Weezer and the Pixies at Coastal Federal Credit Union Music Park — Raleigh, NC — 7/24/2018
Iconic indie rock band, the Pixies and alt-rock hit makers Weezer combined forces on a co-headlining North American tour hitting some of the largest outdoor amphitheaters along the way hitting Raleigh’s Coastal Federal Credit Union Music Park for a night that enthusiastic fans won’t soon forget.
The evening started with a brief but high energy set from the Brooklyn duo, Sleigh Bells [★★★★], playing an eight song set. The pairing of Alexis Krauss (vocals) and Derek Edward Miller (guitars) shook things up with their noise pop and did their best to get the early arrivers pumped up for the evening’s main event.
Sleigh Bells opened with their new song “Blue Trash Mattress Fire” which they segued into the highly energetic “Comeback Kid.” Krauss does a great job working the stage and entertaining while Miller takes a stationary approach and holds things down. Krauss’ seems to everywhere at once and one cannot help but be mesmerized by her head-banging hair flips and backbends while not faltering on a single note. Fans liked the easily accessible “Favorite Transgressions,” “Infinity Guitars,” and the set ending “Crown on the Ground.”
Sleigh Bells has developed a reputation of delivering intense live shows. Krauss did not stand still for a second during this set and the show was as intense as hyped up to be. While their set only lasted thirty minutes, it was still very satisfying and hopefully they’ll be back soon enough.
With a history of songs going back to the 80s, each night with the Pixies [★★★★] is a different set which keeps things fresh and interesting. The band and the fans never know what is going to be played on any given night. The current lineup of Black Francis (vocals, guitar), Joey Santiago (guitar), David Lovering (drums) and Paz Lenchantin (bass) set out to deliver a set of fuzzed-out classics.
They kicked off their set with “U-Mass” which set the tone for the evening, and never really looked back. The core of the set relied heavily on their 80s and 90s work, they tore through more than half of Doolittle with classics like “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Mr. Grieves,” “Crackity Jones,” “Tame,” and “Debaser.” They also played “Wave of Mutilation” twice — the album version, and the “UK Surf” version. Some of the Surfer Rosa classics included”Gigantic,” “Where Is My Mind?,” “Cactus,” and “Vamos” where Santiago was given a little space to show his guitar prowess.
Sadly, the band members never really interacted with the audience. While they played well, it felt like they didn’t want to be playing for people and thus the crowd remained still throughout the show instead of giving the frenzied energy it deserves. They closed out their twenty plus song set with the Neil Young cover “Winterlong” before saying their final goodbyes.
Tonight’s intermission was a little longer than usual, but it was worth the wait. Fans roared when they heard the “Happy Days” sample introducing Weezer [★★★★★]. The heavy black curtain dropped and revealed a stage designed to look like Arnold’s from Happy Days. Rivers Cuomo, dressed with his cardigan, tie, and glasses, led the band into the “Buddy Holly,” which had fans on their feet and singing along from the get-go. Streamer cannons released a healthy dose party fun further rallying their cause. They immediately followed up with “Beverly Hills” and “Undone — The Sweater Song” which had the crowd singing along.
The set took on a couple of different themes which were also reflected with changes to the stage. For the second theme, stagehands converted the diner into a garage filled with rock posters where Cuomo stripped the cardigan and revealing a red shirt underneath. The group ripped through “My Name Is Jonas,” “In the Garage,” “El Scorcho,” and a mashup of the Turtles’ “Happy Together” and Green Day’s “Longview.” They even had a little time to throw in “Thank God for Girls.”
The crew changed the set again as the audience focused on Cuomo wearing a captain’s hat and jacket as he picked up an acoustic guitar for a solo rendition of “Islands in the Sun.” He also offered up an acoustic version of a-ha’s “Take On Me” much to the crowd’s delight.
Once again, the crew stepped in for one final stage change — the arena rock stage with larger lighted Weezer “W” logo and Cuomo now in rock star threads. Weezer kicked into “Burndt Jamb,” “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To,” and “Feels Like Summer.” This was all leading the to the question on everyone’s mind — would they play Toto’s “Africa?” Why yes they did, and it seemed to get more recognition than “Feels Like Summer” which was a great way to end the massive set. They returned to encore on two songs, the first “Surf Wax America” closing with a big rock celebration that included a mashup of the “Say It Ain’t So” and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.”
All in all, the show was a massive success that brought together old and new regimes for the sake of entertainment. It was a great night for music under the moonlight and many left with smiles on their faces. This tour will continue on through August and is a sight to see.
