 Foo Fighters rock; Weezer's geeks lack flair
The contrasts and conflicts between rockers and geeks have been the stuff of countless teen books and movies, but it is not usually the premise of a concert.
In the case of the show Tuesday night at Memorial Coliseum, it was post-grunge powerhouse Foo Fighters (rockers), cleaning up after the goofy pop-rock of Weezer (geeks).
Dave Grohl, who served as drummer for Nirvana but slings a guitar and handles the lead vocals for Foo Fighters, appeared as a wall of lights rose up from the stage and a stream of distorted guitar notes filled the air. Then the quartet launched into a pounding version of the title track from the band's most recent album, "In Your Honor," with a sound and energy that could have filled an arena 10 times the size.
Weezer began with one of its more jarring songs as well, "My Name Is Jonas," but combined with the stiffness of singer Rivers Cuomo and the rest of the band's lack of interplay, the wattage produced couldn't have powered a single spotlight.
Cuomo did try to engage the crowd by shouting, "Hey, Portland," but that paled to Grohl's extended narrative on the city's many merits, reminding the crowd that the band had played its first real show at Satyricon and scoring extra points by pointing out that bassist Nate Mendel is now a local.
Both bands sent their leaders to the back of the boxy room to perform (Cuomo played an acoustic guitar and nasally sang "Island in the Sun"; Grohl churned out an arty solo and then played a round of dueling electric guitars with Chris Shiflett, who remained on the stage), but only the ever-smiling Grohl drew the fans around him like a magnet.
Both frontmen took their turns behind the drum kit as well, but with his years of pummeling experience, Grohl simply clobbered Cuomo.
Each set consisted mainly of hits (both bands have delivered five well-received albums in 10 years), but Weezer did little to make the live versions memorable. Conversely, Foo Fighters wasn't afraid to add form and function to its familiar fare, and when Grohl went at it alone for the band's biggest hit, "Everlong," he managed to transform the addictive slice of pop-rock into a moving ballad.
In the end, the real decision came down to the strength of the songs and the intensity of delivery.
Though catchy and filled with hooks, Weezer's songs relied on a basic (and tired) pop structure to carry them, resulting in a sense of sameness, and the band's aloof members just didn't seem to be relishing the moment.
Foo Fighters were unafraid to break out of the standard verse-chorus-verse format, filling songs with dynamic tensions and contrasts. Throughout the set, Grohl seemed to be having the time of his life.
It is true that the crowd cheered both sides on with enthusiasm, but in the end, it was clear that the rockers had won the battle.
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