I still can’t say I’m a fan but, as much as I hate to admit it, Weezer doesn’t suck. Call me pretentious or an asshole, both are valid, I just come from a slightly more aggressive musical background and Weezer has always marketed themselves as geeks. No harm, no foul, we all enjoy what we enjoy and I’d never talk shit for someone for their taste, unless it’s Kid Rock, his fans can all go fuck themselves.
Last night I ended up seeing Weezer for the third time in just over two years and once again, they put on one hell of a show. Part of why I point this out is so that you know that this wasn’t just a one-time “Oh that was really cool but I have nothing to compare it to” event. All three times the set was different and unique and the set list itself had a consistent theme. All three shows were different and memorable.
The first time was at The Greek in Berkeley and the venue alone can take a shitty band and make em sound good. The theme was something to do with taking a road trip and the stage was setup to look like the dashboard of an old firebird, complete with a shifter, gauges and a radio, all of which came into play during the show. It was clear that they put a ton of time and thought into the production and weren’t just going to play a few hits, cash a check and call it a day.
The second time I saw em, the Flaming Lips opened for them and that was a fucking religious experience. No offence to Weezer but yeah, you can’t top that but they tried to by doing a full performance of the Blue album and the stage was set up with a space theme. Honestly, I don’t remember, I was still trying to process what I had witnessed with the Flaming Lips and no, I wasn’t even that high.
Last night, the theme was “The Gathering” and no, this was not a Highlander reference, it was a backyard BBQ setting. Silversun Pickups played the first opening set and like most people, I only knew two songs. The sound wasn’t dialed in perfectly but you could tell that the band itself was tight as fuck and by the end of the set, they really started to shine. Oh, and the bass player was just mean. I’m not talking about her attitude, I’m talking about her delivery. She was hitting her instrument with surgical precision, shaking the Chase center.
Then The Shins Played. I enjoyed the two songs I knew, “New Slang” and “Phantom limb” but, well, let’s just say that I didn’t go buy a shirt after the set. And just for the record, despite the fact that it’s not my style of music, it was clear that these folks could not only play, but play well with each other on stage. They’re not my cup of tea but they ain’t sloppy either so I can understand why they have a following.
Weezers set was a mixed bag of both hits and deep cuts I’d never heard since I only know em based on radio singles. To keep it interesting (warning, plot spoilers), at one point, the power goes out and they do a couple of acoustic songs and since the theme is “The Gathering” they also invited a guest to come sing with them as well as a few other oddities that helped keep the set fresh.
Rivers wears his geek badge proudly and has definitely cashed in on this but, despite his humble and meek appearance, the motherfucker can absolutely shred on the guitar. When you hear them on the radio, you don’t really get how good these guys are but seeing them live, it hits you and you can’t help but be impressed. Had he not made millions with the band, I can see him doing YouTube prank videos, going into music stores and freaking out the staff and customers with his skills.
Again, I’m still not what you’d consider a fan, I don’t know who the bass player is and I don’t give a shit (no disrespect, I’m sure he’s cool) but, I have to give these guys credit for putting together a great show in every aspect and, as much as I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m looking forward to seeing them whenever they come back.
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