Bad news first: the concert disappointed me. The venue seemed like it doubled as a studio for a ‘70s dating show, the audience seemed to be filled with overgrown frat boys, the band played very little Pinkerton, and, most importantly, Rivers Cuomo’s mustache was horrible. I’m kidding to an extent when I say that the mustache was the ‘worst’ part, but it was hard to get past. Like the fleeting cowboy hat and extended Hootenanny stunt, it felt like he was trying to be eccentric – looking for some Cake-style funk. The problem was that has never been Weezer’s appeal. They have always been more about sincerity than irony. You could count on them to rock, not smirk – to show emotion, not hide behind a wink.
The good news was that for most of the show, Weezer did rock; they did show emotion. I was disappointed because Weezer had long been my favorite band, and I wanted them to be perfect, but it was still thrilling to hear so many meaningful songs on one night. I had waited four years to hear “Say It Ain’t So,” “Undone,” “Pink Triangle,” and “Buddy Holly” live, and now I could finally hear them! I had also been waiting months to hear a number of the Red Album tracks. Some fans seem to hate the new album, but they seem to have confused it with Make Believe (a truly awful record). Other than “Everybody Get Dangerous,” the songs are remarkably strong. “Troublemaker” and “Pork and Beans” are catchy as anything on Green, “Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” is an stunning, ten-style epic, and “Dreamin’” / “Heart Songs” sound like hidden tracks from a hopeful Pinkerton.
The fact that they opened with “My Name is Jonas” was a pleasant surprise. The distinctive smell that circulated through the crowd during “Hash Pipe” was…not that surprising.
In the end, despite my disappointments, despite the fact that I nearly died on the way to the show (driving five hours on a Friday night after a full work week is not a good idea), I am glad I went. If I scale back my expectations for August’s NJ/MD shows, I’m sure the grade will bump up to an “A.”
Grade: B+
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