The music never stopped

One worries a bit whenever aging punk rock stars perform. Wouldn't the passage of time have taken the edge off their teenage anthems, softened their kohl-lined scowls, and blunted their spiky hairstyles?

- RANJITA GANESAN

One worries a bit whenever aging punk rock stars perform. Wouldn't the passage of time have taken the edge off their teenage anthems, softened their kohl-lined scowls, and blunted their spiky hairstyles? It was easy to question whether Green Day, in their 50s now and playing at the recent Lollapalooza India 2025, would sell angst as convincingly as when they first belted out "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "American Idiot".

As it turned out, the band's pet themes of urban alienation and problems with authority are still relevant two decades later. Even with restrained pogo-stick jumping and a slightly predictable setlist, Billie Joe Armstrong was able to move today's teens and 20-somethings, as also 30-somethings nostalgic for a simpler time. The more things change, the more they stay the same.