The Dookie Days

 

 

 

 
 

      Green Day was touring around the country in a beat up old van driven by Tre Cool's father. They were selling out clubs everywhere they went. Some shows had to be canceled because too many people would show up at these small venues. The band decided if they were going to be getting all this attention, they needed to sign to a larger record company. Lookout Records was too small to keep up with their sudden success. In April of 1993, Green Day signed with Reprise Records.

 
 

      Although most bands would have nothing to be sad about after signing to a major label, Green Day did. Their local fans at 924 Gilman Street were not happy for the band. Usually when a local band signs to a major label they become known as sell-outs. It wasn't easy for the boys to just forget about it. These people had been, in a way, their family for their entire childhood. Now they had turned their backs against them for something that you would think they would be happy about.

 
 

     

Green Day had bigger problems to worry about, considering that they were about to begin recording their first album with Reprise. The album, Dookie, came out in February of 1994. It debuted at number 127 on the Billboard album's chart. Although its debut wasn't all that great, people all over the world were reacting to it. "Longview" Dookie's first single, hit MTV and was an instant hit. Green Day was becoming bigger than they had ever imagined. In the middle of Dookie's success Billie Joe got married. He said his vows to Adrienne Nesser (who he is still married to today) on July 2nd 1994. Soon after the wedding, Green Day hit the road again. 1994 was turning out to be an unexpectedly great year.

   
   
 

Dookie was a huge success. The album received four stars. The band was nominated for three Video Music Awards and three Billboard Music Awards. Soon after, it was confirmed that Dookie had sold well-over 3 million copies just in the United States.

 
 

      Dookie gave the band four singles. "Longview", "Basket case", "Welcome to Paradise", and "When I Come Around". All for were as successful as the album itself. Green Day's biggest accomplishment with Dookie was that people were reacting to their music. They didn't want to fame of the fortune. They just wanted to share their music.

 

   
  Green Day was added to the bill to play at Woodstock II in August of 1994. When it came time to do the show Green Day were huge. People were getting for anxious to see Green Day's set. The crowd began chanting their name while another act was performing. As soon as they finally hit the stage, it became total chaos. The crowd started to have a massive mud fight. Hundreds people jumped the fences, past security and began fighting. Mike was mistaken for a fan and was tackled by one of the security guards. His front teeth were shattered. The band had to be taken off stage by helicopter. By this time, one thing was for sure, Green Day had hit it big time.

 
 
   

                             

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