'You just got Weezered': Weezer brings the hits for Day 1 of WonderRoad festival
Weezer, Weezer, Weezer – the garage band gods, the dorkiest of rock heroes, the quartet of starry-eyed kids armed with electric guitars and a dream. Of course, WonderRoad taps Weezer.
Rivers Cuomo and Co. are going on 30 years as a unit with 15 albums to their name, and with a near-constant string of tours and festival appearances as of late, they’re showing no signs of stopping – even with the glory days arguably behind them. What do we do with them now, this group of guys clearly as eager to be on stage for the thousandth time as they were for the first?
If you’re WonderRoad, the answer is simple: Put the dudes on stage and let the masses flock accordingly. Because Weezer still rocks, and based on Saturday’s crowd, everybody knows it.
The band helmed the first day of WonderRoad music festival’s sophomore showing, drawing fans of all ages – die-hard dads, dedicated teens and kids in oversized merchandise – to Garfield Park for a 90-minute set that ran through the hits. Their performance capped off a festive Day 1 that featured Local Natives, Coin, X Ambassadors, lovelytheband and more.
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Hints of Weezer’s imminent arrival lingered all day, with yellow and blue “Weezer is my friend” T-shirts in abundance across the grassy expanse. Frontman Cuomo reveled in the praise, cranking the volume up to 11 (literally, with the help of an on-stage prop knob) and proceeding to shred on, by my count, at least three different guitars.
The band cruised through classics like “Hash Pipe” and “Pork and Beans” and turned rare acoustic renditions of “Susanne” and “Only In Dreams.” Even technical difficulties during crowd-pleaser “Island In The Sun” couldn’t keep things down: The audience picked up where Cuomo’s mic left off.
The performance, the ninth stop on Weezer’s Indie Rock Road Trip summer tour, was especially apt given its timing: Father’s Day Weekend. Flip to the front page of the dad rock dictionary and you’ll find a photo of the foursome, and if Cuomo isn’t in the running for America’s Dad, someone should toss his hat in the ring.
“It ain’t a real road trip until Dad takes a family photo,” Cuomo quipped, turning his Polaroid toward the crowd and cementing them in the band’s archives forever.
Cuomo and his antics were a festival highlight, but in even the non-Weezer interim, Garfield Park glistened.
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Kids frolicked. Beverages flowed. Adults waved their hands in the air and danced on one and three. The scene was so picturesque that even X Ambassadors lead singer Sam Harris took notice, hailing it “the first day of summer” and noting the positive energy.
With ample shade, three separate stages, play areas for the kids and plenty of those couches, the vibes stayed high. Morgan Ness, a 24-year-old Indianapolis resident, took in the day from her own inflatable accessory – a must-have for a WonderRoad veteran.
Saturday was Ness’ second WonderRoad go-around. She attended the inaugural weekend last year to see Bastille perform, and the festival’s good energy and uniquely indie lineup brought her back.
“The vibe and the energy here is super great,” she said. “We don’t have anything else like this.”
Bands and fans alike bought into it. Punchy sets from Beach Weather, The Heavy Heavy, The Dip and more kept the day rolling as later performances approached.
The early evening sets continued the momentum, with a surprisingly dynamic Harris and X Ambassadors (I would’ve never guessed he could move like that) along with soaring Local Natives set bringing up the rear. Coin lead singer Chase Lawrence bopped around the stage during their slot, his glorious golden curls flopping and flying with his movements, as a frantic crowd screamed for more.
But Weezer was undoubtedly the act of the day. Coin wrapped their set at the Main Stage an hour and a half before Weezer went on, but even as Local Natives started up across the way, not many moved.
The resulting pit was packed, hungry pit ready for pure rock, and Weezer was thrilled to deliver. Cuomo was so clearly in his element – dancing the robot down the stage, allotting himself and rhythm guitarist Brian Bell a bevy of epic guitar solos, cracking dad joke after dad joke – and it was a no-holds-barred affair.
Did he just say, “lit AF”? Did he demand, “Weezer fans, unite,” and launch into the stadium-ready “Perfect Situation” singalong chorus? Where did the cowboy hat come from? Who’s to say, and honestly, who cares? It’s Weezer, and it’s fun.
As the band transitioned from Cuomo’s solo track “Blast Off!” to the beloved “Undone – The Sweater Song,” Cuomo scanned the crowd with a smile, pleased to catch everyone off guard and spring into a familiar favorite.
“You just got Weezered,” he jabbed.
Yeah, man. We sure did.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Marcus King and more will helm WonderRoad’s second day. Sunday tickets are still available as of Saturday night.
Contact Pulliam Fellow Heather Bushman at HBushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Weezer headlines WonderRoad Day 1 Indianapolis
