I remember the exact moment my world cracked open. I was at my cousin’s place, and this music was blasting from his room — loud, raw, and completely alien to my pop-conditioned ears. Until then, “Western music” for me had been confined to the polished edges of Top 40 hits, so you can imagine the seismic shift when I first heard something this… rebellious. That, ladies and gentlemen, was my gateway into the chaotic, beautiful world of Green Day — a band that would become the soundtrack to my life’s highs and lows, from teenage angst to joy, heartbreak, rebellion, and those cold jolts of reality.
If you’d told my younger self that one day I’d be screaming along to “Jesus of Suburbia” and “Basket Case” in the middle of a sweaty, manic crowd, I’d have laughed and gone back to my headphones. Back then, the closest I thought I’d get was YouTube clips of sold-out shows. But here I was — front and center at Lollapalooza 2025, Green Day tearing up the stage while thousands of us screamed our lungs out, sleeves rolled up, hearts exposed. When the lineup dropped, the second I spotted “Green Day” on that list, I drained my tattoo savings without a second thought. Some things are non-negotiable — this was survival-level music.
March 8th, Mahalakshmi Race Course. The first day of Lollapalooza 2025 Indian edition was already electric. Indian acts like Dot., Dhanji, Talwinder, Lullanas, Frizzell D’Souza, Philtersoup, Jonita and others set the tone, paving the way for the international heavyweights. Isabel LaRosa’s sultry vibe, Zedd’s euphoric beats, Cory Wong’s funky precision, Glass Animals’ hypnotic grooves, and Shawn Mendes’ pop charm — the crowd was getting exactly what it came for. Seeing Glass Animals live was another bucket-list moment; they’ve held a special place in my heart for years, and they didn’t disappoint.
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But the real magic was brewing beneath the surface, waiting for Day 2. March 9th — the energy was feral. The crowd was thicker, the air heavier with anticipation. Lisa Mishra, Raghav Meattle, Raman Negi, Green Park and others warmed us up, and then Aurora floated in like some whimsical forest spirit and left me unexpectedly emotional. Nothing But Thieves hit hard too — I liked them before, but after this, I’m fully converted. Louis Tomlinson and Wave to Earth kept the momentum alive — but let’s be real, everyone was here for one band.
And then, the moment. Over 40,000 of us stood under the night sky, buzzing with nervous energy. A collective goosebump moment: “Bohemian Rhapsody” came on over the speakers, and the entire crowd erupted in perfect, chaotic harmony — a Green Day concert tradition, setting the stage for the main event. And then they were there. Green Day. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool charged onto the stage, launching into a barrage of punk rock anthems. “American Idiot” turned the crowd into a sea of flailing limbs and screaming voices. “Letterbomb” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” hit with that familiar bittersweet sting. It was 90 minutes of catharsis — years of pent-up rage and love released into the night air, united by sweat, noise, and sheer punk rock bliss.
And when someone tells you that punk music has no place in a country like India, tell them about this night at Lollapalooza 2025. About 40,000 misfits and dreamers, screaming every word like their lives depended on it. About finding a space to be loud, to be angry, to be whole. Green Day gave us that — a messy, glorious communion of outsiders finally finding their tribe.
“It’s something unpredictable but in the end it’s right…” We really did have the time of our lives.
Picture Courtesy: @lollaindia on Instagram
