Review: Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins take ’90s angst out to the ballpark

Journey and Def Leppard will also be repeat players at Target Field when they return there together on Monday, but let’s go ahead and declare Green Day the reigning rockers at the Twins ballpark.

Just as it did when it played Minneapolis’ MLB stadium in 2021, the anthemic California punk trio hit Target Field on Saturday night with the velocity of a lead-off batter, the oomph of a clean-up hitter and the resilient staying power of a good starting pitcher. This one was another championship showing.

Instead of the more summery and poppy opening acts featured on its 2021 tour, Weezer and Fall Out Boy, this time Green Day came with dark and stormy alt-rock vets Smashing Pumpkins, with whom it first toured in 1994 on the Lollapalooza IV tour.

That choice of co-headliners didn’t kill the fun ballpark vibe. It actually suited Green Day’s game plan for this tour, celebrating the 30th and 20th anniversary of its most angsty and best-loved albums, “Dookie” and “American Idiot.”

Each record was played in full Saturday, resulting in a nearly 2½-hour set. See what I mean about the band showing Jack Morris-like staying power?

The sold-out concert kicked off with what felt like a heartfelt nod to Green Day’s DIY roots. Two other California punk bands about 40 years apart in age, Rancid and teen punks the Linda Lindas, each put on Ramones-paced rapid-fire opening sets.

Rancid had no choice but to hurry. The ska-tinged ruffians had only a half-hour to spotlight boisterous recent tunes such as “Ghost of a Chance” and “Tomorrow Never Comes” alongside ‘90s staples like “Timebomb,” “Ruby Soho” and set highlight “Roots Radicals.” Giving Rancid 10 more minutes would have been way more punk-rock than the time wasted on Green Day’s goofy, extra-long walk-on routine with a dancing bunny mascot.

Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan sort of looked like a vampire mascot when he took the stage in the summer sunlight looking pale and dressed in a long, black tunic. Despite his look, the Chicago rock guru seemed more jovial and gregarious than usual in the summery ballpark setting.

During “Ava Adore,” Corgan atypically pulled a typical Joe Rockstar trick by pointing to different sides of the audience to cheer. He smiled sweetly, too, as audience members sang along to more tender tunes such as “Today” and “1979.” Seemingly just for fun, he also threw in an industrial-goth-flavored remake of U2′s “Zoo Station” heavily fueled by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.

Chamberlin and guitarist James Iha are aboard from the original Pumpkins lineup, but the band has taken on a more ‘80s-metallic vibe with two new female auxiliary band members who matched Corgan’s dark attire. Grungier classics such as “Bullet With a Butterfly Wings” and the closer “Zero” came off a little campy with the new lineup; or maybe they were just too dark for the bright daylight of the ballpark.

After it finally gave its dancing bunny the hook, Green Day excitedly bounced onto the stage to the tune of “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” one of several songs played from its new album, “Saviors.” From there, it was off to the “Dookie” races.

An album laced with the dissatisfied longing and cynical boredom of early adulthood, the youthful qualities of “Dookie” could have seemed out of place now that frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is 52. However, any fan of Minneapolis rock inspirators the Replacements can tell you (including Armstrong himself) that stuff never really gets old — especially when its creators can still play those tunes with abandon.

Armstrong and bandmates Mike Dirnt (bass) and Tré Cool (drums) bashed through songs like “Longview,” “Basket Case” and “Welcome to Paradise” at a breakneck pace. About the only time they eased up to catch their breath was during “When I Come Around,” and that’s because most of the 40,000 fans took over singing duties.

As fun as the “Dookie” performance was, “American Idiot” was even better. It’s a more musically varied, conceptual, roller-coastery and lyrically sharp album. And it has an opening song/title track for the ages.

Armstrong sharpened the title track even more by subbing “MAGA agenda” into the line, “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda.” He otherwise let the songs about America’s rising rifts and dwindling middle class speak for themselves 20 years later. “Jesus of Suburbia” and the Who-like “Homecoming” spoke the loudest, while the mournful “Wake Me Up When September Ends” found the fans at their loudest.

As was the case in his band’s 2021 show, Armstrong ended the night by strumming out one of the best farewell songs in rock ‘n’ roll, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” So much else about the concert was different, though. And yet it had the same ultra-rousing results.