Fans across South America and the U.S. were left shocked (but also not really) this week after GREEN DAY announced they were canceling all of their September dates. The reason? Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong simply asked the world to respect his long-standing wish: don’t wake him up until September ends.
The affected shows include major stops like The Town Festival in São Paulo, Riot Fest in Chicago, and even Ohana Festival in California. Support bands BAD NERVES and Garage 21 were reportedly seen Googling “how to legally become a Green Day tribute act” so they can still play to confused crowds.
A band spokesperson issued a statement:
“Billie Joe wrote it in 2004. He meant it. We just didn’t think anyone would take it literally. But now that he’s insisted on a month-long nap, the rest of the band decided to go along with it. Tre Cool is using the downtime to learn professional yo-yo tricks, and Mike Dirnt is taking an online course in beekeeping.”
Festival organizers were reportedly frustrated but admitted it’s hard to argue with lyrics that have been around for over two decades. “Honestly, we should’ve seen this coming,” said one Riot Fest representative. “It’s the most punctual band cancellation excuse in rock history.”
Meanwhile, fans are already speculating that Armstrong will awaken on October 1st, step onto his porch in California, and announce the tour will resume “when October ends.”
Until then, Green Day fans will just have to set their alarms for November.
