Almost 20 years later and I still feel so lucky and privileged that I was able to attend this particular concert. I have always held a special place for music in my heart of all genres, began going to concerts at a very young age and continued into adulthood. There was just something different about hearing music played live and being in a venue where you could actually feel the sound of the speakers. Singing in unison with hundreds or tens of thousands to the same song was just so unifying as a teen and young adult in an uncertain world.

I became a diehard fan of Green Day prior to Dookie being released so much so that on the 20th anniversary of receiving 1039 for Christmas (which was a difficult accomplishment before Amazon and eBay in a rural Ohio town) my younger brother gifted me a mint condition copy that is almost and antique at this point which blows my mind!

Flashback to 2005, I gifted my younger brother tickets to the AI tour for his high school graduation present. As most fans know the original date was cancelled, rumors swirled in the news that it was due to an overdose and my heart sank. Now we all know it was due to illness and voice issues. When we went back for the rescheduled date at the end of the tour, Billie was so apologetic and said that as a 'thank you' for returning and an 'I'm sorry' for cancelling they would be playing the entire album. I was beyond shocked and amazed at the energy of the band, the pitch perfect songs, and the fact that I was able to hear the whole album from beginning to end. During the moment it was amazing, exciting, and I was amped up right at the stage (before the bigger barricades) being hit with sweat from the band. I knew it was night I would never forget, but I had no idea it would go down in GD history as one of the only few times an entire album was played through, and one of the only few times some of the songs played were played live in a career that had now spanned almost 40 years.

This summer I will be taking my son to his first GD concert, in the pit, at the stage, to hear his favorite albums in full, I can only hope it's as influential to him as it was to me 19 years ago.