Weezer Dusts Off Rarities At The Gathering Tour Opener In Sacramento

Weezer launched The Gathering Tour on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento with a 26-song set featuring a batch of long-unplayed material. The quartet brought back “Slob” for the first time since 2005, “Lonely Girl” for the first time since 2014 and “Keep Fishin’” for the first time since 2018.

The concert marked the start of a 32-date North American arena tour featuring support from The Shins and Silversun Pickups. Weezer opened with “Shine Again,” one of just three songs performed from the band’s recently released self-titled 20th studio album, better known as The Gold Album.

Weezer followed “Shine Again” with “Surf Wax America” before digging into 2002’s Maladroit for “Keep Fishin’.” The latter had been shelved since August 8, 2018. After “Hash Pipe” and “The Good Life,” the band reached deeper into its catalog with “No Other One,” “Lonely Girl” and “Slob.” “No Other One” was given its first full-band performance since 2019, while “Lonely Girl” returned after nearly 12 years.

The biggest bust-out of the sequence was “Slob.” Weezer last performed the Maladroit track on June 10, 2005 at the Nova Rock festival in Austria. “Let’s hear it for all the Maladroit fans!” frontman Rivers Cuomo exclaimed in Sacramento, according to RIFF Magazine.

The Gold Album’s “C.E.O.” came next before Weezer worked through “Beverly Hills” and Pinkerton‘s “Falling For You.” Cuomo moved to keyboards for an acoustic “Longtime Sunshine,” while drummer Patrick Wilson played guitar and guitarist Brian Bell picked up a clarinet. The group then offered an acoustic “In The Garage.”

Cuomo subsequently moved behind the drum kit for “Pork And Beans.” Next, “My Name Is Jonas” gave way to “Aloo Gobi,” marking Weezer’s first full-band performance of the song from 2021’s OK Human.

Silversun Pickups bassist Nikki Monninger emerged from the house that served as the centerpiece of The Gathering stage set following “Pink Triangle.” Monninger first teamed with Weezer on “We Might As Well Be Strangers,” reprising a role she filled during the band's August appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and at an Apple Music performance later that month. Wednesday vocalist Karly Hartzman sings with Cuomo on the Gold Album studio version.

Monninger remained onstage to contribute to “Go Away” and “I Just Threw Out The Love Of My Dreams.” The latter was originally recorded in 1995 with That Dog’s Rachel Haden on lead vocals and first released on the 1997 “The Good Life” single.

Weezer devoted the home stretch to its first two albums. “Undone – The Sweater Song” was followed by a run of Pinkerton cuts “El Scorcho” and “Tired Of Sex,” with Cuomo modifying the former’s lyrics to reference Sacramento and Deftones. The band closed with Blue Album favorites “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly” before ending the night with “Island In The Sun.”

Despite embarking on The Gathering less than three weeks after releasing The Gold Album, Weezer performed only three songs from the 10-track record: “Shine Again,” “C.E.O.” and “We Might As Well Be Strangers.” The band instead leaned heavily on its earliest material, playing six songs each from 1994’s Weezer (The Blue Album) and 1996’s Pinkerton.

The Gathering Tour continues tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco. Watch video of highlights from Weezer’s tour opener below: