By WILLIAM WRIGHT HEATLEY
Staff Writer
The Times Union Center once again became host to a musical act whose tickets were in such high demand that they had a two night engagement. Weezer and The Pixies, featuring Basement, performed on Thursday and Friday evening of last week, bringing with them years of material.
Weezer came to promote the release of their latest studio record, The Black Album, which was released at the beginning of this month. They also came to perform songs from their recently released album of cover songs, The Teal Album. Both have been critical and commercial successes, and their live counterparts did not leave much up to the imagination either. The group kicked off their set with a barbershop quartet adaptation of their hit “Buddy Holly.” After the first song was met with loud acclaim, Weezer played a set that was the definition of awesomeness. Classic songs from the band’s early grunge years (their first album came out in 1994) like “My Name is Jonas” “Undone (The Sweater Song)” and “Say It Ain’t So” brought the audience into a frenzy, as did songs from their more recent albums. One particular highlight of Weezer’s set came when lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo played an acoustic version of “El Scorcho,” whilst simultaneously being pulled around the arena on a small pirate ship on wheels. It’s difficult to discuss how incredible every one of their songs were performed live because I don’t have the column inches, but rest assured, the set list was diverse and featured some great set pieces. The backdrop had a high school bedroom/garageband feel. A large neon light of the band’s logo could be seen, as well as posters and other props. When the band rolled on a classroom TV cart with a box television set and said “Remember when the internet used to be fun?” and played a video cassette of their music video of “Pork and Beans,” the arena erupted. Classic Weezer reminded Albany that they were still good and so were their originals.
In addition to the classic songs that the band played, they also performed several songs from their recently released self titled The Teal Album, which is all cover songs. Weezer’s cover of Toto’s “Africa” recently won a gold record for its sales and popularity. The band also played A-ha’s “Take On Me,” and “Happy Together” by The Turtles, and “No Scrubs” by TLC. All of the live versions of the covers were well received, to say the least.
With all of the great moments throughout Weezer’s set, it was fun, amazing, and one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live. They were a phenomenal punctuation on a night that was started by two incredible headliners; Basement and The Pixies.
Basement, a British punk group, opened the show with a 45 minute set consisting of heavy guitar distortion and yelled out lyrics. Punk isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, because it’s loud, can be hard to understand, and relies heavily on the volume more than deep lyrics. Basement felt like a Sex Pistols group, turning up to an eleven with their sound. They were a good opening act, hitting the audience hard and fast, prepping them for the next group to come; The Pixies.
The Pixies, a Boston based alternative rock band, have been around for over thirty years. After a hiatus in the mid 90s, they reunited in the early 2000s, and have since been touring ever since, albeit with new members and touring members. Their signature sound is a mix of very loud and very quiet, maintaining a consistent identity throughout the years. As the second group to perform, The Pixies had the responsibility of maintaining the high energy that Basement gave the audience. With their set and visuals, they did exactly that and more.
It was apparent from the very first number that Pixies songs performed live sounded better than I initially thought. Before the concert, I had expressed concerns that because they have such a loud sound, they might be able to carry into a stadium of seventeen thousand people, rather than the underground club scene. The potential there is that the noise will make it hard to hear the lyrics. This wasn’t the case, however. The sound design assisted with that, as it was mixed in such a way that it wasn’t overmodulated. Loud songs like “Gigantic,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Debaser,” and “Where Is My Mind” could be heard without any trouble. The Pixies were on my bucket list of bands to see and they delivered a masterstroke. The lighting design was incidentally brilliant, combining different colors and tone mixes coincided with the changing themes of the songs themselves.
Vocally, they were strong too. Frontman Black Francis still could carry his angsty punk persona while also maintaining his near apathetic lyric delivery as if he were thirty years younger. His harmonies with secondary vocalist and bassist Paz Lenchantin were perfect as well, best illustrated during their performance of the pop/rock amalgamation “Here Comes Your Man.” It further reinforced the idea that The Pixies haven’t lost their sound, or their touch, and that people still love them. They are set to release a new studio album later this year, and like everyone else at the Times Union who listened to their set, I am eager to hear it. The Pixies aren’t going anywhere, and we’re so grateful for it. “Hey!” Thanks for stopping by, and we hope to see you all again soon.
Weezer, The Pixies, Basement. Three bands that rocked the Times Union Center on a Thursday and Friday night. It’s hard to imagine a show quite like this with the level of sound and immersive showmanship. Bucket list? Check. Great night out? Double Check. Worth the wait? Triple check. Thanks for stopping in the Capitol Region guys. Hope to see you again soon.
