Weezer headlines diverse rock show
By TOM O'CONNELL
Scene Music Critic
Early last month in Kalamazoo, Mich. three very different bands played to a sold-out crowd of almost 10,000. Jimmy Eat World, Tenacious D and Weezer —in the middle of their small cities tour — were all promoting their recent albums. This tour was important for increasing fan bases for the band that just became famous, the band that just debuted, and the band that made the comeback.
Jimmy Eat World is a veteran group of fringe emo rockers whose recent album Bleed American and hit single "The Middle" impressed critics and shot them to mainstream stardom. They opened the show with a lot of intensity and quickly got the growing crowd energized. The all general admission show brought many people down to floor level, making for an extremely tight squeeze for those trying to get to the front. After 45 minutes of intense rock, Jimmy Eat World left the stage and Tenacious D came on.
With an enthusiastic crowd chanting "We want the D!" it was obvious that Tenacious D, comprised of singer/guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist Kyle Gass, are on their way to becoming full blown rock stars. Their self-titled debut album, combined with lead singer Jack's successful acting career, is helping to add momentum.
For a band that started out playing to crowds that could be counted on two hands, a 10,000 seat arena gives the music a much different feel. Though they used a backup band for their album, Tenacious D have always played their concerts alone, just two men with acoustic guitars, often talking to and interacting with the audience. While this was definitely an intimate feeling in the smaller venues, it loses something in a bigger place.
As an underground oddity in the late 1990s, part of the joke of Tenacious D's HBO comedy show was that the self-proclaimed "Greatest Band on Earth" had no audience. With thousands of screaming fans to handle at every show, it seems that they are trying to take the joke in a new direction.
From a small interactive show, they now seem to lecture to their audience about the ups and downs of being a rockstar. And while good to see that they are trying to stay fresh and adapting to their new situation, the old D is gone, and die hard fans now have to share them with a growing crowd of people who only hold a mild interest.
Regardless of the size of the crowd, Tenacious D still knows how to rock an audience. Playing their old favorites like "The Cosmic Shame" and "Rock Your Socks" they explain to the audience why they were chosen to have such talent and why not everyone can kick the amount of ass they do. The highlight of the show was their discussion on current rock music that led into covers of System of a Down's "Chop Suey" and Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69." A solid hour of Tenacious D ended with "Double Team," the classic song of the seduction of a "Backstage Betty."
Since the summer of 2001, Weezer has been staging their massive comeback from the brink of obscurity. Following their popular self-titled first album, Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo experimented with the second album Pinkerton, writing 10 deeply personal and emotional songs about love, longing and loss.
When the album failed, Cuomo became a recluse, and it took five years before he came back with a third album.
Finally out of their haze, Weezer is touring again and not a minute too soon. The new songs have the fun energetic feel of the first album, but many fans were disappointed that the band played only one song from Pinkerton.
Weezer's fan base grew substantially during their five year hiatus, largely due to Napster and the ability to gain access to their live and rare recordings from Pinkerton.
Still, their live performances have not suffered. Ending the main set with one of their most loved songs, "Only In Dreams," Weezer gave their fans a great finale.
Back after five years, Weezer seems ready to continue building what they started seven years ago. With a new album due out this year, they are set to reaffirm their status as a great rock band.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, January 22, 2002
