Oakland, CA

• Rolling Stone: "When punk avatars Jeffrey Bischoff and Cinder Block from Tilt celebrated the tenth anniversary of their silkscreen and merchandising company - also dubbed Cinder Block - on Feb. 20 at their Oakland, CA, factory, a few of their more illustrious clients stopped by to pay homage. Included among the revelers were Matt Freeman from Rancid, Fat Mike from NOFX and Green Day. Green Day were bound to show up, since Billie Joe Armstrong's wife Adrienne worked there as a silkscreener until the birth of their second child last year. Green Day stayed to play a two-hour set for the guests. Also performing was Jello Biafra, who teamed with Canadian malcontents Huevos Rancheros for 'Surfin' Bird', and, appropriately, 'I Fought the Law'. Seems the neighbors were none too enthused with the festivities and called in Oakland's finest, who were greeted by Mike Dirnt's announcement, 'The strippers have arrived!' Luckily the defenders of the streets recognized him and laughed. Okay, they grimaced..."
• Billie Joe Armstrong: "Mike, Tre and I are hanging out at home after a long year of touring. This year marks our 11th year being in band. So I want put together a fanzine full of phographs of not only us but friends that have helped us, hung out with us, or drank our beer. I have some pretty embarrasing pictures, so it might seem more like "revenge" than "reminiscing".

Speaking of anniversaries, we played Cinder Block's 10 year anniversary party on February 20th at a warehouse in Oakland. (Congratulations, Jeff and Cinder.) Everyone got drunk, danced, and threw cups of beer. There was also a dunk tank (more like drunk tank), video games, and some bungy chord-whiplash machine. Huevos Rancheros and One Man Army played too, along with Jello Biafra doing a spoken word. It was a hoot. As for the future, we're not "Doing Demos". I'm writing songs and having band practice at Tre's house every now and then. We're not in a rush. Maybe Mike will move to Russia and become a cowboy. Tre just might join the circus this year. And as for me? I'm thinking about being a middle eastern belly dancer. Whatever happens, it should make for some more damn fine new songs. Who knows, maybe we'll show up on your doorstep and play in your living room... Bye. Love, Billie."