 Foo fought well at sold out show
When Dave Grohl welcomed everyone at Long Beach Arena to the "big rock show" on Saturday night, the singer/guitarist wasn't being glib. Foo Fighters put on a hard-hitting, 90-minute performance that wound up being more intense than expected.
Current double album "In Your Honor" includes some of the band's most punishing and mellow material to date. Fans hankering for the new tunes only got a taster. But few could complain about a 15-song setlist geared toward most of Foo Fighters' alt-rock radio hits from the past decade ("All My Life," "Learn to Fly," "Times Like These," "My Hero").
Foo Fighters opened their sold out show (another was scheduled on Sunday) with "In Your Honor"; the blistering track brought to mind Grohl's Nirvana days. Before launching into a stunning epic version of "Stacked Actors," Grohl said, "this song is a little noisy, sloppy and gross." The group kicked it into overdrive: drummer (and Laguna Beach native) Taylor Hawkins pounded out a complex solo and Grohl sprinted across the floor section until he and guitarist Chris Shiflitt engaged in a fiery duel.
Hawkins emerged from his kit to sing lead on an electrified, alt-countryish "Cold Day in the Sun" (from the acoustic half of "In Your Honor") as Grohl handled the drums.
The evening's highlight came when Grohl stood alone onstage for a chilling, stripped down take on "Everlong." The band joined him to amplify the conclusion.
For the encores, Grohl reminisced about the group's early days playing small gigs around L.A., KROQ events ("if I had a nickel for every time we played the Weenie Roast") and how they've graduated to the arena level ("I always wanted to be David Lee Roth; now I've come close. But I don't do the splits"). Later, he dedicated "This is a Call" to old school fans and pummeled the electric guitar so hard, the strings broke ("that's what happens when you put a guitar in the hands of a drummer"). By the end, Foo Fighters confirmed they are the new monsters of rock.
Judging by the cheers and overzealous crowd reaction, many people came just to see Weezer. The band's 65-minute, 18-song set featured ample album cuts (particularly 1996's "Pinkerton") and rarities – much different than their appearance last month at KROQ Inland Invasion 5 in Devore.
Watching mild mannered frontman Rivers Cuomo work the stage instead of standing still the entire time was a promising new development. An auxiliary musician who appeared on several tunes gave Cuomo and guitarist Brian Bell more freedom.
All four members of Weezer sang lead at various points. Goofy drummer Pat Wilson handed his sticks over to Cuomo so he could take front and center on the doo wop harmony-laden "Photograph" (which segued into Blur's "Song 2") and did an admirable job.
Selections from the classic 1994 "Blue Album" sounded better than ever, especially the brooding "Say It Ain't So," crunchy alt-pop set opener "My Name is Jonas," "Undone (the Sweater Song)" – where a male fan was invited to play acoustic guitar -- and the buoyant closer "Buddy Holly."
Cuomo appeared on a small stage behind the soundboard for an endearing acoustic encore of "Island in the Sun." Other standouts included the sinister "Hash Pipe" and throttling "Beverly Hills" (complete with talk box action).
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