San Diego, CA
Green Day’s North American Saviors Tour Finishes Strong In San Diego
Green Day’s Saviors tour finishes the North American leg at Petco Park in San Diego
On Saturday September 28th, 2024 Green Day finished the North American leg of their Saviors tour at Petco Park in San Diego. The entire tour began in Santiago de Compostela, Spain this May and finishes May 30th 2025 in Mumbai. This tour was launched in support of Saviors, Green Day’s fourteenth album.
After thirty-five years on the road the band has learned a few things about holding an audience. Green Day’s performance included lots of coordinated flash bang occurrences using fireworks to punctuate their songs, along with a full stage assortment of lighting effects. This tour was a four act bill in North America consisting of The Linda Lindas, Rancid, Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day. That’s a pretty big show given the reasonable ticket prices.
When the audience lights the stage with their phones
There is a lot of talk these days about the ebb and flow of demand for tickets to big shows. Consumers are growing resistant to spending money, and there has been a marked increase in tickets going unsold because fans are economically pressured. But, when Green Day comes to town it’s still a party that can’t be missed.
Green Day in performance at Petco Park
Ticket prices remained fair, even up to the last minute in San Diego where a bunch of “obstructed view” tickets were added shortly before the show for sale at $36 apiece. For those in the know about baseball stadiums, the noted obstruction was because there is netting protecting against foul balls going into the crowd. This netting was still there because the Padres are still in contention as baseball goes into the playoffs. Here’s a pro tip: once it is dark during a nighttime show you can’t see the net. The stage video screens are bright in the darkness and sound is unimpacted.
The Saviors tour focused on the 30th anniversary of the Dookie album and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot. By now, the crowd knew this music intimately, and they sang along throughout the show. There is something special about being in a crowd of longtime fans all joining together to celebrate the music which has been the soundtrack to their lives.
Once a band has been touring a show for a while they settle into a rhythm. If you see the show twice, you’ll have twice the fun, but both shows will be very similar. So, sometimes it the unexpected which gives a little jolt of energy when it comes out of nowhere.
Early on in the San Diego show lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong noticed two people fighting in the front audience. He stopped the show and directly told the aggressors to stop fighting. He had to say it a few times, until the situation calmed. Then, showing how a great front man handles a crowd, Billie Joe turned the entire stadium into a support group, urging everyone to collectively join in the soothing process by chanting “ohm” repeatedly as a calming device. The concert became group therapy, and with the support of the audience the situation resolved.
Even more unexpected was the pep talk Billie Joe gave the audience as the show was nearly finished. It is no surprise to anyone these days that with a highly partisan election nearing there is tension in society. Billie Joe reached around the trip wires and spoke from his heart. He said:
“We are not choosing sides. We are all unified. This is unity. We want a new America. Something that’s inclusive for all of us with compassion and love and joy.”
What Billie Joe sand and how he said it was what should be the norm of how to interact with people. But in this polarized world people are talking in circles. Truth has been left to the performers. Green Day is not afraid to speak from their heart, and remind those in attendance how normal human beings shold interact.
Pink Floyd used to fly an inflatable pig. Green Day hoists a blimp.
All of this runs to trust. Those in entertainment who survive the journey learn to build affinity with their fans. In return, the fans buy tickets, merchandise and build a community amongst themselves which celebrates the joy of singing together the songs which have been playing for the better part of a lifetime. Those who turned up and saw this tour got 38 songs over nearly two and one half hours. The show began with a new song: The American Dream Is Killing Me and ended with a heartwarming classic: Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life.) The arc through their back catalogue during the show kept the crowd engaged. When the audience is in synch with the musicians they bond as the fans in the stadium slowly become a collective community. Then, together with the performers they celebrate the past and inspire the musicians to continue creating in the present.
Stage effects add to the adventure
Green Day is not done. They have many shows already booked around the world for 2025. The party held in San Diego as the Saviors tour of North America ended was joyous. The crowd was a blend of young and old, left and right, well off and grinding. In the end, they came in excited for the event and left satiated. There is nothing easy about managing a stadium crowd. There are substantial logistics to be handled prior to and during the performance. Green Day gave the crowd an terrific experience. It’s clear the stadium will fill again when they return on their next loop.
San Diego County will be the center of NASCAR nation this weekend, with fans flocking to Naval Base Coronado for three days of events.
This is the first-ever Cup race held in San Diego County and the NASCAR community is also presenting it as its way of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.
Tickets are completely sold out, but locals can still get in on the fun at various event and activities taking place across the region.
Here’s what to know about this one-of-a-kind weekend in San Diego. Full coverage of NASCAR San Diego Weekend can be found at sandiegouniontribune.com/tag/nascar.
What is NASCAR San Diego Weekend?
The three-day event begins with Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, continues with an O’Reilly Auto Parts series race on Saturday and wraps Sunday with the Anduril 250.
Grandstands with a capacity for 40,000 fans have been erected, with another 10,000 spectators expected to occupy standing areas around the grounds.
Here’s a turn-by-turn look at Naval Base Coronado’s race circuit
When is it taking place?
Parking lots, which are on base, open each day at 7 a.m. and gates open at 9 a.m.
