That's how KTCL 93.3 marketed the Weezer concert it was hosting at Mission Ballroom, Denver's newest music venue. Unfortunately, last night's show was one of a kind in that fans had to wait over a half-hour after Weezer walked on stage to even hear the band perform its first song.
The show began with a sit-down conversation with Weezer emceed by Nerf, a DJ for the station. That's when what seemed like an earnest attempt to offer a unique experience with fans backfired. The interview felt stilted and lacked any flow. Drummer Patrick Wilson seemed annoyed that he and his bandmates were being put through the awkward back-and-forth.
Both frontman Rivers Cuomo and rhythm guitarist Brian Bell were willing to engage in the conversation, including when pre-selected members of the crowd asked questions. Yet even that genuine banter couldn't obscure the fact that fans were champing at the bit for the talking to stop and the band to perform..@Weezer ????????@KTCLchannel933 #uniconcert933
— Mission Ballroom (@missionballroom) August 30, 2019
????: by @aldenbonecutter pic.twitter.com/978qsSBCe8
By the fifteen-minute mark of the painful interview, fans booed and chanted, "Let them play."
The booing wasn't directed at the band at all. Instead, it was aimed at the hosts for undermining the fans' energy at the beginning of the concert and instead making everyone wait way too long.
After 22 torturous minutes, the interview finally ended, and it seemed as though the hosts were finally going to actually let the band play. But KTCL wasn't done putting its DJs in the spotlight. While the band set up, the station played an almost ten-minute-long video showing its on-air personalities talk about their favorite songs by Weezer and what the band means to them.@KTCLchannel933 @Weezer I sincerely apologize for the asshats tonight!! Anyone who purchased or won tix or has been listening to DJs talking about #Uniconcert933 knew it was something different, special, UNIQUE! I ??d the chance to hear a Fav actually talk & share pic.twitter.com/S7P1Uq5MTG
— Kristen Anderson (@klanderson80) August 30, 2019
Few care that a local DJ's favorite song is "Island in the Sun." What fans want is to hear "Island in the Sun" from the outstanding band that's ready to play.
When Weezer finally opened its set, naturally with "Buddy Holly," the band rocked out. That was followed by a string of sing-along hits.
Even playing, the band wasn't perfect. At times, Cuomo was sloppy. Early on in the set, he missed a cue to start a verse, which he acknowledged out loud. Additionally, Cuomo sang the wrong first verse to "Island in the Sun," starting with "When you're on a golden sea" instead of "When you're on a holiday." And the set was short — just about an hour in total.
Other than that, the band was great. Fans even heard a barbershop-quartet version of "Buddy Holly" and covers of "Africa," by Toto, and "Take on Me," by A-ha.
And let's be honest: After sitting through that flub of an introduction, fans would've been fine to hear anything, as long as it wasn't another endless interview.
