In the 1980s, the northwest side of Berkeley, California, was bleak and gray. In no way did it resemble the Berkeley that had become famous in the 1960s. Berkeley had once been a shining beacon of resistance, the place where political activists spoke out for free speech and 100,000 people marched in protest of the Vietnam War.

But to a stranger passing through in the 1980s, Northwest Berkeley looked no different than any other industrial town: colorless and dull. Who could have predicted that from a landscape of warehouses, train tracks, and the city dump that punk rock, the music of rebellion and revolt, was about to be reborn?

924 Gilman Street was established in 1986 by founders who cared deeply about bringing good music to the public. These founders had funny ideas about money and music. They believed that the two did not mix. Holding to this principle, they decided that 924 Gilman would be cooperatively run. If you wanted to see shows, you had to become a member. To become a member, all you had to do was pay $2.00 a year and follow four basic rules: No drugs. No alcohol. No violence. No racism. Follow those rules and you were free to enjoy all the punk rock your eardrums could handle.

From the street, 924 Gilman looked like a beat-up old post office without the American flag. But the building's insides teemed with life. Between walls covered in graffiti, masses of frustrated teens and young adults needing a break from a world that expected them to be polite, play nice, and not cause a scene jumped and danced and banged their heads to the aggressive, angry, surging beat of the best punk rock the Bay Area had to offer.

It was beneath Gilman's exposed wooden rafters and before a sweating, seething mass of bodies that the punk rock idols known as Green Day earned their stripes.

Northern California boys Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt formed their first band, a four-piece group called Sweet Children, when they were fifteen. Two years later the group had whittled themselves down to a trio, changed their name to Green Day, and released their first album entitled 1,000 Hours. The sound was raw, energetic and distinctly punk. Inspired heavily by English punk rock legends The Clash and American godfathers of punk The Ramones, 1,000 Hours helped solidify the Bay Area's reputation as the heart of punk's rebirth. Green Day continued to evolve, adding drummer Tre Cool and releasing Kerplunk. The album confirmed their standing as one of California's top punk acts along with bands like The Offspring and Rancid.

Before releasing their third album, Dookie, Green Day signed with Reprise Records. Signing with a major record label meant a wider audience and a chance to make a lot more money. But the deal would not come without a price.

924 Gilman did not allow bands that had signed with major record labels to play their club. To move away from the club that had nurtured them meant taking the chance that they might never be welcomed back.

Believing in their ability to stay true to their punk roots, Green Day made the decision to take their music to a bigger stage. Whatever kind of change they prepared themselves for, there was no way they could have foreseen what they were to become.

Green Day's third album, Dookie, sold over16 million copies.

The band won countless awards and went on world tours, playing in front of crowds as large as 100,000 people. In 2004, they reinvented themselves with the rock opera American Idiot. It would prove to be their biggest hit yet. American Idiot was turned into a musical and became a smash hit on Broadway. Green Day became one of the most famous music acts in the world.

In a scene dominated by teenagers, Green Day is still at the top after 25 years. Given their past, it's impossible to predict where the band will go next. But fans can rest assured of one thing: Green Day will never relent.