Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong to Play Free Show in His Hometown of Rodeo

Billie Joe Armstrong’s side project The Coverups usually play small club shows that sell out instantly after being announced on Instagram.

This week, though, fans have advance notice, and the price is right: the Green Day frontman’s cover band will headline the Rodeo Art and Music Market, a free outdoor festival in the heart of Rodeo, Armstrong’s hometown.

Playing favorites from the classic rock, modern rock and punk canon, The Coverups have appeared at small Bay Area dives like Kilowatt, Thee Parkside and the Ivy Room. The band hasn’t played a free outdoor show for seven years, when they appeared at a block party in Oakland.

The event at Lefty Gomez Field on Saturday marks a homecoming for Armstrong, who once played little league baseball at the very same spot he’ll be singing hits from the 1960s through the 1990s. A typical Coverups setlist includes songs from the Replacements, the Plimsouls, David Bowie, the Ramones, Joan Jett and the Buzzcocks.

Other acts at the festival include the Black Excellence Band and Whateverglades. Food booths, crafts, DJs, record booths and more round out the event.

The Rodeo Art and Music Market runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m on Saturday, Sept. 26. The Coverups are scheduled to play from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Details and more information here.