Green Day has come a long way from "Dookie," tackling increasingly serious subject matter as it pushed into its second decade with acclaimed albums "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown." As they engaged the crowd in a massive mud fight at the Woodstock 25th anniversary festival in 1994, who in their right mind would have guessed that the Bay area pop punks would one day serve as the inspiration for a Broadway musical?

That doesn't mean that the band has abandoned its roots. On its summer tour, Green Day is demonstrating remarkable balance between its sense of humor and its sense of purpose, ripping through marathon sets that touch on some of its earliest material.

How does "Longview" hold up next to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"? Find out when the band returns to Hartford for a show at the Comcast Theatre tonight. California alt-rock vets AFI open the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $49.50 to $85 for reserved seats, or $35 for the lawn. Information: 860- 548-7370 or livenation.com.
[Full article at Courant]