 99X free Weezer concert riotous, literally
ATLANTA —Weezer’s free concert was a riot, in both the literal and figurative sense.
The concert, packed into a two-lane street, had more than 20,000 in attendance. The audience filled four floors of a nearby parking deck, and every window in buildings next to the stage was opened and filled with a fan or three.
One security guard stood sentry while bleeding through a large bandage, thanks to a thrown beer bottle. Many fans exited the concert through the front of the stage by the only viable method: crowdsurfing.
Even Karl Koch, spokesman for the band, was taken aback.
“There was an alarming amount of shoving and rowdiness going down, plus stuff being thrown and streetlights and other unclimbables being climbed,” Koch said.
“The EMTs had their hands full with passed out fans and cuts and bruises.”
But the concert was great.
Weezer, with Rivers Cuomo on guitar and vocals, Brian Bell on rhythm guitar, Patrick Wilson on drums and Scott Shriner on bass, only played for 70 minutes, including the encore break, but they put on a well thought-out show that drew from each of their albums’ hits and obscurities.
Weezer got right down to business. A sea of W’s formed by fans’ hands went up as the radio announcer introduced the band, who came onstage promptly at 9:30 p.m.
Weezer opened with “Say it Ain’t So,” a fan favorite to which nearly everyone sang along including security personnel.
Weezer did not shy away from their back catalogue. “We’re going to play our first song from our first album,” said Cuomo, as the band launched into “My Name is Jonas.”
Two songs later, they played “El Scorcho,” with its famous line, “you half-Japanese girls do it to me every time,” which was screamed by Weezer fans.
Two songs later, Rivers led them in a wordless sing-along to the notes of the breakdown in “Perfect Situation,” off of their latest album, “Make-Believe.”
“Death and Destruction” received an instrumental treatment, and “Island in the Sun” became another sing-along.
They closed with “Buddy Holly” and encored with “Haunt You Every Day,” “Hash Pipe” and “Surf Wax America.”
During the encore, a mosh pit 30 feet in diameter opened. Those fans slammed into each other for the rest of the show. |
