The trio prove they're committed to keeping punk rock alive and well in the underground.
The internet lost its collective mind last week when footage of a hardcore punk show staged at a Denny's in Santa Ana, California, went viral. The raucous event -- headlined by local hardcore crew WACKO -- apparently racked up $1800 of damages, prompting restaurant management to demand said amount from Bryson Del Valle, the 17-year-old organizer of the show. Support from the punk rock community came in the form of the launch of a GoFundMe campaign for one third of the requested amount because, according to fundraiser organizer Zaine Drayton, "Fck that, well give em 600 bucks and tell em to go to Wal-Mart for replacements."
While funds have been trickling in all week, Green Day decided to take care of the damage bill in one fell swoop, unexpectedly donating $2,000 to the cause. They later tweeted out a fan's screen shot of their Instagram story announcing the donation, with the caption "father of all grilled cheese 😜🤘" (naturally, a nod to the title of their upcoming new album, Father of All Mother Fuckers):
All in all, it's a pretty fantastically happy ending to what has been a bit of a contentious square off between America's hardcore punk scene and favorite diner-style restaurant chain. Denny’s recently told Eater that the restaurant's manager had no idea that the concert was ever booked. “Denny’s is a family friendly restaurant and while we do have banquet space available at some restaurants, we do not allow events that can disrupt the dining experience of our guests," the chain claimed. "The manager was unaware a concert was planned, and the event organizers have been asked to pay for damages.”
We're just happy that now, the Denny's will be repaired, WACKO can play more shows, and Green Day are still as devoted to underground punk rock as they ever were.
Check out footage of the entire WACKO show below:
