 Weezer, Foo Fighters carry out evening of controlled mayhem in Oakland
OAKLAND -- When the craziest front man in rock plays with the kookiest front man in indie rock, things are bound to get a little out of control.
But prankster Dave Grohl took things to a new level of manic merriment as Foo Fighters played its last show with Weezer during the final segment of the Foozer Tour Friday at Oakland Arena.
Grohl took credit for the six burly men who appeared behind Rivers Cuomo and the gang during Weezer's "Buddy Holly." The unexpected guests ripped off their shirts, exposing the band's name spelled across bulging chests -- along with much more when they stripped down to G-strings.
The song was the last for Weezer, who took the stage first and rattled off an impressive set led by an uncharacteristically dynamic Cuomo bouncing around and pumping his fists to "Don't Let Go" and a steady diet of Blue and Green album favorites.
A few songs earlier, it was as if an occult hand ascended from out of the darkness and picked up Cuomo, who magically appeared near the sound board atop a small stage on the floor of the arena. Alone, and seemingly nervous about a voluptuous go-go dancer who gyrated close to his side, the bookish songster played an acoustic rendition of "Island in the Sun."
At one point, as Cuomo was returning to the main stage, fans were led to believe that guitarist Brian Bell was choosing some ordinary Joe from the audience to play "Undone" (the sweater song). But regular guy "Billy Bob" who appeared with a hoodie sweater pulled tight on his face turned out to be Grohl, who left the stage after a good old-fashioned guitar bashing.
And that wasn't all the trickery of the night. Drummer Pat Wilson and Cuomo switched places during "Photograph," which the band transitioned flawlessly into a cover of Blur's "Song 2."
Weezer went out with a bang, literally, when giant cannons fired confetti into the masses and Foo Fighters took the stage to a cheering and pumped-up legion of about 13,000 of the bands' respective fans.
Grohl and the guys also went nuts. And while the set appeared without pranks, it was no less memorable. The band rocked the arena, kicking off its set with "In Your Honor," the first track off its latest album of the same name.
As Grohl screamed the lyrics of "My Hero," it was clear Foo Fighters can hold and control an arena. New songs, such as "DOA," went over almost as well as staples, including crowd favorites "Everlong" and "Learn to Fly."
As was the recipe for the night, front man and drummer switched places. A sweat-drenched Taylor Hawkins took over vocals during "Cold Day in the Sun" while Grohl tore things up with the sticks.
The band didn't need help from the huge, oddly shaped video monitors that flashed live images of the quartet, or the intricate light and laser show that accompanied the performance.
But it didn't hurt either. And its front man continued to impress. While Cuomo appeared stealthily out of the darkness and onto the small floor platform, Grohl jumped off the main stage and through a sea of adoring fans.
Once there, he and Chris Shiftlett, who stayed on the main stage, jammed back and forth during a tennis-match-like battle of the guitars.
Grohl is a guy who is crazy or brave, or perhaps both. But whatever it is, it works. |
