There's something to be said for a band that kicks off its show with the theme from "2001: A Space Odyssey" blaring through the speakers and covers Queen's "We are the Champions" for an encore.

Some would call it arrogant, maybe even campy. But for Green Day [ tickets ], who gained stardom 10 years ago with the release of "Dookie," these were perfectly logical choices to celebrate the group's over-the-top successful year with the album "American Idiot."

Green Day's sold-out, 2-and-a-half-hour set Wednesday (10/5) at Phoenix's America West Arena was filler free. The new hits--"Jesus of Suburbia" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends"--were interspersed with memories of the trio's indie past ("2,000 Light Years Away") and early favorites such as "Longview."

The concert was moving, rollicking fun. Singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt took turns running the full length of the T-shaped stage, which included a walkway that jetted into the standing-room-only main floor. Drummer Tre Cool held the sound's backbone with the help of backing musicians on guitar, keyboards and horns.

During a tribute to punk rockers Operation Ivy, Armstrong chose a female bassist, an 8-year-old guitarist and bulky drummer from the audience to replace him and his bandmates. The 8-year-old couldn't pull off the three-chord riff, so Armstrong eventually chose an alternate. The 8-year-old won out in the end, though: Armstrong gave him an expensive guitar.

"Go home and practice," he told the boy.

Ballads such as "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" prompted the crowd to light up their cell phones in tribute. Armstrong asked for the houselights to be turned down so he could feel the full effect of the dramatic sequence. He wrapped up the show on an appropriate note--with "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)."

The pyrotechnics rivaled the average KISS show. Thirty-five foot flames formed a perimeter around Cool's drum kit. A shower of sparklers fell during "Wake Me Up When September Ends." A giant videoscreen pictured bombs and war scenes--as well as the lyrics to "We are the Champions"--edging out other bands in the dramatic-effect category.

One thing's for sure: Not only has Green Day's audience grown up with the band, so have original fans' kids. The venue was crawling with screeching preteens, who often drowned out the music at the acoustically sound America West Arena.

The energy shared by the band and the crowd throughout the night was tangible, however, as if it was one of the first nights of the tour, not toward the end. The group played like newcomers to the rock market--not the 17-year icons that they are.