Weezer @ The Paramount, Huntington NY
By Seth M
The Paramount did it again last night, bringing another big show to Long Island’s premiere music venue with 90’s nerd rockers Weezer. Whether you’re a fan or not there is no denying Weezer’s place in rock history, and almost instantly selling out the Paramount proved they can still pack a room.
It’s been a while since they’ve been to the NY area and not only do they have staying power but they kept it short, sweet and simple. With only an hour and twenty five minutes from start to finish they played the show fans wanted to see. No self-indulgent rock star thing that pisses people off; they played the hits and they played them WELL!
There was nothing fancy about this show ~ no pyro, no crazy lighting or anything else other than four guys (Patrick, Brian, Scott and Rivers), their instruments and a big W behind them as they kicked it off where it all began on their 1994 self-titled debut with “My Name is Jonas”. The crowd was nonstop jumping up and down and singing their way through “Hash Pipe” “Troublemaker and “Perfect Situation”. Rivers started doing a little chit chat and singing about Long Island, even asking the crowd if it was, indeed, an island at all… They responded with a resounding “Yes!”, cheering as they recognized his obvious lead into one of the biggest hits in their catalog, “Island in the Sun”.
Moving it along they continued through their 18-song setlist with “Beverly Hills”, “Say it Ain’t So” and ending with “Buddy Holly”, before returning for a multi-song encore and closing out the night with “The Sweater Song”.
As someone who has seen Weezer through the years going back all the way to 1993 I wasn’t surprised they sounded perfect and that they came out, did their thing and left everyone completely satisfied…
The full set list is as follows:
- My Name Is Jonas
- Hash Pipe
- El Scorcho
- Troublemaker
- Photograph
- Perfect Situation
- Dope Nose
- Surf Wax America
- Island in the Sun
- The Good Life
- Beverly Hills
- Keep Fishin’
- Say It Ain’t So
- (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
- Pork and Beans
- Buddy Holly
Encore:
- Memories
- Undone – The Sweater Song
Although they don’t seem to play very often, if you have a chance to see them it’s well worth your time ~ and if you’re looking for a vacation you can check them out on the Weezer Cruise in February.
