Weezer Bring Holiday Party To Toronto

Motion City Soundtrack started Friday (Dec. 4) night on stage 30 minutes before tickets said doors were officially open. Combine that with the fact that very few people even knew who they were, and you can imagine the kind of reception they got.

Local boys IllScarlett were up next and the radio fans who were there finally got some music they knew.

IllScarlett aren't a stadium band yet, but they exceeded expectations. They amped up the sound and their stage moves to fit the setting. New single "Take It For Granted" was the perfect opener, and songs from all of their albums were played. The only slip-up came in ending with "Mary Jane" when the familiar singles and high energy songs had already passed. They proved they're going places, though.

Jack's Mannequin probably made the least sense of all the bands playing on the bill. Andrew McMahon's piano pop just didn't have enough energy. Even when he was jumped off his piano, my attention was focused elsewhere — namely on the seven rows of seats in front of me that were still empty only a few minutes before Weezer's set.

Although some of those seats eventually filled with folks scurrying back from the bar, the arena still looked empty when the big "W" lit up and the first few notes of "Hash Pipe" began.

The empty seats didn't matter once the band started playing. There was probably a time when people blew Weezer off and assumed they wouldn't last, but Rivers Cuomo was a little firecracker of geekiness firing across the stage as they played hit after hit after hit for almost two hours. In stark contrast to past incarnations of Standing-Still-Rivers, he slid around the stage on his knees and jumped on trampolines clearly having fun.

Cuomo threw toilet paper and beach balls into the crowd and danced like a dork, which got everyone excited and, oddly, a lot of guys in the stands copying his moves.

Almost every song on Weezer's setlist was a single, and the band make for the perfect show to sing along to at the top of your lungs. That was never as clear as during "Say It Ain't So." It was pretty obvious the songs from the Blue Album were everyone's favourites, while newer tracks like "Can't Stop Partying" from Raditude signalled mass bathroom breaks.

"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is Weezer's best single in a while, and they made it even better by pulling a random girl out of the crowd to sing along. Who knew that "Ashley from Caledonia" would be such a great performer? She matched Cuomo's energy, hyped up the crowd, and could really sing.

Weezer proved a long time ago that nerds could be cool, and they certainly brought a party this time to prove it.

Here's Weezer's setlist:

"Hash Pipe"
"Troublemaker"
"Undone (The Sweater Song)"
"Surf Wax America"
"Let It All Hang Out"
"Perfect Situation"
"Why Bother?"
"Dope Nose"
"Say It Ain't So"
"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"
"Can't Stop Partying"
"El Scorcho"
"I'm Your Daddy"
"The Greatest Man That Ever Lived"
"My Name Is Jonas"
"Beverly Hills"
"Pork & Beans" (encore)
"Kids/Pokerface" (encore, MGMT and Lady Gaga covers)
"Island In The Sun" (second encore)
"Buddy Holly" (second encore)