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diversions
Weezer brings
rock fever to Long Beach
By Joe Licavoli
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
Showing that three
musically diverse rock bands can be on the same bill to form
a positive vibe, Weezer, Tenacious D and Jimmy Eat World played
at the Long Beach Arena Friday night.
Kicking off the festivities, Jimmy Eat World from Mesa, Ariz.,
combined rocking guitar riffs with emotional lyrics and powerful
vocals.
The band predominantly rocked songs off its new album, "Bleed
American," on Dreamworks Records. The band had an amazing
stage presence, with lead singer Jim Adkins playing off the
crowd during the band's performance. Standout songs performed
were "Sweetness," "Get It Faster" and
the title track "Bleed American."
The group gave 100 percent of their energy and the crowd seemed
to eat it up. For an opening band at an arena show, Jimmy
Eat World definitely caught the attention of the 10,000-plus
Weezer fans. The band never lost one ounce of energy -- not
even at the end of the set when Adkins' guitar went out. He
grabbed the mic stand as he busted out his best rock star
look.
The odd man out, Tenacious D is a strange blend of folk, rock
and hilarious, but occasionally offensive, humor. Tenacious
D has a collection of songs that seem to be more like quickly
written notes for a stand-up comedian than lyrics to a song.
The two-man group is made up of Kyle Glass and Jack Black,
who recently starred in "Shallow Hal," also starring
Gwyneth Paltrow. It may be Black's recent fame, or the buildup
of the loyal fan base of Tenacious D, but there was a good
size crowd for the wacky outfit.
Tenacious D played a set filled with hilarious banter and
many references to sex. At one point, they looked into
the audience as they said, "There are some possible backstage
betties in the audience tonight." Tenacious D's set quickly
came to a close and the crowd was ready for some fun rock
'n' roll with the headlining band.
After a 30-minute break, Weezer finally took the stage with
a new song that had a dark edge. Unusually, the group came
on stage without the huge lit-up "W" behind them
and they also seemed completely toned down.
That all changed after a few songs. The lights began to flash
and the bright yellow "W" shined, appearing behind
the group. The band played a combination of songs off their
old albums, as well as new self-titled release, also known
as the green album.
Lead singer Rivers Cuomo hilariously tried to use his Long
Beach slang for the Long Beach crowd, as he addressed the
audience with "What's up my peeps?"
The band played all their hits "Say It Ain't So"
and "The Sweater Song," as well as newer hits, "Hash
Pipe," "Island In The Sun," and "Photograph."
As the set progressed, Weezer's props got bigger and flashier.
After the band played the amazing track "Only In Dreams,"
a burst of confetti was blown into the audience as Weezer
left the stage.
The group returned with the smash single "Buddy Holly,"
which made for a sing-a-long from the audience. The band ended
their visit to Long Beach with the punchy "Surf Wax America."
It was great to see three completely different bands on the
same bill. The audience for each band was very attentive and
interested, which made for a positive show. Having a concert
in Long Beach instead of in Los Angeles was great. Hopefully,
there will be more to come.
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Dreamworks
Records
Weezer includes, from left to right, Patrick
Wilson, Rivers Cuomo, Mikey Welsh and Brian Bell.
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