The murky ocean air rolled in off Boston Harbor, into the giant white tent, and fogged up Rivers Cuomo’s glasses onstage. Luckily, a helpful fan threw him a Boston Bruins towel. (It was the Stanley Cup playoffs, after all.)
Classic Weezer songs dominated the set list. Fans ranged from teenagers to people who were teenagers in 1994 when The Blue Album came out. The echoing sound quality in the outdoor venue made obnoxious songs like “Beverly Hills” tolerable and made anthems like “Say It Ain’t So” into deafening sing-alongs. The only thing missing was “El Scorcho.”
It was undoubtedly the Rivers Cuomo Show. He danced spastically with moves that could be described as both “adolescent boy” and “funky grandpa.” He berated a roadie for trying to “steal” his guitar. Then he paraded down into the audience and sang while standing on some seats toward the back. The band expertly covered the vocals on “Keep Fishin’” while he cavorted around the perimeter of the tent, appearing to consider pulling the fire alarm. I waited for the other members of the band to command the spotlight with Cuomo offstage, but they plodded on much the same way whether the singer was there or not. (The effect was similar to Garfield Minus Garfield.) The front man soon returned to the stage with his red sweater hanging off the back of his head like a nun’s habit.
To end the set all the band members whipped out sticks and joined Patrick Wilson on drums — proving, once again, that dorks rock. For dessert the audience was treated to an encore of “(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” and “Buddy Holly.”
Incidentally, the Bruins beat the Lightning 2—0 that night. To quote Cuomo, “You are awesome. And we are awesome. We are ALL awesome!”
SET LIST
Memories
Troublemaker
Perfect Situation
Undone - The Sweater Song a
Say It Ain't So
Pink Triangle
Dope Nose
Surf Wax America
The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
Island in the Sun
Hash Pipe
My Name Is Jonas
Beverly Hills
Keep Fishin'
In the Garage
Pork and Beans
Only in Dreams
ENCORE
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
Buddy Holly
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