Weezer brought ‘Blue Album’ & more to MSG with The Flaming Lips & Dinosaur Jr. (pics, video, setlist)

Weezer began their big “Voyage to the Blue Planet” arena tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic 1994 debut Blue Album, last week, and it hit NYC on Wednesday night (9/11) for a show at Madison Square Garden. After a video tribute to those lost in attacks on 9/11, Weezer emerged from a cone-shaped, retro-inspired spaceship and proceeded to play a show in three parts: the “Blue Voyage Takeoff,” featuring material from throughout their discography, followed by “The Pinkerton Asteroid Belt,” with a few songs from their second album, and then the Blue Album playthrough from beginning to end (“Undone – The Sweater Song” got a little local update via Rivers Cuomo adding a mention of NYC’s oldest bar, McSorleys, to the intro). It was all accompanied by a sci-fi themed narrative and visuals; in their review of the tour kick-off show, Rolling Stone write:

More than just fun and absurd scene-setting, the narrative guided a setlist that led gradually to the Blue Album. It’s savvy work, opening with songs like “Pork and Beans” and “Hash Pipe” instead of launching right into the Blue Album. Everybody came in expecting the full-album treatment, so to instead open with a mini-eras block was an invigorating surprise. And of course, all of the songs soundtracked some space-narrative CGI stuff on the jumbotron. Red Album songs were played as red planets whipped by on the screen behind them. “Island in the Sun,” in this tour’s context, is about an island literally inside a sun. “We are currently marooned in an asteroid belt,” a CGI robot told Rivers Cuomo. “Hmm,” he responded, “it looks familiar. Which asteroid belt?” After a beat, the robot replied, “The Pinkerton Asteroid Belt, of course.” The crowd howled as the stage was bathed in pink light. The band performed a block of Pinkerton songs including “Why Bother?” and “Pink Triangle.” Weezer’s playing was airtight. The performances were exceptional throughout the set, guitar solos and vocal harmonies hitting just right every single time. It’s impressive how this band can stay so faithful to their source material decades into their tenure.

Weezer have two other classic alt-rock bands, The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr., joining them for these shows, and both played shorter sets to kick off the show. Flaming Lips still brought some of their extravagant visuals along for the occasion despite their truncated set, including their giant pink inflatable monsters, and their usual gold balloons shouting out the venue, which in this case spelled out “Fuck Yeah Madison Square Garden.” See pictures from the whole night by Toby Tenenbaum along with attendee-taken video and all three bands’ setlists. Weezer also recently announced a super deluxe 30th anniversary reissue of Blue Album. SETLIST: DINOSAUR JR. @ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, 9/11/2024 Little Fury Things Feel The Pain Start Choppin Freak Scene Just Like Heaven Gargoyle SETLIST: THE FLAMING LIPS @ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, 9/11/2024 The Spark That Bled Suddenly Everything Has Changed Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2 She Don’t Use Jelly The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power) Love Yer Brain Borderline Do You Realize?? SETLIST: WEEZER @ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, 9/11/2024 Anonymous Return to Ithaka Dope Nose Hash Pipe Pork and Beans Beverly Hills Burndt Jamb Island in the Sun Any Friend of Diane’s Perfect Situation Run, Raven, Run Getchoo Why Bother? You Gave Your Love to Me Softly Across the Sea My Name Is Jonas No One Else The World Has Turned and Left Me Here Buddy Holly Undone – The Sweater Song Surf Wax America Say It Ain’t So In the Garage Holiday Only in Dreams