Weezer
Live in Del Mar, California
There’s nothing worse than a live album that just focuses on singles and refuses to touch upon a band’s full discography. However, Weezer’s never been the sort of band to buy into the music industry hype. Live in Del Mar, California is as fun as being at a gig, and if you can’t make it out to a gig, sometimes a really great recording is the next best thing.
Rivers Cuomo proves himself an engaging and humorous frontman throughout, from commending his bandmates’ solos during their introductions to encouraging audience members to urinate before the end of the gig.
The delivery of each song is done with honed precision, loyal enough to the album tracks to be recognizable but just varied enough to be set apart. The setlist gravitates toward The Blue Album, some of the band’s finest and most loved work, but there’s something here for fans of any of Weezer’s albums. Small bonuses are included in the form of covers of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks†and Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android.â€
Like Rivers’ look, Weezer never seems to age as a group, and thank God for that. The band is one of the final remnants of 90’s nerds proving themselves cool, and their longevity and continued skill give outcasts a reason to continue feeling pride playing Dungeons and Dragons while wanting to rock.
