Details
Location:
Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH
Date:
May 18, 1998
Other Acts:
Samiam
Notes:
- Chris: "This was my first time seeing Green Day, and I must say, I was really impressed. First, we stood outside the sold-out Newport for a solid two hours waiting intensely for the fucking doors to open. I was a wreck, plus, these dumbasses kept piling up near the gate in front of everyone who'd been waiting for hours. That pissed a few people off. We finally got inside, thankfully after buying those pre-concert party tickets, and found ourselves about three rows from the stage. Now, from what I've heard, the Newport used to be an old movie house, so if you could, the arena wasn't too big, but it wasn't too small either. Perfect for a rock show, I believe. Samiam came on first. They all had these big grins and then lined everyone (except the drummer obviously) up at the front of the stage, unleashed this monstrous, fat sound, and blew everyone away from the opening chords. The mosh started from the back and suddenly everyone surged forward and were snapped back like we were caught in a tidal wave. Samiam played for about 30 minutes, and I felt like I was the only one who knew who they were. There were a few others still in the mosh, but for the most part, the crowd wasn't that receptive. Then Samiam threw stickers out onto the crowd and some of these dumbfucks threw 'em down on the floor. Jeesh! We waited impatiently for 45 minutes as security passed cups of water throughout the pit because it was so hot. So hot, I don't know how some people didn't pass out. The crowd got sick of waiting and then started yelling, 'COME ON! GREEN DAY! GREEN DAY! GREEN DAY!' Finally, WHIP IT comes over the loud speakers and the house lights go dim, leaving only a green flourescent haze hanging over the gigantic Green Day banner. It kicked ass, and the crowd went apeshit. We started a pogo to WHIP IT and finally everyone went nuts as Billie Joe and Co. stormed the stage and ripped into NICE GUYS FINISH LAST. The mosh was wild. I felt like I was gonna suffocate (no pun intended), so I fell out of the mosh after third song, THE GROUCH. Billie then taunted the Columbus mayor, saying, 'FUCK THE MAYOR! I'm the new mayor! I just wanna drink, fight, and fuck! Did I mention I'm now mayor? What is today? Sunday? Sunday or Monday? Fuck, Monday? Now that I'm mayor, no one has to go to school ever again! ...yadda yadda...'"
- "The night was Monday, May 18th, 1998. I drove to Columbus, Ohio that morning to meet my friends, Jamie and Ryan. It would be my first Green Day concert seen live. We had pre-show tickets so we got in the club an hour earlier than everyone without the pre-show ticket. There were no seats, so we got up front, right up front. There was only one line of people in front of us. While we were waiting for the openers, Tre made some appearences to the side on his little yellow bike. Mike walked by a couple of times too. The opening band Samiam came on and they were ok but everyone was anticipating Green Day, especially me. After an hour or so of intermission between the 2 bands, Green Day finally came out. Well ok I admit, I only saw Billie Joe. All I remember was him running out onto stage playing 'Nice Guys Finish Last'. They put on an awesome show. I was in the pit the entire time, after a while I got pushed back into the middle but that was fine, cause the club was so small I was still close enough to see the band. I was jumping and singing along with the music and all the fans. I got seperated from Jamie and Ryan but I had a good time anyway. Green Day played all of their best songs. The intermission was great cause Billie came out after that and stripped to his leopard bikini thong and danced around singing King for a Day and finished out the set dressed like that. I didn't complain a bit! Towards the end Tre destroyed his drums in his typical fashion, Mike and the trumpet and trombone players threw water and beer on the crowd. Then Billie came out and played Good Riddance and I knew the show was coming to an end. After BJ left the stage, they threw out some Nimrod stickers and then it was over. I left to find Jamie and Ryan outside waiting for me. But from there, our night didn't get worse, it got better! We went around to the back of the club and watched at they loaded all the instruments onto the trucks. One of the roadies gave Ryan one of Tre's broken drumsticks from the show 'cause he kept asking for something. Then I saw everyone run, and we looked over and Mike was standing outside. He signed some autographs and then got back on the tour bus before the crowd even died down. Then we stood outside for about another hour and got a picture of us with the trumpet player of No Doubt, Stephen Bradley, who was on tour with Green Day at the time. He was really nice and took a picture with us. Then my ultimate dream came true. Billie Joe came outside! Of course we ran over to greet him. When we got to him, he signed the t-shirt I had bought before the show, and let us take a pic with him. We made Ryan take the picture cause me and Jaime had to be in it with him! He was super nice. Not only is he very good looking, his personality is awesome. He just stood outside with us all, drinking on his beer and answering any questions that were asked. We took a lot of pictures of him. I even said bye to him and he said bye back. Then before Billie left to get on the bus, Tre came out. He was drunk and wearing his Nimrod shirt and had his trademark green hair. He signed a few autographs then he had to go because the tour busses were honking at him. Then we stood there as the tour busses took off. I will forever remember that night as the best night of my life."
