Green Day’s Wednesday evening concert at Comerica Park was briefly paused when someone flew an unauthorized drone into the ballpark, the Detroit Police Department said — leading to a scary moment for the politically charged band and its fans.
The pop punk group from California was headlining a joint anniversary tour of two of its landmark albums, 1994’s Dookie and 2004’s American Idiot. Several songs into its Dookie set, the band was suddenly rushed off stage. Shortly after, the message “SHOW PAUSE” was emblazoned on the stage’s large screens.
After about 10 minutes or so the band returned to the stage without explanation and continued playing right where it left off.
Later, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong told the crowd, “There ain’t no motherfucker that’s gonna stop us, I’ll tell you that.”
In an Instagram post, the band elaborated, saying, “Sorry for the delay in the show tonight, Stadium security had to clear the stage while they dealt with a potential safety issue. DPD quickly resolved the situation, and we were able to continue. Thanks for understanding.”
Remote-controlled drones have become an increasingly common sight at outdoor concerts and music festivals, and are typically used to capture footage of the crowds. The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits the flying of drones in and around stadiums that seat 30,000 or more people.
The concert’s stacked bill also included sets by the Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and the Linda Lindas.
