 Foo Fighters, Weezer Wail At The Forum
TAMPA It was two-for-one night Sunday at the St. Pete Times Forum as Foo Fighters and Weezer co-headlined before a crowd of 11,737.
Up first, Weezer made sure Foo Fighters had a tough act to follow. Leader Rivers Cuomo's barber-college haircut and unsmiling visage bore an eerie similarity to Joy Division's doomed Ian Curtis.
Weezer's dynamic, melodic pop-rock, though, couldn't be further away from Joy Division's cold, horrific visions. Cuomo plays the prototypical rock nerd -- slight and intense and seeking the salvation only a catchy chorus can bring.
On that score, Cuomo is a man redeemed. He's a master of deceptively-simple sounding numbers that disguise his ability to blend 50 years of rock influences.
"Why Bother" harks back to the pre-Beatles songwriting factory of the Brill Building; "Buddy Holly" invokes its namesake while still sounding contemporary; "El Scorcho" and "Beverly Hills" flirt with hip-hop.
Following Weezer, Foo Fighters initially suffered in comparison. Leader Dave Grohl sang and spoke every word in a harsh scream that suggested he may have shot his voice imitating John Fogerty while singing "Born on the Bayou" at the "Shelter From the Storm" benefit for Hurricane Katrina victims Friday.
But the band found its footing quickly and by the time they launched into "Learn to Fly" the band's mix of melody and pop bluster had gelled nicely.
"Last Song," from this year's "In Your Honor" double-CD, was especially powerful, while "Stacked Actors" was the midset peak, stretched out with a brief drum solo and some dynamic guitar work.
Grohl, ex-drummer for Nirvana, got behind the kit for "Times Like These," while drummer Taylor Hawkins took over guitar and vocals.
Mae opened with a brief set. Although perhaps not quite ready for arenas, the band's ornate, keyboard-decorated emo-pop is best heard on this year's "The Everglow" CD. |