The Craftsman Truck Series takes place Friday at 4 p.m. The O’Reilly Auto Parts series race blasts off at 2 p.m. Saturday. The main event, NASCAR Cup Series Race, happens Sunday at 1 p.m.
A race-by-race look at NASCAR’s San Diego Weekend
Each day will also feature entertainment, driver Q&As and other activities.
Where is it?
Naval Base Coronado will host the weekend’s activities. All fans in attendance must carry a valid government-issued photo ID at all times.
Going to this weekend’s NASCAR races in Coronado? Here’s what you need to know
All event parking will be located on Naval Base Coronado. There is no event parking available within the city of Coronado.
Who is racing?
Shane Van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Mike McDowell, Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs are just a few of the names to expect this weekend. A full lineup can be found at nascarsandiego.com/nascar-san-diego-mission-lineup.
These 13 Cup racers could all win Sunday’s Anduril 250 in Coronado
How to watch on TV:
Craftsman Trucks Series race: 4 p.m. Friday on Fox Sports 1
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race: 2 p.m. Saturday on The CW
NASCAR Cup race: Sunday at 1 p.m. on Prime Video
Local events:
San Diegans have a range of options for getting in on the fun of NASCAR weekend in Coronado, including meet and greets with drivers, watch parties and fan zones.
Your guide to fan events during NASCAR San Diego Weekend
More coverage:
CORONADO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Final preparations are underway for NASCAR’s historic race weekend at Naval Base Coronado, where stock cars will compete on an active military installation for the first time in the sport’s history.
Crews, race teams, military personnel, first responders and event staff spent Thursday putting the finishing touches on the temporary road course as thousands of fans prepare to descend on the base for the inaugural event.
“The countdown is on,” as organizers work to transform portions of the installation into a race venue unlike any NASCAR has hosted before.
“It’s a very proud moment for NASCAR and myself and my company for being part of it,” said Jordan Litchko, a NASCAR production partner with ignition production. “It’s the America 250, so what a year to celebrate and be here on the naval base.”
Officials say the event marks the first time a NASCAR national series race has been held on a military base, bringing one of America’s most recognizable motorsports directly onto a working military installation.
Unlike traditional oval tracks, competitors will tackle a temporary road course built specifically for the event.
“It’s a road course race, which adds way more excitement, so it’s going to be ultra challenging,” Litchko said.
Thursday’s preparations included long lines of team members, vendors, staff and emergency personnel picking up credentials and completing security and base access requirements ahead of race weekend.
Meanwhile, drivers and crews got their first close look at the unique layout, which winds through portions of the base and presents a challenge far different from a conventional speedway.
With large crowds expected throughout the weekend, organizers are encouraging fans to plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Traffic delays are anticipated around Naval Base Coronado and nearby access points as spectators arrive for the event.
After months of planning and construction, the wait is nearly over.
On Friday, engines will roar to life aboard Naval Base Coronado, marking a milestone moment for NASCAR and creating a new chapter in the sport’s history. By the weekend’s end, fans will witness a race unlike any ever held before — stock cars competing on a military base in the heart of San Diego.
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The City of San Diego is beginning to install 286 metered parking spaces this week in downtown San Ysidro in an effort to increase parking turnover, it was announced Thursday.
To develop the plan, city leaders worked with the San Ysidro business community. Revenue collected from the meters is reserved for transportation, parking and safety improvements in San Ysidro.
“Feeding parking meters feeds neighborhood repairs, and we can’t wait to get to work for the San Ysidro community,” said Naomi Chavez, interim director of the city’s Transportation Department. “This new parking zone will bring long overdue change that will help support local business activity and generate revenue that will be reinvested directly into improving neighborhood quality of life in San Ysidro.”
Crews began preparing the bases for the meters last week and installation work is expected to last through June. According to the city, these will be multi-space meter kiosks and drivers should be aware that they will need to go to the nearest kiosk to pay for parking since there won’t be a meter at each space.
Metered parking goes into effect on July 1 and will be enforced 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. The parking rate is $2.50 an hour, with a maximum time limit of four hours.
City-led parking studies determined vehicles were parking on the streets of the neighborhood for hours or days at a time, making street parking for the area’s businesses scarce.
Drivers who customarily use free street parking when traveling across the border to Mexico are encouraged to use “one of the many paid off-street parking lots in the area,” a city statement read.
“The findings [of the parking study] clearly demonstrate the need for action. High parking occupancy on unregulated segments, along with data showing that 37% of vehicles exceed the existing two-hour limit and an average parking duration of over five hours, indicate that current conditions reduce turnover and limit access for local businesses and visitors,” wrote Alfredo Ripa, president of the San Ysidro Community Economic Development Corporation. “The proposed introduction of approximately 286 metered spaces, along with better signage, clearer designations and continued enforcement, represents a thoughtful and data-driven approach to improving parking availability and supporting economic activity in the community.”
Areas where the meter kiosks will be installed include:
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Border Village Road to Camino De La Plaza (both sides);
— Border Village Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard (north) to East San Ysidro Boulevard (south), (both sides);
— Front Street between Border Village Road to end of cul-de-sac (south side);
— Bolton Hall Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (south side);
— Louisiana Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to end of cul-de- sac (south side);
— Virginia Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (both sides); and
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Willow Road and East Park Avenue (south side).
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