Green Day Invites Middletown Teen On Stage At Sea.Hear.Now: See The Video

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A Middletown teenager was invited on stage with Green Day last weekend at the Sea.Near.Now festival in Asbury Park.

The teen's mom confirmed that her daughter, Ava Gonzalez, 14, a freshman at Middletown North High School, got the chance of a lifetime when she was invited up on stage by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong.

"She was holding a sign that read 'I picked up a guitar for this moment.' Billie Joe asked if anyone knew the lyrics to the song 'Know Your Enemy,' and he looked down and saw my daughter out of thousands of people. All these people pointed to my daughter because she had been telling everyone what a huge fan she is," said Debbie Gonzalez. "I was so grateful to the other kids (at the concert). They all gave up their chance to get on stage just so Ava could get up there."

Ava started listening to Green Day during the pandemic, her mom said, and she "begged" her mother to get her guitar lessons.

Her daughter "was determined to get up on stage with him. God, she made us get to the concert so early on Sunday; we had to leave the house at 7:30 a.m. and they didn't open until noon. It was so great though," laughed her mother. "It was an unbelievable experience for her."

See the video here:

Middletown residents can see Ava Gonzalez take the stage again this Saturday, when she and other teens will perform at Middletown Day. She and some other local teens are in a band called Turbulance. Gonzalez will be playing bass guitar and singing back-up vocals.

Ava is enrolled in the Arts Academy at Middletown High School North.

This year was the fourth Sea.Hear.Now festival held on the beach in Asbury Park. Every year, this music/surfing festival seems to attract bigger and bigger names: This year, headliners included Green Day, Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, Boy George & Culture Club, My Morning Jacket and Cage the Elephant.