Witnessing history at Weezer

0
1110

author: mason slivacontributor

The legends have a huge year ahead of them. | Photo credit: Gina Scarpino

Weezer and the Trews rocked Saskatoon last weekend.

The Trews

Music: 4 Stars out of 5 Performance: 4 Stars out of 5 Overall: 7.5 Stars out of 10

Canadian alternative legends The Trews showed why they continue to make a name for themselves. While many of the attendees at the concert were there to see Weezer, The Trews still gave it their all, and put on a good set. The Trews have been gaining attention all over the country for the last 15 years, and the music clearly displayed why. The band has gained valuable experience while touring, and they possessed a well-refined sound that can only be found after years of hard work.

The bassist for the Trews, Jack Syperek, is one of the most entertaining bassists I have ever seen, and his riffs were the highlight of the Trews performance. His steady riffs seemed to carry the whole beat of the song, and you could feel the energy emerging from his sound. Not to be outdone, singer/guitarist Colin MacDonald put on an excellent performance of his own. MacDonald is known for his exceptional vocal range, and this was displayed on Friday. As well, his singing did not seem to be hindered by his guitar playing, and his guitar provided valuable support for the whole groups sound.

Overall, while I enjoyed The Trews set, it seems as though their sound is so clearly refined that they appear to have gone fully radio rock. Early Trews songs such as Not Ready To Go possess a heavy, thumping rock sound that seems to be lost with the aging of the band. This may not be a negative for everyone, but I was hoping to see the guitars utilizing more gritty effects. However, despite the lack of grit, the performance was still quite enjoyable and may even be more accessible to the common rock fan.


Weezer

Music: 4.5 Stars out of 5 Performance: 4 Stars out of 5 Overall: 8.5 Stars out of 10

What do you guys want me to say? It’s freaking Weezer. I could barely contain my excitement as the lights came up and they came on stage. They met every single expectation that I had for their performance, and I heard every one of my favourite tunes.

A comment I made before their set was, “I hope they only play a couple new songs, and leave more time for the hits.” Lucky me, Weezer only played a few songs from their newer albums. However, while the band has reached rock-god status, I feel that their newer songs lack the distinct sound that made them famous. The more poppy and electronic sound witnessed in new single Feels Like Summer was a low-point of the evening.

However, after playing a couple new songs, Weezer returned to the hits, and reminded me why I was so happy to be attending. Singer Rivers Cuomo seems not to be phased by over 20 years of touring and still puts on a great performance. He is still able to hit notes all over his vocal range while playing lead guitar.

I felt like the sound was mixed terribly and the guitars were overpowered by both the bass guitar and the drums. At many times it was difficult to even hear the riffs that Rivers was playing, and this put a slight damper on the set. However, with extra focus on himself, bassist Scott Shriner excelled, and kept a steady beat for the group. His playing was a highlight of the show, and it helped to keep me enjoying the show despite the drowned-out instruments.

After a long set filled with almost all of their hits, Weezer left the stage, only to return to play amazing renditions of “El Scorcho” and “Buddy Holly.” Confetti filled the arena as Weezer played their last notes of the encore, officially signaling the end of something special.

Overall, despite a somewhat disappointing mix, the band put on a performance that I’m sure I’ll be telling my grandkids about someday.

Comments are closed.