16) Longview
17) Basket Case
18) She
19) King For a Day
20) Shout
21) Stand By Me
22) 21 Guns
23) American Eulogy