Is 37 too old to be "punk"?

by Brett Golbert

Is 37 too old to be "punk"?

We'll all find out on Tuesday, August 25 when the latest Green Day tour returns to the Southland for a performance at the Forum in Inglewood. The tour is proving to be a success as shows at each stop are selling out nightly. Only Golden Circle Tickets can get you access to the premium Green Day tickets. You can be as close as you want to be!

The Offspring. Rancid. Social Distortion. When you consider the punk bands that came out of California in the 1990's to redefine the genre, perhaps none were more successful than Billie Joe Armstrong and the boys from Green Day.

"Dookie" - its major label debut - sold over 15 million copies worldwide. While their follow-up albums "Insomniac", "Nimrod", and "Warning" did not live up to this level of smashing success, they were still going platinum and selling out arenas nationwide.

Even punks with black eyeliner know how to tap into their softer side, as Green Day proved with their acoustic ballad, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", which was famously featured in the retrospective leading up to the series finale of "Seinfeld".

Green Day flew under the radar for much of the early 2000's before returning to the big stage with their punk rock opera, "American Idiot", featuring the massively popular hit of the same name. The album - following the journey of their fictitious character, Jesus of Suburbia - debuted at #1 on the the Billboard charts, previously uncharted territory for the band.

Now, the trio is getting older, but still proving they can be as loud and provacative as ever. "American Idiot" was a clear and derisive attack of George W. Bush's administration and Green Day did themselves no favors by filming their live DVD, "Bullet in a Bible", overseas in front of European crowds. Brandon Flowers of The Killers labeled it "calculated anti-Americanism".

So is it possible for a trio of 37 year old millionaires to still be punks? Wasn't punk formed to rip corporate sponsorship and put corporate America in its place? Perhaps so, but if the reviews of its latest offering, "21st Century Breakdown", are any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. The album has been positively received by fans and critics alike and the first Green Day tour in three years is quickly becoming one of the most successful tours of the year.

Make your own decision. Plan on hearing tracks from all of these classic albums and more when you see Green Day at the Forum on Tuesday, August 25. Green Day tickets are quickly selling out and only Golden Circle Tickets can get you up close and personal.

About the Author

Brett Golbert is a self-proclaimed media expert based out of Los Angeles.