Weezer
O2 Academy Brixton // London, England // 29th June, 2019
Photos and review by Rachael Dowd
Weezer’s legacy for being one of the most entertaining live acts was in full swing at London’s O2 Academy Brixton late last month. With a 21-song set list that included a number of fan favourites as well as covers from their latest album, Weezer (Teal Album), those in attendance were given a memorable performance everyone was grooving to.
Opening up their set with “Buddy Holly,” one of their most popular songs to date, the entire crowd broke into cheers the moment frontman River Cuomo’s vocals began ringing through the speakers. Although Weezer aren’t the most energetic performers onstage, their music often speaking for itself, the energy in the O2 Academy Brixton was high as they cranked out tunes like “Why Bother?,” ‘El Scorcho,” and “My Name is Jonas” early into the night.
Weezer also included a number of cover songs from their brand new album, Weezer (Teal Album), including The Turtles’ classic “Happy Together” and A-ha’s “Take On Me” that left everyone in the audience, old and young, singing along. Perhaps one of the biggest stand out moments in the night was their performance of Toto’s “Africa.” A crowd-pleasing tune Weezer has incorporated into their live set over the past year, people in the crowd were spilling their pints with their arms around their friends as they all screamed the infamous chorus together.
Along with their newly released album of covers, Weezer was sure to include plenty of fan favourites including “Island In The Sun,” everyone in the venue throwing their pints up in the air in celebration as soon as the nostalgic opening guitar riff rang out. As a song that was released over eighteen years ago, the love for this track and the memories attached to it will stand the test of time, many Weezer fans hoping that the band will never stop playing it.
Closing out the night with “Beverly Hills” and “Say It Ain’t So,” Weezer’s performance in London was proof enough as to why this band has been able to keep going for nearly 25 years. With a repertoire of songs that have been the soundtrack to so many people’s lives and the ability to take any song from any genre and make it their own, there truly isn’t any other band out there like Weezer and if time tells us anything, it can only be hoped that they stick around for another 25 years.
