Weezer’s Indie Rock Road Trip Tour rolled through Arizona Financial Theatre this week, changing the station to the classics with their deep cuts setlist. The band was joined by Spoon and White Reaper for a sold out, energetic romp that brought the longtime fans to their feet for the weirdest little downtown dance party.
White Reaper sprinted through a rousing set that got the already packed house moving early on in the night. Plenty of fans showed up to see some of their favorite songs and gave the band plenty of love during “Might Be Right” and “Judy French”.
The room was starting to heat up as Spoon took the stage under dramatic lighting. They had an hour to blow our minds and used every second to do just that. Vocalist Britt Daniel commanded attention with his eye-catching antics, often sinking to the floor during his guitar solos. Spoon opened with “Wild”- which perfectly matched the vibe of their set.
The Weezer fan demographic- decked out in their best vintage merch- naturally loved Spoon as well as they sang along to “Rainy Taxi” and closing number “Rent I Pay”. For a Wednesday night rock show, these bands certainly understood how to get their crowds pumped up.
The curtain came down as the sounds of Toto’s “Africa” boomed through the speakers to reveal a massive car dashboard all revved up and ready to start our road trip through Weezer’s discography. Frontman Rivers Cuomo prefaced the set (after blasting off to “My Name Is Jonas”) that this tour would be focusing on the band’s favorite lesser known tracks.
Naturally, the hits were interspersed throughout the setlist, but it was the anecdotes preceding Cuomo’s acoustic mini set that really delighted the audience. Weezer’s ability to express feelings of longing in their signature almost sarcastic tone made these acoustic love songs both serious and funny for the fans.
The band returned, the sum came out (from an inflatable lowered from the rafters) and the road trip continued to an “Island in the Sun” which was the “Perfect Situation”. We threw up our Weezer W’s and rocked out to “Hash Pipe” before the band disappeared and quickly re-emerged for an encore of “Surf Wax America” and the iconic “Buddy Holly”.
With so many artists exploring their various eras onstage this year, Weezer joined the fun and let their extensive catalog shine on this tour. Longtime fans were thrilled to dust off their favorite songs and memories and this road trip was a perfect success.
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Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
