Everyone knows Green Day is a big part of the Bay Area's music lore: They cut their teeth at Berkeley's 924 Gilman in the early 90s, then went on to conquer the world. So it was only a matter of time before their spawn grew up to follow the same path. And that time is coming...this weekend. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's teenage son Joey's got his own three-chord pop punk project now called Emily's Army, which is staging their record release party tonight at the Uptown in Oakland. We bet Billie Joe, in addition to producing and releasing his kid's album on his own Adeline Records, gave Joey plenty of tips on how to perfectly apply eyeliner.
But Joey isn't a frontman like his dad. Instead, he's taken to pounding the drums while brothers Max and Cole Becker sing and wail on guitar with teenage fury. And their music? It's a testament to just how lasting Green Day's legacy is proving to be, and expect to hear it blasting from a Hot Topic near you very soon. Impeccably tight tunes like "Broadcast This" hate on the radio (don't we all?) and the amusingly-titled "Asslete" is a scathing ode to philandering, lying and cheating athletes such as Barry Bonds and Tiger Woods. These kids know what's up.
If you're wondering about the band's moniker, it's a tribute to the Becker brother's cousin Emily–who suffers from cystic fibrosis–and her charity of the same name.
Emily's Army plays their record release party tonight at the Uptown, doors open at 8 pm, the cover is $5. 1928 Telegraph Avenue.
