Adrienne Armstrong Questions

Here are the questions I e-mailed to the lovely Adrienne Armstrong yesterday. No word yet, but she's obviously very busy, and I told her no rush.

The focus is heavily on Mankato, because that's where I am, of course, and that's where The Free Press readership is centered around. But don't worry, far-away GD fans. There are a couple of questions about the band in here, too. (No, I did not send the questions to her in alternating purple and blue lettering. That is solely for your benefit.)

1. Tell me a little bit about your college experience at MSU. Were you a studier? A partier? On the student senate?
(Also, what year did you start here, and what year did you graduate?)


2. Why sociology? What interested you about the subject and what career did you have in mind?


3. You seemed to have a ton of jobs while you were here. Your Mankato friends have listed Pier 1 Imports, the Piercing Pagonda, Pagliai's and The Jungle among them. Am I missing any? Any favorites among them?


4. Do you have any favorite moments in Mankato? Any night or event or time that really stands out for you when you think about your colleges years here?


5. I read you met Billie Joe in 1990 at a show in Minneapolis. Had you heard their music before that show? How famous would you say they were at the time?


6. Was it difficult having a relationship long-distance when Billie Joe was on tour after you'd first met? Especially being such a pretty girl in college with so many boys running around? : )


7. I couldn't get anyone to clear this up for me: Was it because of you that Green Day started coming to Mankato and playing shows? Or was Mankato a part of their early touring locations?


8. Talking to people around here now, it seems like the band was playing shows everywhere here in town: garages, basements and that show on a farm
near St. Peter. Was it really like that? Or was it just a few shows that just sort of popped up when they happened to be here?


9. Did you have any idea in the early days of your relationship that Green Day was going to hit the big time?


10. A few people who knew you said your decision to move out West to marry Billie Joe happened quickly. It was like one minute you were here and then you were gone. Was that how you remember it, too? Were you scared?


11. It seems as if shortly after you were married, "Green Day" and "Dookie" became household names. What was that time like for you? Was it strange to suddenly be living the life of a celebrity? Is it still strange?


12. What's your life like now?


13. What are your roles at Atomic Garden and Adeline Records? Does that keep you pretty busy?


14. Do you still keep in contact with anyone from the Mankato area?


15. And now for the $65,000 question. What do you think our chances are of getting Green Day to come back to Mankato to play a show some time? Are small markets like ours pretty much out of the question at this point?


16. Also, what are the chances we could get you to come back some time? We'd throw a big party in your honor, catered by Pagliai's. It'd be like a college reunion. I've got dozens of e-mails here that prove a lot of people would definitely show up to see you.