WeezerA surprisingly early kick-off time to accommodate plenty of room for the headliners two sets meant that Brisbane's Ball Park Music picked up their instruments at the same time most ticketholders were picking up a pre-show snack. Despite this, they didn't let up once, bestowing Literally Baby as a parting gift for early comers to remember them by. Weezer fans had waited 16 years for the return of their idols, and the unbearable anticipation engrossing diehard fans in the hour leading up to their set was soothed by the indie pop of NSW's Cloud Control.
Unfortunately, they lacked a certain energy that Weezer fans have grown accustomed to over the years. A medley of cheesy '80s theme songs introduced the Californian four-piece onstage, and was swiftly drowned out by a roaring welcome. Frontman Rivers Cuomo invited everyone into the Weezer time machine for their greatest hits set, which first stopped at Memories – an appropriate opener for a night of overwhelming nostalgia. After having an MRI due to a leg injury sustained at the band's Melbourne show a week earlier, Cuomo posted that he had “ACL deficiency”. Even he wasn't quite sure what that meant. Although he moved with a distinct limp, the person who controlled his spotlight still had their work cut out for them. With a huge, W-shaped light sitting behind the stage to guide their time machine, they hit all stops on the Weezer best of, finishing with You Gave Your Love To Me Softly to get punters in the mood for their performance of The Blue Album in full.
Karl Koch, that band's roadie of 20 years, led an insightful and humorous slideshow during intermission. After delving into significant detail surrounding the The Blue Album's conception and birth, the band finally resurfaced. The problem with playing an album start to finish is it ruins the element of surprise. Luckily fans were still in a state of shock from the previous set and seeing such an iconic album live was a worthwhile trade-off. “Maybe we can come back next year?” Cuomo pondered. And while 16 years was a long time to make fans wait, after two solid sets, the band was surely forgiven. One song had been missed during their first set, and although no one expected an encore, Weezer returned one last time for Island In The Sun, which ended in all four members behind the drums, smashing the kit with sticks as hard as humanely possibly, leaving a ring in people ears that will no doubt last until they return.
