 Foo Fighters down for the count
Opening act Weezer steals show at Allstate
It was retro-rocking Weezer who reigned supreme over Allstate Arena crowds in Rosemont on Monday night, while headliners Foo Fighters could only scream their way through.
Weezer — those darling four classic nerdy-looking guys — always look so darn happy to be playing together. Suffice to say they gave it their all for a solid hour — plus an encore.
Weezer played in front of the cover art from their latest album, "Make Believe" — a winning white-on-black design depicting some kind of dragon or sea serpent. Black and purple lights made the beast pop out.
We got "The Other Way," "My Name Is Jonas," a parody of "Hashpipe" not suitable for print, and a rollicking cover of Foo Fighters' "Big Me."
As they switched instruments throughout the show — lead singer Rivers Cuomo sitting at the drums, guitarist Brian Bell poking out a hand to play keyboards — the backdrop darkened, then lit up with stars.
Then a giant winged W lit in bare white bulbs hovered behind the band during "Buddy Holly."
Hysterical. Fans thought so, too — camera phones lit up en masse as it ascended. People joined hands at thumbs and thrust their own Ws in the air.
I hear "Beverly Hills" is the new hit single loved by kids — including the big guy in front of me — and Weezer gave it the all they always do, but it's just such silliness to begin with: "Beverly Hills/ rolling like a celebrity/ livin' in Beverly Hills."
I guess. At least they followed it with "Undone," i.e. "The Sweater Song." Their set ended with a three-man drum solo and bursts of giant confetti.
Headliners Foo Fighters then dove fiercely into their set with the single "In Your Honor" from their eponymous new album.
A bandeau screen of fuzzy TV static wrapped around the bottom of the stage and slowly rose as the music intensified, revealing the four.
Other giant TVs hovered above stage-rear, offering top-down views of drummer Taylor Hawkins surrounded by piles of guitar amps and other gear. The band was lit as if from floodlights below, with Hawkins' drum kit sitting on a lighted platform.
Sadly, the visuals were the best part.
Either frontman Dave Grohl blew out his voice during an earlier leg of this tour — or destroying his pipes was his goal for the night. His incessant screeching ruined quality classic melodies and new releases.
"Learning to Fly" boasts a transition with a stunning chord progression where Grohl might have pulled his volume back to show some depth in his singing.
But he blew it.
Granted, Grohl, who used to drum for Queens of the Stone Age and Nirvana — freakin' Nirvana! — was big stuff before he started Foo 10 years ago.
And he parlayed that into comedic iconic videos (e.g., "Learning to Fly") and radio stunts on "Loveline" with Adam and Dr. Drew. Even Foo's whimsical Web site leads with photos of the band members cracking up over their logo.
But self-referential comments like, "That's what sucks about being a rock star," blew my impression — one so refreshing had it been true — that the Foo four could enjoy a laugh at their own expense. |
