(All photos taken by Aidan Zielske, or with Aidan's camera.)
And so, Green Day has come and gone.
This year's show served as the Zielske family cultural event. Last year? Jesus Christ Superstar. And I suppose, considering the performances of both "East Jesus Nowhere" and "Jesus of Suburbia" at the show, well…there's a connection in there somewhere, right?
I will say this: the kids were ready to go. Aidan had the eyeliner:
And Cole had the sign:
Unbeknownst to Cole, however, signs aren't permitted at the Target Center when Green Day plays. They confiscated it from him at the door. Poor dude. He was bummed. Hopefully, the horrifically overpriced concert paraphernalia made up for it. (Aidan got a t-shirt; Cole, a baseball cap and wrist bands; me and Dan? Lighter wallets.)
But once the lights went down, all troubles were forgotten and both the kids just rocked it out for the next two and a half hours.
From the opening number, Song of the Century, to the closer Good Riddance (preceded by a sweet version of a song Billie Joe wrote for his wife that I believe he only plays when they play Minnesota because she's from here, Minnesota Girl), the show was tight, fun and exceptionally profanity laden.
They bring kids up on stage and have them play or sing, or simply fall back and feel the power of the music. (If you want to see a clip that one of my Facebook friends Alyssa sent me from Green Day's Chicago show featuring her neighbor kid, just to see one fun thing that happens on stage, watch this. But I'm warning you: you will hear an f-bomb.) But I have to say, Billie Joe, you adorable imp, you could swear at me or my kids any time.
Long story short: they put on a great show and I have zero buyer's remorse.
And,in the tradition of scrapbooking, I made a page to go into my "Things We Do" album.
Supplies: Adobe Indesign • one sheet of photo paper • one sheet of cardstock • Hootie and Avenir fonts • awww yeah
Kris Van Allen says
Hmmm….Journey, 1982, at the Civic Center? I think I was there. I remember seeing Journey sometime, anyway!
My first concert was KISS at the Civic Center, in 8th grade. Before the Indoor Smoking ban in MN. Ya. I know I had a blast, stood on my chair for hours, rocked a LOT, my friend’s parents were really ticked it took us so long to get out of the Center (we thought it was a spiral and just kept walking around the inside!), and the next morning we woke up in her basement (planned sleepover, thankyouverymuch) and our clothing but mostly our down coats stunk way, way bad and kinda funny too. There was definitely “something in the air” that night.
Denise Laborde says
I think it’s great that you rocked it out with your kids. My parents took us once to a Pink Floyd laser show, but only because it was at the local planeterium and they somehow thought it was in relation to Haley’s comet.
Your hair looks great and I loike your top! Bises, D
Kristi K. says
The concert photos turned out su-weet! Wish mine were nearly as good… but I usually sit in the nosebleeds.
Anyway, it’s SO cool that you and the kiddos like the same music. Rock on!
kat says
so fun! i love green day- one of my first concerts, um- a looooooong time ago 😉
love that you took your kids- and LOVE that page!!!
Canay says
I went to a Heart concert this weekend. No cameras allowed. My friend got a “talking to” when she took a pic with her camera. Looks like your hair is a little longer. Are you growing it out?
Canay says
When I said pic with her camera I MEANT pic with her phone. Heck if I can say what I mean how can I mean what I say!!!!!
Sabrina says
This post is making me rethink getting tickets for their show in SLC. I want to go so bad but you know how being an adult concerts kind of take back seat to all the other responsibilities. I love Green Day and Franz. I’ve got to go check it out.
Kim K says
I bet there was a great age range at this concert! Any apprehension at all bringing the kids to such a huge venue? Haven’t done anything quite so large with mine (about the same ages as yours).
I thought about going with them, but chickened out. Now I wish I’d done it.
My first “real” concert…The Rolling Stones. What a show!
sebnem says
I love how you spin a yarn!
Makes me want to go back and scrapbook my NKOTB obsession….hmmm…not sure I want my kids to know about that one, LOL
Kathy F says
Cathy-
I loved the LO and the pics of the kids! 🙂 I am so glad you got to go! 😀
amy lapi says
ahh i noticed the jar on the counter…. cathy z, are you a philosophy girl???!?!?!
bobbie says
Hmmmph! I would have KILLED to see Journey in ’82!!! And I would KILL to Stevie-baby NOW!!! (forget the fake Journey!)
