The Wombats, Pixies and Weezer rocked The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Friday June 29th.

Opening act The Wombats, are an English rock band formed in Liverpool, England in 2003. I’ve heard them numerous times on the Sirius Satellite Radio channel Hits Radio. The Wombats opened with the song Cheetah Tongue and rocked their way through seven awesome songs. The fourth song they played was one of their top hits called Turn which was #1 on Sirius Satellite radios Hits station. This band doesn’t disappoint live. Their album art is also cool. Check them out if you get a chance.

Next up were the Pixies.

I’ve been a Pixies fan since around the early 2000’s after hearing a few of their songs and albums through the grapevine. They also had some songs on Rock Band. My discovery of them was late compared to their formation though, as the band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986.

Nevertheless the band still has it. Unfortunately I never saw them in their early days, but their 2018 tour with The Wombats and Weezer is one for the books.

They played a total of 25 songs opening with Wave of Mutilation and throwing in numerous well known hits like, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Hey, Debaser, Here Comes Your Man and last but not least closed out their set with the ever so popular Pixies hit Where is My Mind?…

Weezer kicked off their set with the well known hit Buddy Holly  from their Blue Album which got the crowd into the right mood.

Including their encore Weezer played a total of 18 songs.

I spent a lot of my early, mid and late teenage years listening to Weezer. I never really stopped I guess, because I still love them today as much as I did when I first heard them. The Blue Album is what got me into them. The first song I ever heard by them was “Undone – The Sweater Song.” It got very over played those first few years it was popular, but listening to it today, it’s still such a well written and timeless song. It had such an emo pop feel, way before emo got cool or was even acknowledged as a genre.

I also was very into the Pinkerton album. In my opinion besides the Blue Album, Pinkerton was one of Weezer’s best albums ever. It had so many good songs on it. It just didn’t get the radio play most of their other albums did.

Back to the show. The next songs on their setlist was Beverly Hills followed by Hash Pipe, Undone – The Sweater Song, Pork and Beans, Perfect Situation and more I’ll follow up with in a moment. If you’ve ever listened to an alternative or rock radio station in your life for more than a day, you’ve most likely heard one of the aforementioned songs.

I heard before the show that Weezer were playing a lot of their Blue Album songs on this tour. That excited me from the get go, because that album is where it’s at!

Let’s keep moving. Next up they rocked out to My Name is Jonas followed by El Schorcho (from Pinkerton), Holiday, Surfwax America then closing it down with a cover of the Turtles – Happy Together blending in a snippet of Green Day’s Longview.

BUT YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE FINISHED?!!!

Nope, that’s not how Rivers Cuomo rolls! Cuomo proceeds to ride a little scooter down the right side of the stage (looking towards it from the audience) and rides around to the middle of the Pavilion by the sound booth where there is a small stage set up. There he performs a solo acoustic version of Island in the Sun followed by a cover of Oasis’s – Wonderwall.

BUT YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE FINISHED AGAIN?!!

Nope, once again that’s not how WEEZER rolls!

Cuomo rides his scooter back to the main stage and they pick back up with their regularly scheduled broadcast and play The Good Life (Pinkerton), Feels Like Summer and then blow us all away with their cover of Africa by Toto. If you close your eyes it sounds precisely like the original. The crowd is loving it and as the song ends the band puts their instruments down and walk off stage.

SURPRISE AGAIN: ENCORE!

Don’t underestimate the power of Weezer to go all out and lay down a few more hits to finish off the evening. The last two songs of the night were Pink Triangle (Pinkerton) and Say it Ain’t So.

It was a feel good show. Three awesome bands all rocking out in their own way, with their own sound, yet all complimenting each other so well. It all fit together. Thanks so much for the night of entertainment.

If you’re in any of the towns this tour is going through, get your tickets. You won’t regret it.

Until we meet again Weezer and company, Sayonora.