One of the great things about living in Toronto is that there is always an event happening. You can catch any type of show at any time during the week. We’ve documented a wide variety of shows in this city—from dive bars to Bad Nerves at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, or Walkmen at History. Documenting shows is one of our biggest passions, so when we got the message that we’d been approved for media passes to see Green Day at the Rogers Centre, we knew we were in for one of the craziest nights of our Critical Zero career.

The lineup was stacked, with headliners Green Day bringing along The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas. This is one of the best lineups we’ve ever seen, featuring massive artists. We prepared our camera bag, hopped in an Uber, and off we went to the biggest stage in Toronto, a sold out Rogers Centre. As soon as we stepped foot in the area, the vibe was electric. People were wearing band merch, taking photos, smiling, and excitement was in the air. We checked in at our media entrance and off we went. Meanwhile, Sandra was in the photo pit for most of the show, and I (Pedro) got to experience the show as a fan. It was one of the best shows we’ve seen so far.

The Linda Lindas took the stage first. To a roaring crowd, the band hit us with an energy-fueled 20-minute set that featured their most popular songs, as well as unreleased material. One of the best moments was during "Nino," when they had a person on stage with a giant cat head! Their set was fun, with great stage presence. Another highlight was when they introduced the band and mentioned their ages—they are so young and already sound like seasoned pros. We can’t wait to see them again.

After a very fast changeover and a beer break, Rancid took the stage. As mentioned by the band, this was their first official show of the tour; they got rained out at the previous event and had to miss their set. As expected, Toronto gave them a huge welcome with moshing, sing-alongs, and so much positive energy. They kicked off with the hit “Maxwell Murder,” and then played more songs from their 1995 album “…And Out Come the Wolves,” including “Time Bomb” and “The 11th Hour,” as well as hits from other albums like “Radio” and “Fall Back Down.” Tim Armstrong got the crowd involved by making sure everyone was dancing along. Their set ended with “Ruby Soho,” and all of Toronto sang to the chorus. We’ve seen Rancid before, but seeing them on such a big stage was very rewarding.

In between sets, we spoke with people who were traveling from all over the world. We met a group from Serbia and saw multiple people holding signs indicating where they were from. A few minutes later, The Smashing Pumpkins jumped on stage. We hadn’t seen them before, so everything was new to us, except for the songs. The level of production was something the best bands in the world bring, and SP are definitely one of them. The lights, outfits, and the quality of the musicians were a treat to witness. They did not stop, playing hit after hit, with the crowd going crazy. Playing songs like “1979,” “Today,” and “Cherub Rock,” the entire venue sang along. It truly felt like we were a collective, with everyone experiencing this moment together.

By now, the venue was full and everyone was waiting for Green Day. We could feel the excitement in the air as people of all ages waited patiently for them to take the stage. As soon as we knew it, the lights went down and, as is Green Day tradition, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” played on the PA to get the crowd excited. It worked, and we all sang and screamed the lyrics to one of the best songs of all time. Then, as is also Green Day tradition, the Punk Bunny took the stage! Who wears the suit? We’ll never know. This time, they were throwing t-shirts to the audience and dancing along to The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.” The lights went out fully, and now it was time for the headliner: Green Day

Green Day took the stage with “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” and we were hit with pyro, fire, and full Green Day energy. This was truly an emotional experience. We’ve seen Green Day live in the past, but not like this. This was one of the best live productions we’ve ever seen. The stage setup with the props, the screens with filters, and the coordination with everyone working behind the scenes is something out of a science textbook. At times, when we were watching the screen, it felt like a music video—the live camera changes between the drum hits went with the beat, the themed fonts at specific parts of the screen told people to sing along, and so much more.

They played all of Dookie front to back to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album. This included a full Dookie-themed stage setup, with lights, camera filters, pyro, and even a Dookie airplane that shot Dookie balloons for the crowd to catch. Not only that, but the performance itself was on point and with the same classic Green Day intensity we’re used to. Ending the Dookie set was a fabulous performance of “All By Myself” by Tre Cool, with an orchestra track and in Tre’s flamboyant style.

We weren’t done, not by a long shot. The band kicked off into “Know Your Enemy” and brought a fan on stage—it was so wholesome! They then performed songs from their latest album, “Saviors”, specifically one of our favorites, “Look Ma, No Brains!” and then ripped into a powerful “Brain Stew” with tons of fire, and the great Mike Dirnt doing the backup screams during the end of the song.

Let's take a moment to give a shoutout to the band: Billie Joe Armstrong is the ultimate frontman, with the best ability to control the crowd. He had the entire sold-out Rogers Centre in the palm of his hand. Tre Cool, known as The World's Most Dangerous Drummer held it down with the fast-paced, tight drumming we’re used to (watch out for flying sticks after most songs!). Mike Dirnt is still one of the world’s best bass players, performing some of the very complex Green Day bass lines from years ago. Jason White, Kevin Preston, and Coley O’Toole, who is filling in for Jason Freese, are the best backup members a band can ask for.

It was time for the 20th anniversary of one of our favorite albums of all time, “American Idiot”. The band kicked off with the title track, and the crowd exploded. Everyone sang in unison, and the stage setup changed with the iconic hand holding the heart grenade balloon raised behind the stage. Hearing all these songs live was the ultimate treat, as these were the tracks that most of us fell in love with and are the reason why we’re punk rockers. During “Are We the Waiting,” there was a beautiful connection between the audience and Billie Joe, where he said, “Toronto can sing, man!” This just made everyone sing even louder. When “St. Jimmy” hit, confetti flew everywhere, and the pace kicked off once again. Did it ever stop? No, it did not. In “Letterbomb,” Billie Joe spread love and positivity, and mentioned that “This is not a party, this is a celebration!” Indeed it was. It was one of the first times we’ve felt like part of a collective, and we were all one, celebrating music and love. Lastly, “Homecoming” was one of the best live experiences we’ve had, all of us singing “We’re going home again,” so loud.

There are so many more special things about this event, but we will not spoil them because this show is a MUST see. Whatever you do, if you can see this show, do it. It will be one of the best shows you see—it was for us.

Thank you to the Green Day, the event staff and Live Nation team for giving us the opportunity to review such an amazing event.