Christina says
OK here’s my question 1 sheet of paper + fonts and that’s it….BUT what about the photos. Do you print them straight on to the white cardstock?? If so I thought we were suppose to print on photo paper? or maybe you print the whole thing on photpaper!!
Sorry for the dumb question but I am having such a time catching up that I’m looking for quick ways and you seem to get it!! (done that is).
Christina from Sydney Australia
Amy says
I think it is SO AWESOME the you take your kids to these things. I hope when my kids are older (too young now at 5 and 2) they want to go to cool concerts with their parents.
Shannon Wagner says
What a blast! You’re such a cool mom. I can’t wait to see what next year’s Zielske family cultural event is.
Lacey says
CZ- you have got to be the coolest mama around! Sick LO too 🙂
Cathy says
Christina, i printed the whole white area onto photo paper. It’s one big InDesign doc. Make sense?
Cathy says
Amy… absolutely. : ) I’ve used Hope in a Jar for years.
Susan says
HELP!!! returns from yesterday. I tried your right margin thing and Control G. I don’t have “merge with previous” as a highlighted choice in Layers drop down. What else could I be doing wrong? Not enough Green Day and too much Jack Johnson – WHAT?
Susan says
Gets weirder. I can get double overlapping circles between my layers A, Copy A copy 1 and so forth, but not with photo. I will continue to play. If only my sacrifice could help one other PSE6 user – it will be worth it.
Susan says
Eureka! It was how I was importing image. You know that thing you said ever so quickly about “cascading” images. I must have burped and missed it ALL the other times I listened. I don’t know why, but when I click + drag from the bin at the bottom it doesn’t make a new layer for image – THAT’s why no double circles. No Control-G option, it wasn’t another layer, just an image floating above all those cute squares. Maybe I’m not such a moron. Thanks!
Rachel E says
LOVE IT!
(loved the youtube vid, as well!)
great inspiration! sadly will miss Green Day tour this year, but you have inspired me to scrap a page of our Fall Out Boy “cultural event”….You do indeed ROCK, Cathy Z!
Tinka says
My first concert was Paul Revere & The Raiders with Gary Lewis and the Playboys and some other band that I can’t ever remember the name of. I was in 4th grade (1965-1966) and went with my next-door neighbor whose family was one of the sponsors. We had 1st row center stage seats and I got Gary Lewis’ autograph. I thought I was pretty cool since none of my other friends had ever been to a concert! My parents would never have considered going with me to something like that. But these days, it’s really cool to see whole families, including grandparents, attending concerts together!
Danielle says
Glad the show was fun and love the page you created!!
Nora says
Great layout! I love Green Day, and saw then @ the Roskilde festival back in 2005 – I was standing at the very very front near the stage. Amazing concert, they are such a great live band:)
Christina says
I hope I wasn’t the only one who read the subject line and thought of “Dirty Dancing”… and of course, I’ll have that song stuck in my head all day. Anyway, glad y’all had fun!
Jeanne Pellerin says
Awesome! I’m taking my 12 year old to see Journey in September (sadly, it will be minus Steve Perry). Can’t wait!
LizM says
Just wanted to say that I saw them on tuesday in Detroit. My husband and I have been to see them evey time they have come close to Detroit for the last 10 years! There were kids in front of me with their parents and the mom looked not too pleased with the show at all… I guess your just a way cooler mom! She wanted to take the kids and leave and the husband had to talk her into staying. Anyway, the show was awesome, as usual… its always worth the money to see them! Next up, Dave Matthews Band in 2 weeks YAYAYA!!
PS: Love your blog!
Connie says
Thanks for the review! We have Green Day tickets in Omaha August 13th – me and my two kids and we can’t wait!
Lori says
I was also at the state fair concert with Styx, Foreigner and Def Lepperd concert that you mentioned in Sept 07 post. We went with friends who are 17 years younger than we are -they got the Def Lepperd stuff and I totally rocked out to Styx and Foreigner. I remember the day back in 1979 when I touched Tommy Shaw’s shoe at a concert in Rapid City, SD! Wow…
KelliL says
I have to agree…..Just saw them also at the Target Center and I have been to a few concerts lately and this was by far the best money and probably the cheapest tickets I have bought lately. I was so impressed when I walked away. Scrapped it the next day with the Star and Tribune review and set list since I didn’t have any pics, but it still turned out great.
Ahwatukee Paula says
Cool. “Lighter” wallets. Back in the day, we toted both a wallet AND a lighter. Like your first commenter, my 1st concert was KISS in about 8th grade and at Journey in the early 80s as a more seasoned concert-goer… only in Phoenix. Have not yet been to a smoke-free concert, hence the “lighter wallet” mis-read. Sounds like you had a blast.
Steph says
Hi Cathy! I just wanted to pop in to say hi & let you know that I signed up for your A-Z class in Sept. I’ve never taken an online scrapbook class like this before and I’m really excited for this one! I’ve started reading the Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life already– so far it’s an awesome book– thanks for the recommendation. P.S. It sounds like the concert was a blast!
scrappysue says
way cool, but how do you get away with taking photos?
Kris Carpinello says
Hi Cathy,
Wow, looks like a great time! My kids love Green Day, too. I just love your simple style of scrapbooking. If I may ask, what kind of printer do you use to print out your scrapbook pages??
Kris
Susie says
Love taking the kids to concerts! And GD doesn’t play So Cal until the end of August so we have time…but we do have tix! They recently played to a room of about 200 of us, and they get better with age!
Love your page!
melanie says
Man, our lives are so eerily similar, I’m telling you! We got home from a weeklong lake/cottage vacation yesterday afternoon, and then the 4 of us headed out to the GD show last night- it was absolutely incredible, and I felt so happy that my kids’ 1st concert experience was such an amazing one. Although they could have probably done without the weed fumes wafting into their virgin noses… ;p Love your page, I’m definitely scrapping this soon too.
denise:) says
I soooo can’t wait!!!! Thanks for your excellent review. We have until 8/24 and then it’s show time in Sacramento CA. And I totally agree- Billy Joe can swear at me all he wants too… 🙂
Julie says
I would have darn happy kids if I took them to Green Day. Sounds like a blast!
Josh Patel says
Hey Cathy
It looks like you had a great trip.
Btw, I really like your blog so I submitted it to Viralogy.com. That
will help more people discover it! If you want you can claim your
blog at http://www.viralogy.com/blogs/my/6928 which will also help
your ranking. Hope you get more traffic through that!
Anyway, I hope you have a great week and that you will be successful
in
every activity you engage in!
Festi says
I just took my 11 year old to see Green Day in Pittsburgh Wednesday night. They are one of his “3 favorite bands”. LOL He loved it! I could not get over how many young kids were there – and how freaking great Green Day is to their young fans. I was amazed by how many kids they pull up onstage. What memories for those kids…. And all those f-bombs? Thank goodness I cuss so my son wasn’t shocked. 😉
I can’t remember how old Cole is – but he reminds me a lot of my 11 year old. Right down to the Lego creations and so on. They’d probably love each other. Alas, we are way over in WV.
Bernadette says
It was an awesome show in Seattle before life got crazy. I thought of you (when I commented “why not general admission” long time ago) because while we were cruising up to the front of the stage, there was a family of four, camped out with the little dude on the floor and the little girl on dad’s shoulders. I gave them the “uh huh, and I thought I would be the standout in this crowd” look and about two seconds into the opening act, they jetted for the stands. I have to say. I’m not “officially” a Green Day fan (I married into it). But it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been too. Mostly because Seattle crowds are all about “no, I insist, after you” as you crash into them in General Admission heading to the front of the stage, but I definitely did not feel my age at that concert (smile).
I was SHOCKED at how many full on cameras (like SLR pro level cameras) there were in GA. I remember back in the day when no recording devices were allowed. In the land of cell phones folks had to be reminded to live in the moment and “F all those people who didn’t pay to be here…don’t give it away to them for free on You Tube!”.
Classic.
Carolynn F says
“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz…isn’t falling in love grand?