A trifecta of 90’s alt-rockers took over Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024, as Weezer, Flaming Lips, and Dinosaur Jr. reminded the aging sold-out crowd of their youth while still playing with vim and vigor.
Opening the affair was the trio Dinosaur Jr., whose no-frills set was a musical highlight for those fans who made it into the world’s most famous arena early. Their six songs were a mixture of jet engine fury and melodic soaring as the group crashed through opener “Little Fury Things”, revved up “Feel The Pain” and slammed into “Freakscene”. The only act this night not to feature an elaborate stage show, the low end of Lou Barlow and Murph rumbled while J Mascis riffed to the heavens on “Start Choppin” as the band sounded alive and vital. Their cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” was loud and proud while set closer “Gargoyle” let guitarist Mascis unleash a monstrous solo that reverberated around the Garden.
The crowd started to arrive in mass for The Flaming Lips, whose theatrical set was heavy on laser lights and balloons. “The Spark That Bled” opened things as Wayne Coyne and company filled the big room with love and positivity. “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” featured huge balloons fronting the stage before crowd favorite “She Don’t Use Jelly” rang out. The Lips stuck to the hits, with Coyne urging the crowd to yell louder between each song. “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” brought out more balloons, this time in the shape of giant eyes and lips, which Coyne got all up in before dancing around in a Wonder Woman robe.
The set ended with two powerful numbers. The first was a cover of Madonna’s “Borderline,” which was stripped down and sung with heart-aching sincerity. Set closer “Do You Realize?” may have been the emotional highlight of the night, as Coyne asked the crowd to let everyone they came with know that they loved them before delivering the song under a huge rainbow balloon.
A video countdown started for Weezer’s set, promising a space shuttle trip to the Blue Planet as the band performed their first album in its entirety. Before that, however, they made stops along the way to other hits such as “Return to Ithaka,” which deployed ringing guitar, the chugging “Hashpipe,” and the crowd-pleaser “Pork and Beans.”
“Island in the Sun” featured gorgeous digital displays on the massive screen behind the band, as visuals were a key part of the group’s set. The strumming and backing vocals were at their peak on “Any Friend of Diane’s,” while “Run, Raven, Run” mixed hip-shaking pop rock with darker lyrics.
The space motif lasted throughout the set as the band hit the Pinkerton Asteroid Belt and played a few choice cuts from that record with “Why Bother?”, “Pink Triangle” and “Across The Sea” are highlights. Weezer finally arrived at the Blue Album and played it in order as the sold-out crowd sang along.
“My Name Is Jonas” had the floor vibrating with energy while the contemplative “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here” swirled. The “Buddy Holly” poppy charm was readily apparent, while “Undone – The Sweater Song” had waves of oh-oh-ohs hitting the rafters.
“Say It Ain’t So” used power riffs deftly, while “In The Garage” turned in on itself and expertly used a huge guitar solo. Wrapping up with “Only In Dreams,” the band chose not to do an encore. Instead, they rolled credits on the stage screens and left the Space Age set to move on to the next town.
One Response
Cool giant balloons!