One Small Step for Weezer, One Giant Leap for Weezerites

toronto, canada - september 9, 2024

At Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Weezer took us on a mission through their discography. Decades-old bands like Weezer never go out of style, and as the show went on you could see the vibrant crowd with best friends, fathers & young daughters, and couples shouting along. In typical Weezer fashion, the stage was set with a theme. This tour emulated a space mission with the band debuting onstage under a rising spaceship. Each section of the set, split into their different iconic eras, became a new challenge in their space force mission. Set with intense fog machines and fireworks, it was nothing short of an overt production.

Before the Blue album portion of the set, tiny versions of Rivers Cuomo appeared on the LED screen with an announcement from Rivers that him and all the Weezerites were secretly aliens the entire time. Fitting the theme of the typical Weezer fan finding solace in the exaggerated nerdiness of the band, lights shining from above emmulating their ascent into an alien realm and smoke filled stage.

Between another set break leading into the “Getcchoo”, Cuomo returned to the stage with a flag bearing the iconic “W” logo and announced, “One small step for Weezer, and one giant leap for Weezerites!”

Weezer dropped the typical notion many bands are taking on, many long standing artists rely on to nostalgia to leave the audience satisfied, while Weezer reinvents their music and presence in each song. The stage exuded brightness and not simply due to the set design, but the subtle charm of headman Cuomo, double necked bassist Scott Shriner, cool-guy-behind-the-shades Brian Bell, and slamming drummer Patrick Wilson. Each member leveled each other out while shining in their respective ways, and (predictably) beaming at the fans throughout the arena. Weezer isn’t a band that has been known for their exceeding cool factor, but their authenticity is what keeps them in style. The bright screen behind the band flew the crowd through space and time to reinvent a new subconscious way to prove how globally known the band truly is. To close out the set, the band literally rolled credits as the space mission came to a close. Leaving the stage one last time as fans filled the subway with galaxies in their eyes. Whether a casual fan or a dedicated Weezerite, this set has something for everyone with iconic tunes like “Why Bother” “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So”.