Photos and words by Taylor Shields
Making their way across North America on their Indie Rock Road Trip tour (which kicked off at the beginning of June), Weezer made a pit stop at The Mann Center in Philly on Tuesday, June 27th. Opening this leg of the tour were Cali pop-punk rockers Joyce Manor and Baltimore-based synth-pop group Future Islands. Despite thunder and lightning storms moving through the area, the show went on with only a short delay in set times. The crowd definitely did not let the rain dampen the mood at The Mann, as Joyce Manor took the stage around 7:30pm getting everyone warmed up for a night of great music. Future Islands followed, bringing the energy as frontman Samuel T. Herring lunged and jumped about, his face full of passionate emotion. The band played a 12-song set, including hits and fan favorites such as “Seasons (Waiting on You)”, “A Dream of You and Me”, and “Plastic Beach”.
After the opening acts finished their sets, you could feel a palpable energy slowly building in anticipation of Weezer’s entrance. With their status as one of the most iconic rock bands emerging from the ’90s, it would be an understatement to say Weezer still has a dedicated following. So much of their music has been intricately woven into the cultural zeitgeist for the past 30 years, so much so that many of the Gen-X and Millennial generations’ core memories have naturally been soundtracked by the group. Hearing songs like “Island in the Sun”, “Buddy Holly”, and “Beverly Hills” instantly transports you back to a specific time in your life and feels like a dreamy escape to a land of nostalgia.
Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and company took the stage shortly after 9:30pm, backed by a giant surrealistic replica of a car dashboard, really hammering home the “road trip” theme. Throughout the show, Cuomo climbed the dash, playing a few songs while standing just atop the steering wheel, as rhythm guitarist Brian Bell supported him on vocals just below. From the pit to the lawn, the crowd was wholeheartedly engaged, shouting along every word to the songs that defined their collective generation. Even after 30 years of touring, Weezer is as polished as ever, driving their signature sound home to the yearning ears of those ’90s kids turned adults who can’t quite let go of the decade that offered so much variety in musical genre. Tuesday’s show made it very clear that as long as Weezer is still behind the wheel, the audience will be there to supply the gas.
Weezer will be continuing their Indie Rock Road Trip through September and will be back in the area again when they play the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, NJ on September 17th. See all of their upcoming tour dates here and keep scrolling below to see more photos from the show.
