Weezer isn’t playing around. At least that’s the vibe they’re giving off on this summer tour with the Pixies. The band has been around for nearly 30 years and has now visited Charlotte every summer for the past few years. At this point in their career, no one would blame them for mailing it in. If Weezer wanted to, they could stand on stage and play a 90 minute show of just the hits they’ve amassed over three decades, and few people would complain. But evidently that’s not what Weezer is into. In fact their performance last week at the PNC Music Pavilion was the complete opposite.
The band opened in style with the bit of “Happy Days” from the “Buddy Holly” music video. A large black curtain draped in front of the stage hiding both the band and what was the set of Arnold’s from the 70s sitcom. As the voice of Al Delvecchio introduced the band, the drape fell revealing frontman Rivers Cuomo standing center stage, decked in fitting attire - a light blue button up finished with a red and blue striped tie under a beige cardigan.
“Buddy Holly” didn’t last long - two minutes and 39 seconds to be exact - but to keep the intensity high, Weezer seamlessly rolled into “Beverly Hills.” Not once did they let it seem like they were performing two of their biggest songs within five minutes of being on stage.
Then again nearly every song was a hit. “Pork and Beans,” “Undone (The Sweater Song)” and “Hash Pipe” followed before the elaborate set underwent a makeover. For act two, the inside walls of the restaurant transformed into a punk rock garage decorated with crooked Van Halen and AC/DC posters taped to the walls. Cuomo ripped off the button down and cardigan (committing to the character and likely because it was horrendously humid) for a retro soccer jersey.
He appeared more relaxed and his demeanor matched the grunginess of “My Name Is Jones” and Green Day’s “Longview.” But like act one, that phase didn’t last long and after a handful of songs, Cuomo scootered off stage and boarded his boat to set sail around the amphitheater for “Island In The Sun.”
While the crowd focused their attention on the frontman, who waded through the aisle on his ship, the set underwent yet another change. When the frontman finally made his way around the venue and the audience turned back around to face the stage, a large intricate lighting rig replaced the diner walls. The transformation completely revamped Weezer’s performance, making it feel like the biggest show the amphitheater has hosted this summer.
Pyro and stirring strobes created a unmatched thrill behind the band’s cover of “Africa” and possibly their biggest hit, “Say It Ain’t So.” Honestly, the production was something that’s typically only seen on the rarest of occasions and inside arenas. But it was home to Weezer.
If the Grammy Award winners aren’t enough to tip the scales, Pixies and Sleigh Bells didn’t disappoint either. The former’s 23-song set was equally as dramatic as Weezer with their tense production setup. As a co-headliner Pixies held their own for the fans that showed up in band merch. The setlist was strong featuring both new songs - “Come on Pilgrim,” “Surfer Rosa” and “Doolittle” - as well as the classics “Where Is My Mind?” and “Here Comes Your Man.” Pixies chugged through and bassist Paz Lenchantin, who joined after original bassist Kim Deal left the band 2013, impressed on both vocals - singing songs from 2016 and Deal’s “Gigantic.” Even her stage presence matched the moodiness of her fellow band members. Had Weezer not closed out the night, I would’ve left feeling that I received my money’s worth on Sleigh Bells and Pixies alone.
