Rockin’ Thunder 2025: Weezer live review

As the finishing main stage act and overall headliner on the Rockin’ Thunder festival’s founding bill, Weezer killed it. The energy was great, the songs sounded better than the records, and the energy of the crowd made the songs sound, and feel, bigger than ever. 

Armed with the signature blue sticker bombed strat and Gibson lightning strap, Rivers Cuomo strolled out and killed the opening of the set. Starting the set off with “Anonymous,” off their 2014 record, Everything Will Be Alright In The End, the band had high energy to get the set moving. Cuomo is classically a bit awkward, and as I was in the photo pit taking pictures during this song and the two after, I got it first hand. 

Scott Shriner, the band’s bassist, was full of movement and confidence, and for a brief moment during the set’s third song, “My Name is Jonas,” off their classic  self-titled debut, the blue album, Cuomo, Shriner, and lead guitarist Brian Bell got together to pose for the cameras. And during that moment, Cuomo looked up and threw some eye contact before looking to the crowd. 

After this, Cuomo kept it going. The front man solos were great and a bit more twangy and overdriven than the recordings, and I preferred it. There’s nothing better than seeing a live set that sounds better than the records. 

Cuomo and Bell swapping lead, having Cuomo soloing for multiple songs was great, and Cuomo’s talent was on full display. Not to have a go at others on the bill, but Cuomo was one of the only front men to go in on a solo and leave it done well, clean, and professionally. After a clean solo going into the slowed chorus of “Perfect Situation,” off of their 2005 record Make Believe, Cuomo got the crowd chanting during the build up, solo, and chorus, making the song feel huge. 

Heading into one of their biggest hits, “Undone,” Cuomo talked about how much he loved Edmonton and thanked the crowd. And at the beginning of the song, Cuomo and Shriner improvised some Edmonton related chatter, replacing the “hey brah, how’re you doing man,” heard on the record. During the build up into the solo after the second chorus, drummer Patrick Wilson closed his eyes and went in like the 31-year-old song was written to be played right then, all the previous years leading up to it. 

For “Beverly Hills,” the band swapped out the chorus for “Livin’ in Edmonton, Alberta,” and as awkwardly as it fit, it worked and it hit. Bell was armed with a talk box tube beside his mic for the song as well, which was something I’ve never seen live and loved. 

“Beverly Hills,” wasn’t the only song they lyric swapped for. In “Pork n’ Beans,” instead of “Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts,” it was Nickelback, a huge Albertan band. “Pork n’ Beans,” was insane live as well. Hearing Bell bend around the 12th during the chorus was a massive highlight. It’s filling and it’s strong. As someone who grew up listening to them, it went semi-unnoticed, but live, that bit of Ringo Starr-esc small but strong instrumentation was huge and it’ll affect my personal songwriting forever onwards. 

Towards the end of the main setlist, they played “The Good Life.” Hearing a 55-year-old Cuomo sing “I don’t want to be an old man anymore,” is sad. But the following “it’s been a year or two since I was out on the floor, shaking booty, making sweet love all the night,” was comical. The song came out in 1996, when Cuomo was 26, and watching him play it live felt like seeing him live to fulfill a prophecy he etched for himself 29 years prior. 

The main setlist finished off emotionally with “Only in Dreams.” And with that long instrumental ending, it was a great send off. Until the band came back, I swear, only 20 seconds later for an encore. 

And here, Edmonton got to hear some classics. For the encore, they played “Say it Ain’t So,” having the crowd sing the chorus. Immediately after Cuomo went on about homies dissin’ his girl, playing “Buddy Holly.” The crowd had a go at singing the “wee-hoo,” and they played the song more overdriven than usual, finishing strong. Cuomo threw up the Weezer symbol to the crowd, before the band collected in the classic Weezer side-by-side for a nice bow.

Weezer’s set at Rockin’ Thunder was a perfect end to their tour. For anyone who missed it, catch them next time they swing around the city. They played perfectly and showed off their talents, and unlike some acts, their records are nothing compared to their live sets. Seeing such a staple of the modern rock scene spin on their own songs isn’t something to ever miss. If I could change anything, I only wish I could’ve seen Cuomo play these songs live when he was the man who wrote them, 30 years ago.