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The 40 greatest concerts in Boston history: 6

Green Day | the Hatch Shell | September 9, 1994
By PHOENIX STAFF  |  October 25, 2006

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Welcome to Paradise: Green Day at the Hatch Shell. By Matt Ashare
Snotty and brilliant: Green Day at the Hatch Shell. By Ted Drozdowski

greenday_poster
Promotional material for Green Day's 1994 Hatch Shell show
In July of 1994, when WFNX and the Phoenix started making inquires about the availability of bands for their free welcome-back-to-school concert at the Hatch Shell and Green Day’s name came up, no one could have predicted how quickly the Bay Area brats would rise to mega-popularity. August saw the band steal the show at Woodstock ’94 with a set that ended with a massive set-ending mud fight that was replayed on MTV ad nauseam over the next couple of weeks alongside the “Longview” and “Basket Case” videos. Dookie was certified platinum by the beginning of September, and on September 9, somewhere between 70,000 and 100,000 people showed up at the Esplanade. No one — not the MDC, the state police, the Wizard Security staff, or the Phoenix/FNX folks — was ready for such an enormous, mosh-happy mob or the snotty three-piece who coaxed the crowd to tear down the FNX balloon before plunging into the flower beds and tearing them up in front of the stage. The crowd broke through the barriers and the plug was pulled just 20 minutes into the set. More than 100 people were injured (24 shipped to local hospitals), 31 were arrested, and Green Day went on to become the most successful punk band of all time. As Wizard Security owner Jeff Freedman said at the time, “It was the band, the location, the audience — the total atmosphere. I don’t think it will ever be duplicated.”
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Were you there? Wish you were? Seen better? Tell us about it below.

Related: Green Day | 21st Century Breakdown, Photos: Green Day at TD Garden, The Big Hurt: Durst pantsed, Michaels smooshed, More more >
  Topics: Live Reviews , The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day,  More more >
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Comments
The 40 greatest concerts in Boston history: 6
i was at the show, right side of the stage about 30 back, we all felt the police overreacted....what are you going to do...to the beacon hill pub!
By HALFWIGGUM on 11/01/2006 at 11:07:00
Re: The 40 greatest concerts in Boston history: 6
Man, I was just coming up, walking through Storrow Drive towards the Hatch, I had never seen the place like this. I mean, even the 4th of July, nah, this was just electric, but really raw energy. Green Day were a hot band young band, I was shocked we were getting a free show in beantown. As we came up around to the left of the Hatch and could see the band, got about 75 to 100 deep and then this rush just fell back. I remember what little emergency staff they had were highly... comically in recall...undermanned for what was happening. True rock and roll by The Dirty Water! I think Modest Mouse opened. Can anybody confirm that? It spilled over the footbridges into Copley and Newbury. I ran into friends, puffed a jibba walking through town. Life was oblivion then! Hell-a-loo-ya!
By Rockinpablo on 03/17/2009 at 12:34:05

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