- "On May 18th, 1998, me and Ryan drove over to the hotel we were (me, Shari and Ryan), would stay at, the night of the concert, to meet up with Shari, who drove all the way to Columbus to see Green Day with us. That night... After a day of running around from malls and stores, we headed off to the Newport Music Hall, where Green Day would peforom, we had to go early. Seeing how the place has no seats, it's general admission! When we got to the place, only a few people were in front of us. We were so hyped, beause we knew we would get good seats! So when the doors were opened, we all pushed our way through, so we made sure we got up front! And so we did! As we waited about 45 minutes for Samiam to open. We all seen Tre ride by on his bike, in and out of the venue. Even a few of us saw Mike with his gothic looking girlfiend. And believe me, when I say goth, I mean goth! She wasn't pretty at all! As the lights went down, Samiam came on. They were good. But most people just stood around waiting for Green Day. Well, as the intermission came, and boy, it seemed forever! Everyone were chanting, 'Green Day!' And again as the lights went down, the crowd went nuts! Billie, Mike, and Tre ran out. Well as Nice Guys Finish Last, the mosh pit started to get heavy and hard. I tryed to stay in. But then a big guy came pushing into me, which made me run into the girl in front of me. That's wasn't a pretty side. She didn't mind. I wasn't able to breathe! Ack! So I tried to push my way back next to Shari and Ryan. Asshole dudes wouldn't let me. So, finally, about 5 or 6 songs in I had to stay in the pit. And Ryan came with me, to make sure I was OK. I was worried about Shari, because she was stuck in there alone. But I knew her eyes were planted on Billie and she would be fine. Well, as we heard the horns to play King For A Day, Ryan pointed me to look at Billie, because he was stipping down to his leopard skin thongs! By this time everyone was so wound up. Awesome, even though I smelled like beer and sweat. But as the show ended, Mike and the No Doubt horn players started to spray beer and water on the crowd and Tre destroyed his drum set, as Billie sit on the stage playing his guitar, which sort of got annoying atfterwhile. As the band left. Billie comes back out and plays Good Riddance and we all know it's the end of the concert. But why be sad? The best part was still to come! We decided to go to UDF to grab something to drink seeing how all 3 of us were hot and sweaty. But while there we decided to go behind the venue and see if we could catch a glimpse of da boys! So we sat around. About 30 people had the same idea as us. Go figure! We sat on the ground, because we knew it may be awhile before the boys would show. So we watched the roadies load the equipment to the van and Ryan got one of Tres broken drumsticks from a roadie. As he asked for something to have as a souvenir. We seen them put all the boys bikes in the van and everything. After about 45 minutes or so of waiting. There was Mike Dirnt himself! He was very nice, talked to everyone, signed autographs. Even heard of him speak about his daughter. But then he went off to the tour bus, his girlfriend was there waiting. But as it turned 1 AM, here came Billie! Me and Shari ran to him. He was so nice I asked him for a picture, Billie thought I was talking about a guitar pick! We came so close to getting one! He was more than happy to take a picture with us! I got his arm around me! Shari's going to kill me for that, you know!? But I was so amazed, I didn't realized I had gotten an arm and she didnt, until the next morning when we got out pics developed! We all got Billie's autograph on our Green Day shirts we bought, and on my ticket. Tre walked out! He was so drunk. He signed my ticket twice."
Setlist
1. Nice Guys Finish Last
2. Hitchin' A Ride
3. The Grouch
4. Geek Stink Breath
5. 2,000 Light Years Away
6. Longview
7. Welcome To Paradise
8. Brain Stew
9. Jaded
10. She
11. Knowledge (Operation Ivy cover) / Iron Man (Black Sabbath cover) / Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne cover) / Master of Puppets (Metallica cover)
12. Basket Case
13. Redundant
14. Scattered
Encore
15. Platypus (I Hate You)
16. King For A Day
17. When I Come Around
18. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
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