Green Day Draws Conservative Rage for Anti-‘MAGA Agenda’ Lyric

Green Day perform on stage in 2021 during their "Hella Mega Tour" (Photo by ECarterSterling/CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Green Day Draws Conservative Rage for Anti-‘MAGA Agenda’ Lyric

ConcertsOlivia Perreault8 months ago

Green Day is trending across social media on Tuesday, having triggered the wrath of right-wing commentators online for railing against the “MAGA” agenda and former President Trump during a Monday night concert in Washington D.C.

The punk rock trio kicked-off the North American leg of their “Saviors Tour” Monday at Nationals Park. During the show, a fan tossed frontman Billie Joe Armstrong a mask of former president Donald Trump with the word “idiot” written across the forehead. Armstrong held it up to the crowd and roared.

Additionally, during “American Idiot,” Armstrong changed the lyrics from “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” to “I’m not a part of a MAGA agenda,” referencing Trump’s notorious slogan: “Make America Great Again.” Conservatives took to social media to express their frustration, with many focusing on the mask of Trump being held by Armstrong in an “insensitive” way just two weeks after the former president was targeted by an assasination attempt at a rally.

Even a legislator chimed in; former state legislator and congressman Tim Burchett said, “Green Day used to be anti-establishment, now they are the establishment.”

While the right-wing reaction was negative, many rallied to the support of the band, which has a long history of rallying against right-wing politics. In fact, the original lyrics and themes of the American Idiot song, album. and subsequent musical were a reaction to American politics in the early 2000s during presidency of George W. Bush.

Political opinions have been in high focus of late as the U.S. lurches towards a presidential election. Earlier this month, Tenacious D made headlines after Kyle Gass made a comment referencing Trump’s assassination. When asked what he would wish for on his birthday, Gass told the Australian crowd: “Don’t miss Donald Trump next time.”

After a furious conservative reaction to the comments, bandmate Jack Black issued a statement saying he would never condone violence, and while the duo’s remaining tour dates were called off.

| READ: Op-Ed: Choosing Between an Artist and Politics at a Show | 

Green Day is set to perform next at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Friday, August 1 before appearing at stadiums like New York’s Citi Field, Fenway Park in Boston, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, and Coors Field in Denver. The Smashing Pumpkins will provide direct support for the tour.

“We’ve never been more excited to unleash new music than with Saviors, a record that’s meant to be rocked live, together,” the band said in a statement ahead of the tour. “So let’s thrash. We’ve got some amazing friends who are coming along for the ride!”

The “Saviors Tour” is in support of Saviors, Green Day’s 14th studio album. The LP follows 2020’s Father of All Motherf–kers and includes the new single “Look Ma, No Brains.” The trek also marks the 30th anniversary of their smash-hit 1994 record Dookie and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot. Dookie, which helped the three-piece band put them on the map with tracks like “Longview” and “Basket Case,” solidified Green Day as a staple in the punk scene, inspiring dozens of bands to come.

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Green Day Upcoming Tour Dates

July 29 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park
August 1 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
August 3 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
August 5 – New York, NY @ Citi Field
August 7 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park
August 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park
August 10 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
August 13 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field
August 15 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
August 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Field
August 20 – Kansas City, KS @ Azura Amphitheatre
August 22 – Cincinnati, OH @ Great American Ballpark
August 24 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Field
August 26 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
August 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park
August 30 – Nashville, TN @ Geodis Park
Sept. 1 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park
Sept. 4 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
Sept. 7 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field
Sept. 10 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Sept. 11 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field
Sept. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium
Sept. 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Chase Field
Sept. 20 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park
Sept. 23 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park
Sept. 25 – Portland, OR @ Providence Park
Sept. 28 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park

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