When Billie Joe Armstrong played in an unlit unheated cabin in the middle of nowhere, he didn't know that soon after the show Lawrence Livermore would sign him to a record label that would change his life forever. As Lawrence Livermore watched this newly formed band called Sweet Children play he was immedialty transfixed. He liked the band so much, and loved how they sounded, so he signed them a record deal to Lookout Records. Lookout records was a record label where many bands had gained local popularity and respect from. Little did Lawrence Livermore know, that signing this band to his record label would change the music world in a profound way.

   Early Sweet Children played some of their first shows at Contra Costa College, where their drummer at the time, John Kiffmeyer,(aka Al Sobrante), was attending classes for journalism. In their early days Sweet Children stuck to playing at Contra Costa College for their first few shows. It was there where they started off. Sweet Children then decided to play at a local venue for punk rock bands called the Gilman. They were not immidiatly accepted, and almost didn't get to play there. They were considered "too poppy" for the Gilmans hard punk rock styles. Then Sweet Children managed to let the Gilman's owner play there, and people loved them. Their drummer at the time was in a band called Isocracy, which was a popular local band, and helped to define the Gilman and set the stage for bands like Sweet Children. But in 1988, Isocracy broke up and John sought out Billie Joe and Mike. John gave the band the street credit that they needed to get noticed, and he helped to get the young band off of it's feet.

   Then John Kiffmeyer phoned some of his friends to tell them about his new band. One of those people he phoned was Lawrence Livermore. John asked Lawrence where they could get a show at, and Lawrence told them that there would be a show up in a log cabin in the Mendicino Mountains. Sweet Children showed up, but there was a snow storm that night, and most of the people who were supposed to go didn't show up. But Lawrence, true to his word did. Then to add on top of it all, the power went out so the cabin was unlit and unheated. But Sweet Children played anyways, due to the power of a generator, and Lawrence Livermore loved the show. Soon after the show was over Lawrence signed Sweet Children to his record label Lookout Records.

   Sweet Children's first record they recorded was called 1000 Hours, which features great melodic three chord playing from Billie Joe, good, simple bass playing from Mike, and simple drum parts from John which fit perfect with the songs. In an interview on KALX radio in Berkeley from 1989, the young band talked about their record, and they talked about the songs. John Kiffmeyer stated that Billie Joe and Mike write the songs, while he names them. They also talked about when they were recording the song Dry Ice, the second song off of their EP 1000 Hours, John kept messing up on the drums so they ended up doing 18 takes before they got the song down. Then people started listening to Sweet Children more, and they started to get more recignition.

   Soon after the release of 1000 hours, in April of 1988, the band decided to change it's name to Green Day. It is said to have come from a day when Billie, Mike and John were sitting around smoking pot, and then John decided to write Green Day on the back of his jacket. The guys like the name, so it caught on. When they told Lawrence Livermore that they changed their name to Green Day, he blew a gasket and said "what the hell does Green Day mean, everbody knows you as Sweet Children!" But Lawrence gave in and the name stuck. About a year after the release of 1000 Hours, Green Day's first album called "39/Smooth" was released. It was well recieved, and it sold the first pressing of 1000 albums, so they repressed the album again. It was then that Billie Joe realized that people wanted to hear his music.

   The album 39/Smooth featured 10 tracks, and was a masterpiece. It was very similar in sound to 1000 Hours, and the album eventually sold 10,000 records, which was unheard of at the time. Billie Joe and Mike were both eighteen when 39/Smooth was released, and school was getting in the way of the music that Billie Joe wanted to write. So Billie Joe dropped out of school at around the release of the album, but Mike went on to graduate to make his mom proud. Mike graduated from Pinole Valley High School in May of 1990, and the day after that the band went on a 45 day tour.

   Green Day then got their own van and went on their first ever national tour. Green Day would go to extremes just to be able to play and get their music heard. They would sleep on floors, play in basements and living rooms. While on tour Billie Joe would be singing songs, and people would know the words. Billie Joe was amazed that people on the other side of the country knew the words to his songs. That really gave him a boost of confidence, and he was doing what he loved. Billie Joe was amazed at the support of the punk rock underground throughout the country, and he was having the time of his life. When they would get a place to eat and sleep that was their pay, and they were happy with that. At around that time Green Day released their Ep called Slappy, which had some newer, more expirienced sounding Green Day in it.

   But Eveyrthing was going to change very soon. When Billie Joe was was walking with some of his friends one day someone was mentioning who was goign away for college that summer. When she mentioned that John was going away, Billie was speechless. He said it felt "like a punch in the gut", and it was beyong comprehension to him that John could just walk away from something like that, just when they were starting to get popular. John left the band to pursue his education in Arcata, California, and he never even went to Billie himself to say that he was leaving. To John, being in a band was supposed to be just fun, not to get popular. John thought it was just time for a change. Billie Joe and Mike were very hurt by that, and they had no other skills that they knew of, because all they did for the last seven years was play music. Billie Joe and Mike were very close to breaking up when John left, because he was a real anchor in the band that kept them together. Billie Joe told Lawrence Livermore about his problem and lucky Billie, Lawrence Livermore had his own band with a drummer that was a 5 year veteran of the punk scene. His name was Frank, but you can call him Tre' Cool...