Geeks Rock The House

At a concert where the average age was probably 13 and there were more pairs of square, black-rimmed glasses than a Buddy Holly look-alike contest, one wouldn’t expect a band to rock, but that’s exactly what it did. Playing their unique brand of “Geek Rock” made popular in the early ’90s, Weezer swept the adoring fans off their feet and bodysurfing into the air on the hands of the crowd.

The “Hyper-Extended Midget Tour,” as it has been named, is more about having fun than promoting an album. The band played several songs from their new, unreleased album Maladroit, that many die-hard fans had already heard online. Opening the show with the single “Island in the Sun” from their self-titled “Green Album,” Weezer immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention and kept them in rapture for a full hour, playing a variety of songs from all three albums, as well as a few from Maladroit. A last minute change in the set list also yielded “Take Control,” performed for the first time since the band’s proposal of a new album.

Scott Shriner, the stand-in bassist, did an excellent job performing with the three veterans. Though his lines blended perfectly into the songs, his tight shirt and muscles didn’t quite fit with the geek look of the band. Drummer Patrick Wilson started playing the wrong song once, but shrugged it off easily. Rhythm guitarist Brian Bell played a tremendous set, while Rivers Cuomo effortlessly sang his part. His brilliant lyrics touched the crowd by evoking the universal experience of being un-cool.

Jamming to “Only in Dreams,” the band left the stage and left their fans screaming for more. The quintet soon came back for their encore. After playing “Buddy Holly,” one of their most famous singles from their first album, they ended the show with a grand finale of “Surf Wax America.” Cuomo and Shriner left their guitar and bass in front of the amps in a wash of feedback as the band departed, this time for good. The crowd, on the other hand, was left breathlessly staring at the empty stage, mesmerised by the superb quality of the performance, the signature =W= hanging on the backdrop.

music

Weezer

Tsongas Arena, Lowell, Mass.

Feb. 8