Green Day and Jimmy Eat World
August 24, 2005
Last night when Jake (above with his wife Abby) and I got back from dinner, I had an IM waiting for me from Zach. Turns out Jimmy Eat World was in Atlanta last night with Green Day and so he hooked me, Jake and Abby up with floor tickets and VIP passes. The last time I saw Jimmy was in Jersey at the Continental Arena, but the Phillips Arena in Atlanta was SO much bigger, it was pretty amazing.
The show itself was absolutely amazing. It was the first time I’ve ever seen Green Day and I have to admit, they put on what was probably one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Whenever anyone asks what my favorite show has been, I always tell them Incubus in Boise (and I still think that I liked that music best) but as far as the whole-package-deal, Green Day and Jimmy Eat World were amazing. Green Day’s music, sound, lights, fire-bursts (whatever those things were) were all just quality.
There were two parts of the show that I thought were the best. At one point they brought a 10 yr old kid up on stage and let him handle the water hose that Billy Joe (lead singer) had started spraying the crowd with. That was one.
But the best part of the concert was when Billy Joe announced that they were going to “make a band” and they needed volunteers. So they started picking people out of the crowd. So they got a 17-yr old bass player, a 16-yr old drummer and then a 13-yr old lead guitarist, a kid named Jojo. It was hilarious. And they told them what chords to play and then the band sang the song. It was pretty sweet - after they played, Billy Joe gave Jojo his guitar, and they had the bass player do a stage dive! There was something so great about the fact that they just gave these “kids” the instruments, in front of 10-15,000 screaming fans of Green Day.
Not that I’m going to try and philosophize about a concert experience, but watching this world-famous band trust these three random kids enough to have faith in them, give them a chance to exercise their talents and giftings and take a step back from the front of the stage, made me wonder something about the church. What would happen if we did more of that in our churches? If we stood back, and gave more people chances, chances to lead, to sing, to preach - to take a step back and give other people the chance to practice and live into their giftings…I don’t know - it was just cool to see the guys of Green Day let these kids have this experience.
Anyway, we hung out in the VIP room for awhile and then just hung out with Jimmy Eat World after the concert till around 12.30am. I had an interesting talk with Jim (the lead singer) about Israel-Palestine stuff (which I now realize is going to be something that I talk about a lot now with random people, because…it just comes up) and Pat Robertson. Anyway, it was a great night - thanks again Zach!
Tags: Concerts, Jimmy Eat World
Posted in 
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
August 24th, 2005 at 11:45 am
AGH!!!! you are too cool!!! i am so jealous…i’ll probably never get to see JEW now that they’ve hit the big time…
August 24th, 2005 at 11:50 am
So jealous of your second trip back stage. Maybe we can make it a third in October?….
August 24th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
Backstage with Jimmy Eat World and Green Day. I wonder what observations Jim would have about the Rev. Robertson. Hmm?
August 24th, 2005 at 12:39 pm
Backstage with Jimmy Eat World and Green Day. I wonder what observations Jim would have about the Rev. Robertson. Hmm? That had to be a priceless experience.
“…Surreal but nice.” - William Thacker, Notting Hill
August 24th, 2005 at 3:05 pm
Adam,
We’re thinking alike about leadership development and the next generation. Check out my most recent post on this at my blog at http://brokenstainedglass.typepad.com
Good post…I really like your thoughts.
J.R.
August 24th, 2005 at 4:32 pm
Hey, by the way, I referenced you in my post, “I’m a Failed Blogger”. Hope you don’t mind. It’s all in good fun.
August 24th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
That connection between Green Day and the church was well done. Nice.
August 25th, 2005 at 9:47 am
I put that concert in my top 2-3 ever. I was also touched by the “kid” band - imagine the kid at school next day? “I played guitar onstage at Green Day and they gave me Billie Joe’s guitar” - yeah right. Hee hee.
I also agree that religious leadership could do more of that sort of thing - especially in terms of eroding the perception that there should be such a status gap. To minister is to serve.
Nice post - glad to see others enjoyed the Green Day concert too. How does one get access to the VIP room?
August 25th, 2005 at 9:56 pm
you lead a charmed life my friend!
we definitely can learn a lot from green day!
and vip room too …as napoleon says ” LUCKYEEE!
August 26th, 2005 at 11:14 pm
lucky!!!
August 29th, 2005 at 11:21 pm
man, that shirt looks totally gross. sorry adam.
