Maximum rock lands in Long Beach in the form of Foozer This year's concert tour is full of heavy hitters like Paul McCartney, U2, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and the all too many festivals which fill the void of hayfields and draft beer to overflow. The one show that many folk might miss that is actually worth the price of a major draw is the dual headliner tour of The Foo Fighters and Weezer. The fact that they also have alt-rockers Hot Hot Heat opening the show only makes them even smarter for it. The added fact that most tickets range from 29.00 to 39.00 dollars is the darling of the deal. I think the last concert that I paid 29.00 dollars for was Loverboy back in 1986, and I wasn't lovin every minute of it either. The Foo Fighters have really come a long way since even their last album, One By One, which was a commercial and critical success of grand scales. The Foo Fighters made a bold move in releasing their latest, In Your Honor, by making it a double album. The fact that one is rock and the other acoustic makes this an even more dangerous drive. Weezer's latest release, Make Believe, is an example of power riffs, catchy lyrics, and plenty of ear candy the whole family can enjoy. The concert is really a dream line-up and the dual headliner status sounds better on paper once you see the Foo's bring on the rock as they did in Long Beach on this star studded night. Hot Hot Heat has the unfortunate job as openers on this tour and it's a shame because they really have some great songs that nobody gets a chance to listen to. The job of opening for a major act is really to just keep the crowd rowdy enough to rush the stage, but calm enough to scream their freakin lungs out for the big boys. The lights go out after Hot Hot Heat and the crowd anticipates Weezer's approach like children on the night before Christmas and they are not disappointed as they open the show with "My Name Is Jonas" and the crowd sways back and forth like and ocean of screaming, drunken kids madly in love with singer, Rivers Cuomo, and the band sways back. The band plays hit after hit, and you forget all the songs they've released until you have 10,000 kids singing them in your ear like a massive karaoke party. The current hit "We Are All On Drugs" plays out well enough, but it's when all the members of Weezer get behind the drums and play at the same time that the crowd really wakes up. The band does no encores, but rather chooses to play an acoustic version of Island In The Sun to bring down the energy enough only to kick your arse with Hash Pipes heavy bass and moody guitar playing followed by Buddy Holly and the crowd is jumping for more. This is exactly where they leave them to finish the show and rush backstage to begin the night's consumption of free booze and vitamin water.
The lights come up and the construction for the Foo Fighter's set looks more like something out of a Star Wars backdrop than a concert set. The lights drop again and as you look around the arena, you see nothing but pure joy on the faces of these kids who are anticipating the best show all year and they are not disappointed. Dave Grohl screams "Can you hear me", but tonight it's more of a call than a question. The sound that comes from this 4 piece is really more of a wall and is unexpected in its power, but that is nothing compared to the thunder behind the drums known as Taylor Hawkins. I tried to play air drums on this opening number at home once and my arms had to be reset by a professional, and that's the kind of musicians you get when The Foo Fighters hit the stage in Long Beach, California. Home of the Spruce Goose and the Queen Mary.
These boys really have grown in their song writing and showmanship, and I would liken this tour/album to the leap that the great Irish rock band U2 made from The Joshua Tree to Zooropa. The stage is full of amazing pyrotechnics, which really turn what could be a great rock show into an event. The Foo's play power rock like nobody else's business and the show is full of hard core hits that fans and friends alike will enjoy. From the moment the band takes the stage they seem like they are on a mission to save rock, or at least themselves from the conventional tours of years and bands past. Dave is also very playful with the crowd as he runs back and forth across the stage screaming for the crowd's approval. By the time the show winds down you feel as drained as the band. This show is pure adrenalin and I have to wipe the sweat from my forehead as I make my way backstage to the after party. Dave says that, This album is really a tribute to the fans, all of them. When people look back and ask which Foo Fighter's album they should get, it should be this one.
Review by Giulian Jones
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