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Yahoo/Guitar Hero Secret Show: Weezer At The Roxy 09/21/09
When you attend a concert that happens on a Monday afternoon and also is sponsored by Yahoo, your expectations from the get-go are low, but from the moment Weezer ripped into "Hash Pipe," all the Monday blues were wiped away. You don’t need to hit a hash pipe to numb yourself on a Monday, all you need is Rivers Cuomo and the rest of his band mates, dressed in their white jumpsuits, blasting the Roxy like it was midnight, instead of 2 pm.
A small crowd of devoted Weezer fans packed the Roxy and watched as Rivers and his boys made stops on everyone of their albums during the 45 minutes they played. From their new hit "I Want You To" to classics like "Buddy Holly," the audience sang along keeping Rivers energy level soaring the whole time. Over the years Weezer has become one of the defining pop groups of our generation, and make no mistake they are a pop band. After starting off being labeled an alternative band, Rivers Cuomo has become one of the best pop songwriters in the business. His songs are like a blue print into making catchy songs, using great guitar riffs, like the one on "Beverly Hills" and choruses that just make you want to sing along.
By the time Rivers had worked up a sweat, he already had the audience in his sway. "Pork and Beans" and "Beverly Hills" have become staples at every one of Weezer's shows, and this show was no different, but you can still see the band feeling the music. Some bands will play their songs so much, that it looks like they are going through a routine on stage, but watching Weezer this past Monday made you realize that these guys—Rivers especially—really enjoy playing together.
Using all their props, from a trampoline to a football that Rivers tossed into the crowd, Weezer puts on a full show, blasting away at all our senses and never letting us have a minute to rest. They were all wearing their white track suits and that’s what this show was, an exercise in pop music.
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It’s been a long road for Weezer, with stops at Harvard along the way, but by the time they ended the show with the cover of the the Clash’s "Should I Stay or Should I Go," the audience was happy that Weezer has stayed all these years, and Monday at the Roxy was just another example of why they are one of the best live shows out there.
By Rory Waltzer, Special to LAist
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