August 30th, 2005 at 8:14 pm
Dude! Sounds amazing. Keep living the life, my friend.
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:40 am
I realize hating Jews is not a big deal to you, but do you HAVE to put JEW on your back stage pass?
I mean really Adam, have you NO shame?
September 2nd, 2005 at 1:11 am
“Elder.”
Read the post. I was at a Jimmy Eat World concert…that is their initials. They wrote that on my pass - it stands for the band, and has absolutely nothing to do with Anti-Semitism.
Read the post.
September 6th, 2005 at 9:45 pm
I saw Green Day here in OKC and thought that was the most incredible part of the concert too. The whole show was great though.
I’m “MyQuest,” by the way.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:55 am
Elder, thanks for making me laugh out loud and nearly fall over in my chair! That was awesome. Sorry for the acronym adam.
September 7th, 2005 at 7:29 pm
yes Zach people who support Hamas are very funny.
And it was funny that an anti semite like Adam would wear a JEW badge.
Very funny indeed.
Wear it in Gaza and see how long you live Adam when you go to meet with Hamas next time Adam.
Also during the violent demostration you were at, that may have been an amusing thing to wear also.
Ivy League bigotry is alive and well, I read your other blog Adam and was shocked.
September 9th, 2005 at 2:11 am
Ora, congradulations for being the second person commenting that is so enraged with hate, you can’t seem to actually read and comprehend. everybody now!!!! Jimmy Eat World or J.E.W. Let’s repeat that: Jimmy Eat World or J.E.W. Now that we have that out of the way, lets go deeper shall we. Adam was my guest at the show. the name of my band is Jimmy Eat World. in order for adam to have a pass, the pass needs to decipher which band he is with. Now if Adam was a guest of Green Day, perhaps his pass might read “G.D”. Well, unfortunately for Adam, he was a guest of Jimmy Eat World. And seeing how Jimmy Eat World is not a short name, we use this great techinique called using an acronym in order to fit the band name on the pass, that’s probably no more than three inches wide. much to your dismay, adam recieved the pass with the “JEW” already inscribed. I’ll track down the ticket agent in Atlanta at the Phillips Arena who wrote it so you can direct your kindness elsewhere.
So really, as you have hopefully noticed by now, the pass has nothing to do with Isreal, Palestine, Isrealis, Palestinians, war, conflict, suicide bombs, hamas, etc.
now, go run around the block 11 times or something.
September 9th, 2005 at 2:12 am
Ora, congratulations for being the second person commenting that is so enraged with hate, you can’t seem to actually read and comprehend. everybody now!!!! Jimmy Eat World or J.E.W. Let’s repeat that: Jimmy Eat World or J.E.W. Now that we have that out of the way, lets go deeper shall we. Adam was my guest at the show. the name of my band is Jimmy Eat World. in order for adam to have a pass, the pass needs to decipher which band he is with. Now if Adam was a guest of Green Day, perhaps his pass might read “G.D”. Well, unfortunately for Adam, he was a guest of Jimmy Eat World. And seeing how Jimmy Eat World is not a short name, we use this great technique called using an acronym in order to fit the band name on the pass, that’s probably no more than three inches wide. much to your dismay, adam received the pass with the “JEW” already inscribed. I’ll track down the ticket agent in Atlanta at the Phillips Arena who wrote it so you can direct your kindness elsewhere.
So really, as you have hopefully noticed by now, the pass has nothing to do with Israel, Palestine, Israelis, Palestinians, war, conflict, suicide bombs, hamas, etc.
now, go run around the block 11 times or something.
September 9th, 2005 at 11:16 pm
Actually the point was taken that this was an abbreviation for a band.
The part that was funny to some of us is that Adam hates Jews enough to support Hamas and has this pass handed to him to wear.
Very funny to me.
And don’t say he doesn’t, read the summer blog….he makes his support of suicide bombings clear.
So don’t tell us not to chuckle at the irony.
Its funny.
Now , you go and run around the block, clear your head and think of how YOU would feel if someone at a theological seminary no less was supporting a group that called for the genocide of your religion.
Hard to imagine but thats basically the reality.
September 12th, 2005 at 2:39 pm
but this post had nothing to do with isreal or palestine. So the fact that it’s turned into one has nothing to do with adam or me. it’s because you are like walter sobcheck in the big lebowski where everything seems to be about vietnam. i didn’t follow adams isreal blog very closely so sorry if i was amused. my life doesn’t revolve around the opinions of others and it’s much more peaceful and enjoyable that way.