See Green Day make its debut performance at BottleRock music festival in Napa

Two Bay Area institutions collided on Friday night, and the result was explosive.

For the first time, East Bay alt-punk-rock band Green Day performed at the long-running BottleRock music festival in Napa.

Lead by singer-guitarist Billy Joe Armstrong, the group opened with their 2004 single “American Idiot” — its lyrics now tweaked to oppose the “MAGA agenda.”

The band played on the same stage that had been occupied hours before by Armstrong’s son, Jakob, who sings and plays guitar for the band Ultra Q.

Other highlights of the day included Public Enemy, Sublime, Bay Area rapper E-40 and a parade of chefs, musicians and athletes on the Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage, including country star Trisha Yearwood, tennis star Serena Williams, baseball player Evan Longoria and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

The festival continues Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are still available.

Green Day’s performance

Earlier bands: Ultra Q, Spiritual Cramp, Beach Bunny

The Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage

More bands: Public Enemy, Sublime, Remi Wolf

This story was originally published May 24, 2025 at 7:00 AM.

Nathaniel Levine

The Sacramento Bee

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Bee visuals editor Nathaniel Levine joined the staff in 2003. His work has received awards from the Society of News Design, the Best of the West journalism competition and the California News Publishers Association, among others. A native Californian, Levine grew up in Grass Valley and attended UC Davis.