Green Day Play Marathon Set in New Jersey

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

Green Day affirmed its multi-generational hold during a sold-out three-hour set Saturday night in Holmdel, N.J. that was a high point of the PNC Bank Arts Center's 2010 schedule.

While the material in the group's catalog-spanning set alone would have been enough to make it a winner, the show's fabulous pyro, superb visuals, smartass approaches and a hilarious rendition of the Isley Brothers' "Shout" -- which was performed shtick-style, in goofy costumes a la 'Benny Hill' -- all earned it extra marks.

Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool hit the ground running, literally, taking the stage to the sound of the Ramones' classic 'Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio' before blasting into 'Song of the Century.' With the stamina of a marathon man, Armstrong careened across the stage as the group ripped through '21st Century Breakdown' and 'Know Your Enemy.' He rarely, if ever, let up.

Meshing 'American Idiot' favorites like 'Holiday' and the one-two punch of 'Are We the Waiting' and 'St. Jimmy' with old school surprises like 'Burnout' and 'Kerplunk' tracks '2000 Light Years From Home' and 'Who Wrote Holden Caulfield' (which featured guest vocals by Davey Havok of show openers AFI), the 31-song event was a reminder of just how extensive and significant the band's songbook has become.

A couple dozen shout-outs to the Garden State and Armstrong's snickering reference to 'Jersey Shore' star Snooki were also met with crowd roars. If Armstrong let the expletives fly, F-bombing all night, the gig was -- language aside -- quite obviously a family outing. Green Day played to its audience of teens and pre-teens as much as it did to their 40-something, aging punk parents.

Armstrong relied on fans of all ages to help him out, pulling fans on stage for the likes of 'When I Come Around,' 'Longview' and 'Basketcase' before ordering each of them to jump back out into the crowd with an obligatory stage dive. Among these was a 10-year-old kid from Hopatcong with a yellow "Save Me" T-shirt who took a good ribbing from Amrstrong, who told the "little curly haired s---" to "get lost."

Off he went, but soon enough it was Armstrong's turn. With security in tow, he went deep into the crowd. When he made it back to the stage, he thanked the band's loyal fans as he pledged his devotion to the outfit he founded with Dirnt in 1987 when they were just 15.

At one point, Amrstrong stomped across the stage like some deranged preacher, telling the crowd "there will be no church tomorrow." Moments later the band teased them with snippets of classic rock favorites like 'Iron Man,' 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love,' 'You Really Got Me,' 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and 'Highway to Hell' to thunderous applause. This stunt worked so well that the platinum punks did it again later, touching on pieces of 'Break on Through (To the Other Side),' 'Free Fallin'' and 'Satisfaction.'

And it didn't stop there, as Green Day gave a nod to local hero Bruce Springsteen with a verse of 'I'm on Fire' before Armstrong and Dirnt lied down on their backs to play most of the Beatles' 'Hey Jude.'

A double encore pitted 'American Idiot' and the epic 'Jesus of Suburbia' against 'When It's Time' and a poignant 'Wake Me Up When September Ends.' Judging by audience reaction to the hook of the band's timeless finale 'Good Riddance,' most of the crowd had the time of their lives.