(i) lineup
1a. Weezer
2b. Sleigh Bells
3c. Red Hot Chili Peppers
(1a) (Weezer’s) setlist
- Hash Pipe
-
My Name Is Jonas
- Pork and Beans
- Mexican Fender
- (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
- Perfect Situation
- Hey Ya! (Outkast cover)
- Thank God For Girls
- Beverly Hills
- Dope Nose / Back to the Shack / Keep Fishin’ / The Good Life / Surf Wax America
- Feels Like Summer
- Undone – The Sweater Song
- I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Mike Posner cover)
- Island in the Sun
- Say It Ain’t So
Encore:
- Buddy Holly
(1b) highlights
- Weezer!!! I love those guys
- getting to catch Weezer is always such a pleasure. Around first grade, I remember first discovering the band because my older brother loved them, and I’ve basically been a fan ever since.
- practically a perfect setlist
- can we talk about “Hey Ya”? it was fantastic
- it was such a beautiful day and I won’t ever forget this set
- being able to take photos at this show was AMAZING
(1c) lowlights
- it was hot af and the crowd was full of older dudes who acted like they discovered Weezer in a basement back in 1992 – like chill.
(1d) overall thoughts
I never regret going to see Weezer. Their lives shows are full of so much joy and ease and encourage a sweet singalong vibe. I always have fun seeing the four guys onstage, playing old hits and newer tracks and having a great time. Rivers Cuomo – ever an enigmatic man – has so much fun onstage, sometimes I think despite the audience. He was dressed in red and chipper to be performing just as the sun was setting.
Despite the beginnings of fall just starting to take place, it was hot and still felt like summer. As if on cue with the day, the boys played their newest track, “Feels Like Summer.” The sun was shining, the shirt sleeves were short, and it was impossible not to sing along. My friends who know a couple of Weezer songs came along to the show and I was so happy to see them enjoying themselves too.
I know hardcore Weezer fans have a lot of thoughts and opinions on the band’s regular sets – and I understand it. But, to me, this was a perfect summer setlist. Easy breezy singalongs paired with a crowdsurfing man in an inflatable raft. What more could you ask for? Nothing.
Bottom line: I will always love Weezer and I will always remember this beautiful day. To me, Weezer is joy and this day will always remain joyful in my memory.
(2a) (Sleigh Bells’) setlist
- I Know Not to Count on You
- Unlimited Dark Paths
- Tell ‘Em
- It’s Just Us No
- Bitter Rivals
- Riot Rhythm
- Kids
- I Can Only Stare
- Comeback Kid
- Infinity Guitars
- Demons
- Crown on the Ground
- Rule Number One
- Throw Me Down the Stairs
- A/B Machines
(2b) highlights
- this was my first time seeing Sleigh Bells and they are definitely fun
- Alexis Krauss, the main face of the Brooklyn duo, is so cool and you can’t help but root for her
- “Crown on the Ground” was super fun – I know that’s basic to say? but ah well
(2c) lowlights
- it was hot and nighttime and we were tired – nothing bad to say about the show really
(2d) overall thoughts
It was the time of night when all of us were tired, lying down on the dirty concrete, and resting our eyes for a brief moment. Then Slight Bells took the stage. Their light show immediately awakened us and brought us to our feet as the crowd grew. The energy onstage was enough to make me wish I was up front and dancing in the pit.
Like many people, I first discovered Sleigh Bells through “Crown on the Ground” when it came out around the release of Sofia Coppola’s movie Bling Ring. And that song epitomizes a summer festival. You can’t help but sing along and get up and dance.
If anything, this performance made me want to catch Sleigh Bells again, at a smaller venue, in a bigger crowd, at another show and another time. Don’t miss them next time they’re in town.
Bottom line: We need more female-fronted cool af groups who know how to write a hit song and make people dance in a way that feels significant and meaningful. Because sometimes even an innocuous pop song can mean something during a summer show. We need Sleigh Bells.
(3a) (Red Hot Chili Peppers’) setlist
- Intro Jam
- Can’t Stop
- Dani California
- Scar Tissue
- Dark Necessities
- I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges cover)
- Right On Time
- Go Robot
- Californication
- What Is Soul? (Funkadelic cover)
- Aeroplane
- Don’t Forget Me
- Sick love
- Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder cover)
- Under the Bridge
- By The Way
Encore:
- Goodbye Angels
-
Give It Away
(3b) highlights
- the Peppers! I’ve never seen these guys before and damn, they are truly professionals
- damn they have some pretty fantastic hits – more than I feel like I remembered? and that’s always sign of a great band to me
- their super sophisticated light show and circular screens looked awesome
- RHCP may be older dudes but they’re still rock stars; Anthony Kiedis still has an amazing voice
- hearing RHCP – a group that’s not even actually from California but I strongly associate with my childhood and teenage years – sing California songs out in Queens warmed my heart
- “Can’t Stop” and “Scar Tissue” are California in the 90’s and early 2000’s fully embodied
(3c) lowlights
- unsurprisingly, even joint and vape pen made an appearance during this set. am I 90 years old?
(3d) overall thoughts
Growing up in California, I always just heard the Red Hot chili Peppers around whether I liked it or not. They were on the radio, in stores, in movies, pouring out of cars, stereos, somehow always floating around. I never really thought about what a presence they had in my life until this show, standing out in that converted parking lot in Queens. It felt like hearing a bit of home.
Bottom line: Red Hot Chili Peppers are bonafide rock stars who wrote bonafide rock songs. And this show proved that.
Kat Goes To Shows 