The Wonderful, Wild, Weird World of Weezer
It's hard to believe it's been 30 years since Weezer dropped their self-titled debut album. But 30 years it has been. To celebrate, the band is touring arenas, putting on one of their biggest spectacles ever. Voyage to the Blue Planet is indeed a spectacle—a wonderful, wild, weird celebration of one of rock's weirdest bands. The show's centerpiece is, of course, a performance of what is affectionately known as the blue album in full from front to back.
The band is certainly going all out for this tour. It's a Broadway-style spectacle complete with aand supported by high-quality visuals, scripted scripted story segments, and costume changes.
The show is a journey in every sense. It begins with the band literally blasting off as they embark on a voyage. Along the way, they encounter a series of enemies, complications, and other adventures, all of which are presented as a backdrop to a three-act performance. This narrative structure adds a unique and exciting dimension to the show Voyage to the Blue Planet.
Act one begins with a handful of rarities and deep cuts and follows the band through a wild set full of bangers. Weezer fans, young and old, have plenty to delight them in act one. From big performances of big hits like Hash Pipe and Dope Nose to deep cuts like Every Friend of Diane’s.
Act two found the band in the Pinkerton sector of an asteroid belt. This gave the band an opportunity to play nearly half of the Pinkerton record, including my second favorite Weezer song, "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly." Well, it is not from Pinkerton. It is from the same era and was included on the soundtrack to the movie Angus. Pinkerton fans were thrilled with this set.
Act three, of course, found the band landing on the blue planet, home to the Weezerites and Rivers himself. The planet had fallen on hard times and needed to be saved. The only way they knew how was by playing the blue album in its entirety.
If all of this sounds silly to you well it was very silly, but it was also completely on brand and so much fun. The band sounded great, particularly rivers, voice and guitar. The mix was excellent. You could even hear Scott's base very clearly in the mix.
Overall, this was an excellent show. I've seen Weezer countless times over the years, and this was one of my favorites, possibly one of the best shows I've ever seen.
