The Saviors Tour landed at Comerica Park in Detroit this past Wednesday, September 4, for a massive 5 ½ hour rock extravaganza that electrified the crowd. Headlined by Green Day, with Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and newcomers The Linda Lindas, the evening was a perfect mix of nostalgia, fresh energy, and pure rock spectacle.
Green Day’s set was the crown jewel of the night. Celebrating both the 30th anniversary of Dookie and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, the band performed both albums in their entirety, much to the delight of the crowd. The night kicked off with Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and The Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop blasting through the speakers, prompting an arena-wide singalong before the band even hit the stage. Opening with The American Dream is Killing Me from their new album Saviors, Green Day seamlessly transitioned into their Dookie set, treating fans to 37 songs over a thrilling 2 hour and 20-minute performance.
The stage design was a visual feast, with giant LED screens and album artwork from both Dookie and American Idiot looming large. Massive faux Marshall amps shot flames skyward, adding to the intensity, while stacks of spotlights illuminated every corner of the park. Highlights included drummer Tré Cool running around the stage in a leopard-print bathrobe while singing the whimsical All By Myself to a recorded orchestral track, and a lucky fan joining Billie Joe Armstrong onstage to help sing Know Your Enemy. The show briefly paused during Longview when a rogue drone appeared above the stage, forcing the band off for ten minutes until the situation was handled by Michigan State Troopers.
Smashing Pumpkins took the stage before Green Day with a 14-song set, balancing fan favorites with fresh material. The band’s current lineup, led by Billy Corgan, was tight and explosive, with guitarist Kiki Wong, their newest addition, proving to be a dynamic force onstage. Their set included a standout cover of U2’s Zoo Station alongside hits like Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979, and the closing anthem Zero. Two new songs, That Which Animates the Spirit and Sighommi, fit seamlessly into the performance, highlighting the band’s continued evolution.
Opening acts Rancid and The Linda Lindas set the stage for the evening with gritty punk energy. Rancid’s veteran presence combined with The Linda Lindas’ youthful exuberance made for a compelling start to the night, warming the crowd up for the rock legends to come.
All in all, The Saviors Tour delivered everything a rock fan could hope for – a perfect blend of nostalgia, spectacle, and new material, with Green Day’s landmark albums reminding everyone why they’ve remained one of the most iconic punk bands for over three decades. Detroit rocked hard, and Comerica Park won’t soon forget it.
Green Day
The American Dream Is Killing Me
Dookie
Burnout
Having a Blast
Chump
Longview (band rushed off stage before the 3rd verse, show paused for 10 mins, song resumed on return)
Welcome to Paradise
Pulling Teeth
Basket Case
She
Sassafras Roots
When I Come Around
Coming Clean
(Ernie puppet from Sesame Street was used by Billie Joe)
Emenius Sleepus
In the End
F.O.D.
All by Myself (Orchestral Version)
Know Your Enemy (with a fan onstage)
Look Ma, No Brains!
One Eyed Bastard
Dilemma (with Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin” intro)
Minority (with band introductions)
Brain Stew
(with Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” teases)
American Idiot
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
Holiday
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Are We the Waiting
St. Jimmy
Give Me Novacaine
She’s a Rebel
Extraordinary Girl
Letterbomb
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Homecoming
Whatsername
Bobby Sox
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
(with Led Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” intro)
Summer Wind
Smashing Pumpkins
The Everlasting Gaze
Doomsday Clock
Zoo Station (U2 cover)
Today
That Which Animates the Spirit
Tonight, Tonight
Ava Adore
Disarm
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
Sighommi
1979
Jellybelly
Cherub Rock
Zero (with “Calling Dr. Love” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way” teases)
Rancid
Maxwell Murder
Roots Radicals
Side Kick
Tomorrow Never Comes
The 11th Hour
Ghost of a Chance
Radio
Something in the World Today
Fall Back Down
Time Bomb
Ruby Soho
The Linda Lindas
Too Many Things
Growing Up
Resolution Revolution
Excuse Me
All in My Head
Oh!
Racist, Sexist Boy
All Photos by Dan Boshart
Green Day:
Smashing Pumpkins:
Rancid:
