Live: Weezer @ Brixton Academy

by | Apr 8, 2016

Los Angeles-based rockers Weezer made their live UK return with two dates, hitting up Manchester’s Academy venue followed by London’s Brixton Academy almost five years since their last time in London, on the very same stage. Famed for their interspersion of self-titled colour and named album releases, last week saw the release of well-received tenth studio album: Weezer “The White Album”.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Returning to the Brixton Academy the Californian four-piece strolled onto the stage, their famous illuminated “W” sign behind them, to screams from their five-year patient London audience, tearing straight into White Album opener California Kids. Frontman Rivers Cuomo, the sole man in white with the rest of the band in black, was lit up by spotlights, setting the scene for the show.

Blue Album track My Name Is Jonas turned the crowd from quietly appreciative to outright frenzied, the debut album opener a long-standing fan favourite. And if Jonas got the crowd going, Green Album hit single Hash Pipe sent them over the edge next.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

“Hello London. We’re Weezer from California.” The 45-year-old frontman said, dryly addressing his audience for the first time. “We have a new album out called The White Album. This next song is on it. It’s called L.A. Girlz”, the cringey-named song itself a rather refreshing cut from the new record that had Cuomo stepping out from behind his mic to a wah-wah pedal on his right for a guitar solo.

Pinkerton song El Scorcho had the long-standing fan base in the crowd singing along with every word once more to the 1996-released single, Cuomo relinquishing vocal duties at times, turning his microphone to the audience.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Quirky Red Album track Pork And Beans had the frontman handing over vocal duties for sections to guitarist Brian Bell, drummer Patrick Wilson and bass player Scott Shriner, with Wilson not game for singing instead saying “I never know what to say here, I don’t like singing. I want to thank you for coming here tonight, it’s been fantastic” to laughs from the crowd.

New album track Thank God For Girls had the crowd singing along with the catchy chorus, the hooky tune one of the highlights of The White Album.

Scott Shriner of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Scott Shriner of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

El Scorcho b-side You Gave Your Love To Me Softly had guitarist Bell taking over lead vocal duties as Cuomo wandered about the Brixton stage filling in with lead guitar parts.

Early hits Island In The Sun from Green and Blue’s Undone (The Sweater Song) closed out the main set in sing-along glory while an increasing number of crowd surfers found their way to the stage.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Brian Bell and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Sole cut from 2005’s Make Believe, Beverly Hills, kicked off the two-song encore before the song that launched them into the stratosphere, 1994’s Buddy Holly, closed the night with sing-alongs from the entire 5,000-strong crowd for their most enduring hit.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Known for writing short, punchy, whimsical rock songs, Weezer’s seemingly lengthy 21-song set wrapped up in just under 80 minutes but left the audience happily satisfied and the Brixton Academy a serious sweatbox with only 2002’s Maladroit and 2010’s Hurley not dipped into this time around.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

While some might compare Cuomo’s somewhat stiff stage presence to Rick Moranis’ character in Ghostbusters, without much movement about the stage and little in the way of chat between numbers, delivery of the material is spot on and sufficient rock star hair flailing is provided by Brian Bell.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

The summer-themed, teenage-angsty new material could be interpreted as some sort of pastiche of earlier Weezer records, but what’s wrong with a band doing what they do best? Tracks like California Kids and King Of The World hark back to the good old days of the Blue and Green albums but serve to put this year’s White Album firmly among the nerd-rockers’ finest … and make me want to go out and track down a cannoli or two!

 

L-R: Brian Bell, Rivers Cuomo and Scott Shriner of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

L-R: Brian Bell, Rivers Cuomo and Scott Shriner of Weezer (Kalpesh Patel)

Weezer head out on a massive 42-date North American summer tour with Panic! At The Disco next before hitting up festivals in South Korea and Japan in August.

Live review of Weezer @ Brixton Academy by Kalpesh Patel on 5th April 2016.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G00001Gfe4CSdJAw” g_name=”Weezer” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”iptch” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_smooth=”t” f_up=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”640″ height=”480″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”FFFFFFF” btype=”new” bcolor=”#FFFFFF” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”sweep” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” bgtrans=”f” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” target=”_self” ]

Kalpesh has more music photography up on his flickr stream here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/somethingforkate

Lizzie Esau @ The Grace (Kalpesh Patel

Lizzie Esau Unleashes Explosive New Single ‘Bugs’ — A Dark, Defiant Step Forward From A Rockshot Favourite

Rockshot Magazine favourite Lizzie Esau continues her rapid ascent through the UK’s alt-rock landscape with the release of her most accomplished single to date, Bugs. A darkly euphoric track filled with emotional grit and lyrical nuance, Bugs sees the 25-year-old Newcastle native confront the chaos of creative self-doubt with ferocity — and catharsis.

EMMMA (João Viegas)

EMMMA Finds Power In Heartache With Stirring New Single ‘Wednesday’s Child’

EMMMA is no stranger to vulnerability — but with her latest single, Wednesday’s Child, the rising UK-based alt-pop artist turns raw emotion into a seismic act of self-empowerment. Released as the next step toward her second EP, the track is a defining moment in her artistic evolution: darker, bolder, and more emotionally fearless than anything she’s released before.

Jon Allen (Michael Walker)

Jon Allen Unearths Gritty Past Of 18th Century London With Immersive New Album ‘Seven Dials’

British singer-songwriter Jon Allen invites listeners into the fog-shrouded streets and shadowy corners of 18th century London with his latest album, Seven Dials. Known for his earthy blend of folk, blues, and Americana, Allen trades modern-day themes for a haunting historical portrait that’s as cinematic as it is emotionally raw.

Josh Groban (Sami Drasin)

Josh Groban Shines Bright With New Career-Spanning Album ‘Gems’

Josh Groban is entering a new era of reflection and celebration with the release of Gems, a deeply personal,...
Sophie Grey (Maximilian Stafford)

Sophie Grey Is Not Waiting Anymore — She’s Putting You ‘On Hold’

Rising electro-pop artist Sophie Grey. is back with a brooding new single, On Hold, and it’s everything we’ve come to expect from the multi-talented producer, performer, and provocateur — shimmering synths, bold visuals, and an anthem for the digitally disenchanted. Out now with an equally cinematic music video, On Hold is a hypnotic blend of retro-futurism and raw emotion, delivered with Grey’s signature flair and fiercely independent spirit.

Lorde (Thistle Brown)

Lorde’s Rebirth: ‘Virgin’ Ushers In A Raw, Unfiltered New Era

In an industry that thrives on reinvention, Lorde has always moved to the beat of her own creation. Now, four years after the sun-soaked introspection of Solar Power, the enigmatic New Zealander has announced her fourth studio album, Virgin, due out on 27th June — a project that promises to be her most emotionally exposed and artistically unguarded work to date.

Blondshell @ MOTH Club (Kalpesh Patel)

Blondshell Faces The Fire With New Single And Sophomore LP ‘If You Asked For A Picture’

Alt-rock torchbearer Blondshell (aka Sabrina Teitelbaum) is preparing to light the fuse on her next era with the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, If You Asked For A Picture, arriving this Friday, 2nd May via Partisan Records. Today, she offers one last taste before the full detonation with the release of her latest single, Event Of A Fire—a smoldering slow-burn that builds from embers to an emotional inferno.

Pistol Daisys (Matthew Pearson)

Pistol Daisys Return With Shimmering New Single ‘Calling Your Name’ — A Heartbreak Anthem For The Bold And Open-Minded

Scotland’s genre-blurring alt-pop outfit Pistol Daisys are back, and they’re diving deep into unexpected truths,...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing