Tre Cool of Green Day Joins Willie Nelson on West Coast Tour
Tre Cool of Green Day has pretty much joined Willie Nelson’s Family Band. Alright, that’s probably a little presumptuous and hyperbolic, but there is definitely something cool going on here, and now it’s happened a couple of times.
It started when Willie Nelson played a show in San Francisco at the Fillmore on Thursday, January 9th. Though very few in the crowd noticed, it was the Green Day drummer who had slid up on stage virtually undetected, and was playing bongos and washboard and stuff in the back during the entirety of Willie’s set.
Okay, so that was a little interesting and cool, and a colliding of two separate music worlds you probably wouldn’t have expected. Tre Cool was not introduced or his presence even acknowledged during the show. Most folks probably wouldn’t have even known about it if Tre hadn’t posted a picture and a snippet of the show on his Instagram story feed (see below).
But still, Green Day is based in the Bay Area, so perhaps Tre wanted to give local fans a little treat or something, and hang out with a music legend. Happens all the time. “If that other band your with doesn’t workout. You got a new home,” Willie’s harmonica player Mickey Raphael commented on Instagram.
Well then Tre Cool showed up again on stage with Willie Tuesday night (11-14) in Ontario, California near Los Angeles at the Toyota Arena. “Was waiting for the show to start on the floor and in walks Tre with a few people,” a Reddit user reports. “Did a double take like ‘No way. Yup. Sure is.’ Just said ‘Hey, Tre.’ Gave a little two finger wave. He smiled and gave me a nod. Left it at that. He ended up playing percussion the whole show. Wasn’t really acknowledged either. I’m sure 99% of the arena had no idea who the dude playing a washboard was.”
Tre Cool later acknowledged the second appearance himself, posting on Instagram, “Thanks Willie Nelson And Family for a great jam tonight in Ontario.”
Also appearing with Willie Nelson on his current West Coast run were his sons Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson. Saving Country Music reached out to the Willie camp, and they think it might have been Lukas, Micah, or Mickey Raphael who had invited Tre Cool to attend and sit in. “You just have to be able to follow Willie and you are welcome!”
This isn’t the first time a famous person has joined Willie Nelson on stage virtually undetected. In 2014, Johnny Depp appeared at numerous Willie shows without any introduction or acknowledgement.
Tre Cool jammed with Willie Nelson last night.
via @TreCool‘s IG story#FillmoreSF #GreenDay pic.twitter.com/f4VF9pdowX— Green Day LIVE (@GDLoT) January 11, 2020
January 15, 2020 @ 11:40 am
Is that dude’s name really Tre Cool?
January 15, 2020 @ 11:44 am
I don’t know. Maybe ask Harold Lloyd Jenkins. 🙂
January 15, 2020 @ 2:19 pm
Trigger for the win.
January 15, 2020 @ 7:40 pm
Tre Cool’s real name is Frank Edwin Wright III
January 15, 2020 @ 11:55 am
His real name is Da Poop
January 15, 2020 @ 12:01 pm
Is it worth mentioning the fantastic country tinged album Billy Joe Armstrong was part of, Foreverly. So damn good that album.
January 16, 2020 @ 3:09 pm
Despite being a huge Green Day fan in my teens, when I heard that Billie Joe and Norah Jones were putting out an album of Everly Brothers covers, I was highly skeptical, but I’ll be damned if that wasn’t a damned good record.
January 16, 2020 @ 3:29 pm
Green Day have a few country inspired tunes like “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love,” “On the Wagon,” and to a lesser extent “Pulling Teeth” but mostly the first example.
January 15, 2020 @ 2:51 pm
Dominated Love Slave by Green Day is more country than nearly everything on mainstream “country” radio today!!
January 15, 2020 @ 4:54 pm
I was thinking of going to the Green Day baseball park concert this summer, then the Brooks & Dunn tour dates dropped.
January 15, 2020 @ 6:43 pm
So the washboard player stole the show? Willie’s still struggling then I take it…….
January 16, 2020 @ 8:35 am
Oh no! A punk drummer playing with Willie! That ain’t real country music!
January 16, 2020 @ 9:13 pm
Reminds me of the BeachLife festival last May – they streamed it live and John Popper, of Blues Traveler, played on the final medley instead of Mickey – no announcement but it was so distinguishable, he really made the solo his own and I remember snapping my head up, remembering that sound from my HS years and thinking, what the hell is that him? Yup.