by Alyssa Pereira, CBS San Francsico
Green Day may be international, but they always recognize their roots in Berkeley’s DIY all-ages venue 924 Gilman.
Their rollicking sets at the tiny venue in the late 1980s propelled them to punk infamy, even leading Billie Joe Armstrong to recognize the space in the band’s speech during their Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. And although signing to a major label and heading off on world tours got them banned from playing the venue again due to their high profile status, Gilman removed that sanction on Saturday night for a secret show.
“I really think of this place as a very important place to me,” Armstrong told the crowd, “and it’s in my heart forever.”
For the first time since September 6, 1993 (because playing an impromptu set on band equipment that wasn’t theirs in 2001 “didn’t really count“), the band returned to the stage that made them with a 21-song set featuring a few guest performers, including Jello Biafra and fellow 924 Gilman alum Tim Armstrong. Tim Armstong joined the band onstage for a rendition of Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge“.
The show was a benefit for AK Press, an anarchist publishing house in Oakland that recently lost its warehouse in a large fire.
Watch a few videos from their performance on Radio.com
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
