Weezer are in town again baby!
This means another trip to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre for this gal (after seeing Ghost the night prior). I confess, it's not a chore but an honour.You see, not only am I going to get a dose of the headliners on their Asia Pacific Indie Rock Roadtrip (8 October), I get to see one of my favourite live alt-rock bands Regurgitator, who have been cavorting around on their Crushing It tour making merry wherever they roam, including supporting KISS last night along with Delta Riggs and yep, Weezer too!
With a one-way ticket for a road trip through the heart and soul of Weezer's timeless catalogue, I head into the venue to embark on this musical journey for a cruise down memory lane.
The trip starts from a pretty bare stage with a small digital backdrop – telling me tonight is all about the tunes and not the stage production. Fine by me, I'm all about the music first and foremost.
First stop is set to be a long one with time to explore. In nun costumes, Regurgitator, to a crowd spanning the generations (including family units), open with 'I Sucked A Lot Of Cock' backed up with 'I Will Lick Your Asshole' – crass as ever, Quan Yeomans haughtily declaring: "When I'm done with the cock I go straight to the arse." What filthy habits these lads have, ha!
Punters have caught a mild case of head-banging to the chugging rhythms of 'Bongzilla', while dancing follows roars of applause from the second they recognise 'Track 1', 'I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff'.
Regurgitator - image © Clea-marie Thorne
There's not too much stage banter and I am smiling when hearing a younger punter declare: "I know this one! 'Polyester Girl'!" To prove this point to her friend, she is singing along very loudly.
The Gurge continue to smash out their best hits as the pit party doesn't let up. I let a little squeal loose as I hear the intro to my favourite 'Black Bugs', and my excitement continues with the teaser head-banging riffage of Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'.
Making sure that we dance out to the very end of their set, they are playing '! (The Song Formerly Known As)' to close out. I bet they are glad we didn't choose to stay home in our ugly pants to dance!
So much chatter about the last set – Regurgitator have definitely picked up more younger fans from the Weezer fam camps. Get on it kids!
As the crowd croon to Toto's 'Africa', the lights dim and through the speakers we hear the static of someone trying to tune into a radio station as snippets of Weezer songs can be heard before they claim the stage.
Kicking off the road trip with the familiar intro to 'My Name Is Jonas' sets the crowd off with a roaring greeting to the coolest uncool band. 'Beverly Hills' gets just as much embrace from fans as they scream out in their loudest singing voices while clapping in time.
Weezer - image © Clea-marie Thorne
I feel like I could be on an old-school bus, windows down, wind blowing in my hair with the whole bus singing and clapping along to the cool kid's ghetto blaster blaring out this tune.
Rivers Cuomo shows us how his axe skills are still up for it as he lets it rip for 'Return To Ithaka'. 'The Good Life' seemed a little shorter, but when it is live, I guess each song can be a little different.
It's also what I love about Weezer's catalogue – many songs representing different stops along their indie rock road trip, each with its own unique essence and atmosphere, offering a glimpse into the diverse landscapes of the band's musical journey and lives of the band members.
'Photograph' and 'Pork And Beans' made for happy fans who continue to dance and sing along. Things are levelling up onstage and in the mosh pit as Weezer thrash out their cracker 'El Scorcho'.
Fans from the seated areas chimed in with their Weezer-loving brethren on the floor below and the lively participation continued with 'Undone (The Sweater Song)'. Those nostalgic feels are kicking in big time.
Weezer - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The band take a detour on our road trip, with a change of pace and darkened stage that is setting the scene for Cuomo to turn us on acoustically.
He starts out with 'Running Red Lights' (The Avalanches 2020 song Cuomo features on) followed by another tale 'The World Has Turned And Left Me Here' – written about a short-term love affair during his college years – as he tells us how this life story led to the birth of Weezer.
Night-time driving is emulated as the acoustic tunes keep coming with 'Susanne', a song Cuomo confirms is about a kind Geffen administration assistant, while for 'Only In Dreams’, Scott Shriner and Brian Bell join Cuomo, lending their voices to some incredible harmonies – bloody beautiful.
Morning has broken as the flat lighting comes back up and brings with it more fan favourite destinations our way: 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived' and the breezy 'Island In The Sun'.
The ivories are being rolled out for 'All My Favourite Songs'. A few times Cuomo is playing so hard he has to deftly manoeuvre an escaping piano that is trying to roll away from him. Someone forgot to snap on the wheel locks – he took it in his stride and from what I could tell, he didn't miss a note! Hell yeah!
I am super excited for their classic banger 'Say It Ain't So', which is our next destination. It's the fuel stop refill that keeps thousands of other fans going strong and singing along with their best 'caraoke' voices. We continue to rock out as the band are smashing out a ferocious rendition of 'Hash Pipe'.
While we are appreciating the sentiment and lullaby tactics of 'Thank You And Good Night', collectively we were far from done and are hoping for the band to give up at least one more fan favourite. Diehard fans are calling for 'Buddy Holly'. Surely, we'd get our encore.
Here it is – the band are returning to the stage and let loose with 'Surf Wax America'. Punters are showing the band how much devotion they have and are rewarded with that shiny called-for nugget, with 'Buddy Holly' signing off the night.
The crowd's response was a deafening roar of appreciation echoing our enjoyment, while there were very few punters choosing an early exit to avoid any traffic was in itself a testament of the pure connection and impact Weezer's set had on the crowd convened to celebrate their music.
Weezer's show has been the ultimate soundtrack for our imaginary road trip here at the BEC. Our music guides, giving us the scenic route through the decades, filled with beautiful melodies and harmonies. The memories of the journey, the sonic landscapes and the incredible live performance is forever painted on our musical hearts in a harmonious blend of adventure and music.
Good musicians entertain you and create new music for old and new fans, and it is those great classic bangers that stand the test of time that can unite people with a common love for them.
Whether punters were here tonight for nostalgia or discovery, it was a magnificent road trip and I'd gladly be a passenger on this bus again.
More photos from the show.
