At what point does seeing a band live over and over again get old? For some bands, it’s just a handful of times and then I feel like I got it and nothing will really change. For other bands, like Weezer, I have yet to find the number. Go ahead, laugh, judge, do whatever but Weezer is one of those bands that, although I’ve seen them time and time again, they never fail to leave me feeling energized and extremely happy.
Kicking off my amazing Saturday night was a personal favorite of mine- Basement. The only other time I’ve been able to catch this UK band live was back in April of 2017. Unfortunately, vocalist Andrew Fisher was sick but even with that, I knew I loved them. Time has passed and, just as suspected, Basement has landed themselves on my daily playlist with a couple of songs. Although surprised to see them on such a heavy hitting bill, I was absolutely stoked to get another chance to catch them live. It’s crazy to think that just a couple of years ago I was seeing them at a sweaty Cabooze show and now seeing them in a gigantic arena but they definitely deserve this. Their sound energy was big enough to fill the entire arena and although people seemed to just be starting to file in as the band was playing, they were turning heads in all the right ways. A little grunge, a little pop punk and a whole lot of attitude, Basement powered through a healthy mix of both old and new songs and definitely packed a punch with the short set they were given.
Following Basement was one of the few bands left on my bucketlist- The Pixies. Do I even need to give you a background on these guys? They are 90’s alternative. Their unique blend of alt-rock, punk, surf, rock and everything else under the sun made them stand out in an over-saturated scene. Now, I’m not naive, I know that the band I saw last night wasn’t the original line-up but I say it still counts. I may not have known every song they performed during their extensive twenty-four song set but that didn’t stop me from enjoying every second of their set. Sure, it wasn’t the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen and I’m not quite sure vocalist Black Francis smiled at all during their set but that didn’t lessen the effect of being able to see legends in concert.There was a sense of professionalism and no bullshit in the air throughout The Pixies’ set. I wasn’t surprised by this at all considering this band has been pumping out hits since the mid- 80’s (although they were on hiatus from 1993-2004). I don’t recall a single word being said in-between songs but I didn’t mind. I didn’t need the banter that I typically enjoy from younger bands, I really just wanted to hear as many songs as I could during their set and that’s exactly what they gave me. There were a lot of families in the audience and watching as parents had their moment while their kids buried their heads in their phones was just the icing on the cake. One of the most beautiful thing about Saturday night’s show was that there was something for everyone making this a perfect event for parents to take their kids out for a night on the town.
I could feel the anticipation inside of my grow as the lights dimmed and a spotlight illuminated a pot of the curtain that was concealing the stage for headliner Weezer. The four members of Weezer appeared in the spotlight sounding and looking like the most perfect barbershop quartet. They sang a surprisingly good barbershop quartet version of ‘Pork and Beans’ before running back to the stage just in time for the curtain to drop. The word magic doesn’t even begin to describe this moment but, then again, I’m a wee bit obsessed to maybe I was just overly excited for the show to start.As mentioned, I never get bored with Weezer. Every time I see them there’s a different stage set up, a different set list and a whole different vibe. The vibe in the packed Xcel Energy Center was nothing short of electric. Think live band karaoke, everyone in that audience, regardless of their age, could be caught singing along to at least one, if not all, of the twenty-one song set. Iconic vocalist Rivers Cuomo had no problem captivating the audience with his dorky moves and sincere smile as he sang through the band’s infectious hits. There was just something so fun about him, about the crowd, I honestly got lost in a cloud of nostalgia and sing-a-longs with a smile on my face that was probably as cheesy as Weezer’s show.
At one point Rivers boarded a “ship” that was then pushed around the arena by staff. He performed a cover of A-Ha’s “Take On Me” at the back of the arena before being pushed back up to the stage while playing a cover of Jane’s Addiction’s “Up The Beach”. Just earlier this year Weezer released an album full of covers and they treated Saturday night’s audience to a couple of them including their cover of Toto’s “Africa” which catapulted this veteran band into the spotlight. My favorite cover of the night was definitely their flawless cover of “No Scrubs” by TLC but I enjoyed their original material much more overall. Such a creative band with a sound that can go from heavy rock to pop-rock in a matter of seconds, they could have played another forty songs and it still wouldn’t have been enough for me.
I’ll be the first to admit when I’m over seeing a band live– I’m not there with Weezer yet. I will keep going back time and time again just for the feeling of fun and pure bliss that I got from them yet again last night.