Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day led the all-covers band Coverups in a surprise 30-song concert at the Cornerstone in Berkeley, California, on Wednesday night. Fans captured video of highlights including Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train' and David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust.' The set featured a mix of hits from artists like Nirvana, the Strokes and Cheap Trick.
Billie Joe Armstrong surprised fans with a secret show alongside the Coverups, an all-covers project he formed in 2018. Guitarist Jason White, who plays with Green Day live, joined Armstrong on stage at Berkeley's Cornerstone venue. The band announced the concert just hours earlier, at 3 p.m. on its Instagram page that day. According to Setlist.fm, the performance included 30 songs such as Nirvana's 'Drain You,' the Strokes' 'Last Nite,' the Go-Go's 'We Got the Beat,' Misfits' 'Where Eagles Dare' and Cheap Trick's 'Surrender.' Fan videos highlighted covers of Bryan Adams' 'Summer of '69' alongside the Osbourne and Bowie tracks. While some songs overlapped with Green Day's past covers, the set favored less frequent choices and skipped their usual take on Operation Ivy's 'Knowledge.' The Coverups originally included Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt on guitar, along with Chris Dugan on drums and Bill Schneider on bass. Dirnt last played with them in 2019, and the group has held at least one show annually since, except in 2020. They are set to appear at the Notes & Words benefit concert at Oakland's Fox Theater on May 2, as noted by the San Francisco Chronicle.