LIVE at Squamish doesn’t disappoint as Weezer closes with a crowd-raising set

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      There was no room for disappointment in Weezer’s closing main stage set at LIVE at Squamish Sunday, as the band powered through a crowd-pleasing performance laden with hits from throughout their musical career.

      Performing under a bright fluorescent “W” sign, the band opened with the song “Surf Wax America” from their first self-titled album and proceeded to play a range of tracks from their discography that had every audience member standing, and crowd members of all ages singing along.

      Their impressive set list featured a good chunk of songs from their first self-titled record, also known as the Blue Album, including “Say It Ain’t So”, “No One Else”, “Undone - the Sweater Song”, and “My Name is Jonas”. They also brought out hits including “Beverly Hills” from the album Make Believe, and “Hash Pipe” from the band’s second self-titled record.

      Lead singer Rivers Cuomo was highly entertaining to watch, as he danced around the stage, clad in khakis, a sweater, collared shirt and ubiquitous glasses. His dance moves—including fist pumps—may sometimes be reflective of his nerdy persona, but the man definitely knows how to lead a rock band.

      Cuomo even wandered into the middle of the crowd, microphone in hand, for the end of the set, when he called up to his band members “can one of you guys play the guitar part?” As they launched into the opening riffs of “Island in the Sun”, Cuomo began to sing the lyrics as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd and was plucked out of the audience by a large, burly staff member. Even when it looked like security staff might drop the frontman on his head, he continued to sing unphased into his mike, and returned to the stage to join in on guitar.

      The band even rolled out some surprise cover songs, first with a rendition of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” and then later launching into a solid rendition of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android”.

      Some crowd members had started to head for the gates when the band came back on stage with an encore that kicked off with “Buddy Holly”, bringing some fans running back.

      Weezer’s diverse set of tracks spanning their discography was reflective of an eclectic line-up throughout day two of the festival.

      From the impressive horn instrumentals of Vancouver’s Brasstronaut, to the danceable keyboard-fueled tunes of Bend Sinister, to the psychedelic rock of Black Mountain, the afternoon offered up a bit of everything for music fans.

      The afternoon set gathered in energy, as Bend Sinister’s energetic frontman Dan Moxon, dressed in a colourful tie-dye t-shirt, shorts and a headband, prompted a small but enthusiastic crowd to gather at the front of the stage in the mid-afternoon.

      The Peak's Laurie Logan commented following the set that most crowd members were still sitting, but the progressive piano rock sounds of Vancouver’s the Zolas brought the energy levels up, as fans crowded at the front of the stage to sing along to tracks including “You’re Too Cool” and “Marlaina Kamikaze”.

      Partway through the set, the band brought Hey Ocean’s Ashleigh Ball up on stage to lend her vocals, and in a signal of the family-friendly vibe of the festival, they even invited their parents, family members and friends on-stage to provide back-up vocals on their last song.

      Another highlight of the afternoon was an impressive performance by Vancouver spoken word artist Shane Koyczan. The field grew quiet as Koyczan captivated the attention of the crowd with his spoken poetry. His set was greeted with loud applause as some audience members rose to their feet.

      Calgary indie rock band The Dudes also put on an impressive show as they took to the main stage Sunday afternoon. Looking every bit the part of a rock band in sleeveless shirts, hats and with beers on hand, the band rolled out a solid, energetic set—including their hit “Dropkick Queen of the Weekend”—topped by the ear-pleasing vocals of bearded frontman Dan Vacon.

      Vancouver band Black Mountain’s set didn’t disappoint their fans either, drawing an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd gathered at the stage, and leading to some impromptu dancing throughout the field.

      Over at the second Garibaldi stage, the afternoon also featured an eclectic line-up, including sets from The Belle Game, Panda Watch (featuring members of Said the Whale), Guilty About Girls, and Dubtribe Sound System.

      As Weezer closed out the night on the main stage, Major Lazer also drew a thick crowd at Garibaldi, where the field in front of the stage morphed into one big dance floor, complete with laser light show.

      Toronto band Metric was also clearly a big draw of the night for music fans at Squamish, many of whom rose to their feet for the second last set of the night.

      The captivating stage persona of lead singer Emily Haines didn’t disappoint, as she danced around the stage during well-known Metric tunes including “Monster Hospital” and “Gimme Sympathy”.

      Haines, like other artists Sunday afternoon, gave a nod to the solid line-up at the second annual festival, acknowledging the set of the band’s long-time friends the Stars on Saturday night.

      “I just love music,” the charismatic frontwoman told the crowd, noting that it’s music listeners that make the show.

      Between the gorgeous mountain setting, the diverse line-up and the solid performances, the festival definitely left the audience with a lot to be pleased about as the second annual festival wrapped up.

      Comments

      3 Comments

      sandy bee

      Aug 22, 2011 at 11:24am

      Sorry - but I was disappointed that so much didn't disappoint.

      fan of twang

      Aug 22, 2011 at 12:45pm

      ha ha. ya, holy cow! how many times do I have to read the line "did not dissappoint" in one article and festival day review! at least 3 times? ....no more comments....

      corblimey

      Aug 26, 2011 at 9:27am

      everyone was good...the world is a great place...all music is equal.