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- August 29, 2021
Ongoing tour presented by rock stars Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and Green Day, is back after the pandemic with new dates, going on throughout the US through 2022. The tour’s initial beginning followed new music from each of the bands. Postponed due to the pandemic, the new dates began earlier in the summer and has been a huge hit!
The Hella Mega Tour offers three headlining bands, with special guests, The Interrupters (on most US dates), all performing together for the ultimate night of rock music. On Saturday evening, they took the Oracle Park stage in San Francisco, just across the street from the famous pier and in view of the Oakland Bay Bridge that glimmered in the night.
The Interrupters offered an energetic performance of both covers and originals alike. You can feel the sense of glee the lead singer had in being able to perform in front of a crowd again, to the point of being moved to tears. The audience matched the group’s energy as they prepared for a night they’d never forget.
Weezer then joined the stage with a proud stance and played with practiced ease. The stage was pastels, with lightning bolts and their logo decorating the ceiling. They had no words for the audience. Just an endless stream of performances of all the hits, new and old. Lead singer had a fresh cut mullet. Sang his questions to the audience. “How excited are you for Green Day?” His voice lilted. Before the last songs, Rivers Cuomo, (lead vocals) moved to the front to get some “Bay Area flavor” and brought his mic as close as he could to the crowd before strumming his electric guitar and singing to his heart’s content.
The crowd swelled with sound when Fall Out Boy hopped onstage. They lit the night like stars with the flashlights on their phones and swayed to the beat of the music. Fall Out Boy shared their words of gratitude in improv’ed song, which was met by loud cheer.
Admitting that when they were starting out, many doubted that their sound would go as far as it has. Naysayers stated that people and kids don’t listen to rock music. “And we are so glad you are all here,” Patrick Stump sang out, “Because you’ve shown us all that people do listen to rock music.” They were replied to with a loud cheer. And it was then you felt the crowd merge with the performers. You shared with them in the high of being back on stage; back in a crowd with people who understand you and your tastes even though you never had met before. There’s a companionship in it, without a doubt.
Pyrotechnics were cool. Piano on fire. End of guitars lighting aflame.
Concept behind their set. Behind their new album…? What is it? It’s surely one of intrigue. Interludes broke the performances and explained the story that FOB were trying to perform.
First circle pit of the tour here.
We would not be a band if it wasn’t for Green Day.
Concluding the night, Green Day featured a wild performance with an even wilder crowd. Their sound could be felt in the fiber of your being as they hollered to Billie Joe Armstrong as he lifted his arms and puppeteered their sound.
“Y’all are a bunch of suckers,” he chuckled. The crowd cheered again. Throughout their set, pyrotechnics lit the stage as the band varied their performance with an array of props. The anarchic attitude that bled from the roots of classic punk exploded in popularity over the years and has never ceased to change. And in interacting with the fans as they did, you saw that Green Day truly cared about their well-being and enjoyment of their performance.
Overall, the night showcased a renewed fire within the city limits of San Francisco. Before, the days were merely a lull, with small businesses still shuttered up tight and locked down. It’s performances like this that bring back the hope of continuing forward in the peak of darkness. The connection to the music is one thing, but it’s far different when it’s live and you’re feeling every note through your being as you’re joined up with a bunch of strangers enjoying the same things. Music is unifying and inspiring. And days after the show you have this grin on your face when looking back on the memories, and the feelings you felt then linger for far longer.
Remaining dates for the tour are listed here. Stay tuned for more updates regarding Fall Out Boy, Weezer, and Green Day!
