Weezer fired on all thrusters in their recent two-night visit to The Anthem in DC, where they celebrated their landmark self-titled debut album (known as the “Blue Album”) in a high-concept show with strong production values and more importantly wonderfully punchy songs.
On Sept. 14, Weezer performed at The Anthem in the first of two-sold out shows, starting the show with a set of crowd-pleasing selections from across the band’s catalog, moving into a short set celebrating Pinkerton (the group’s beloved 1996 sophomore album), and finally playing through the entirety of the Blue Album to wrap the show.
Weezer’s most recent recording project has been a series of four EPs celebrating the four seasons, and the frontman Rivers Cuomo and company nodded to the series in closing their first set with a portion of “Run, Raven, Run” from SZNZ: Autumn (2022). The audience roared its approval of the new tune, but everyone really loved the big radio hits that appeared in the first set: particularly “Hash Pipe” (2001), “Beverly Hills” (2005), and “Island in the Sun” (2001).
Watch the official music video for “Island in the Sun” by Weezer on YouTube:
The songs really sprang to life in part because Weezer made terrific use of The Anthem’s amazing video backdrop. You see, Weezer currently are on The Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Blue Album, and the band developed a concept for the tour. The idea is that Weezer must travel to a nearby planet to help save it from dying. The band embark on a rocket, and the first half of the show documents their voyage through space and into the “Pinkerton Asteroid Belt.”
But the terrific video graphics also cut away thematically to fit each of these big hits, taking the audience through a glitzy graphical city during “Beverly Hills” and into a 3-D cartoon island paradise in “Island in the Sun.” It was clever and it engaged the audience without distracting from the music.
People of course went mad for the playthrough of the Blue Album in its entirety, and there were perhaps a few celebrants toasting it a little too hard. Weezer themselves were consummate professionals however, and the band looked and sounded in top form as they played through the 10 tracks of the Blue Album in tracklist order.
Thought the show, Rivers appeared to be the world’s most approachable rockstar, his eyes aglow with the magic of his own band’s musicmaking but simultaneously humble, relaxed, and cheerful. Guitarist Brian Bell and guitarist Scott Shiner were there to rock out, which they did spectacularly. And drummer Patrick Wilson, who co-founded Weezer with Rivers, radiated professionalism and pride. He owned the stage.
The debut Weezer album remains as a genre-defining album that both speaks to its time and stands today as a powerful musical colossus. In its entirety, it exits as a statement, a testimony to the power of the full-length album format, opening with “My Name Is Jonas” and closing with “Only in Dreams.”
In the middle of that set, the audience excitement reached a fever pitch with Weezer’s performance of enduring singles “Buddy Holly” and “Undone – The Sweater Song.” Weezer gave the entire album its due, playing through each track with appropriate emotion and full-throated cheer.
Watch the official music video for “Undone – The Sweater Song” by Weezer on YouTube:
Thirty years after their debut album, Weezer consistently delivers raucous songs and a focused performance in part I believe because they take their jobs seriously but also because they are having fun. Rivers, Patrick, Brian, and Scott are on the same page musically and mentally — they can romp through the Weezer catalog all day and still be fit and fresh. That’s the open secret also of enjoying Weezer: have fun with it. The audience at The Anthem surely did.
Here are some photos of Weezer performing at The Anthem on Sept. 14, 2024. Pictures by Mickey McCarter.
