Weezer in Concert: A Non-Fan Look

Last Saturday, Brian and I saw Weezer in concert. I have always liked a few of their songs and while they have never really annoyed me, I don't consider myself a big fan. I went to the show because Brian has been dragged to many concerts by me. In fact, he had to stand in an alley in the middle of Detroit at 1 AM so I could get my picture taken with one of my favorite bands. The least I could do is sweat with some nerds and watch Rivers Cuomo stand like a statue on stage, right? Well, much to my surprise I enjoyed myself and here's why:

1. The audience. At a concert, the behavior of the audience is very important. A bad crowd can ruin any show. Weezer's audience consisted of kids between the ages of 5 and 60, and all appeared to be sober. The seats were assigned so no one was pushing to get in front of me, no one spilled beer on my shoes, nor did anyone make out with their significant other while pressed up against me. The only time I had to get out of the way quickly was when the singer decided to visit the audience. The nerds wanted to touch their king so I moved.

2. No dilly-dallying. I have now seen several shows at the great Ohio State fair and they all run in a timely manner. I think it is because the grounds have to close at a certain time so whatever band is performing has to get on with it. I like it that I don't have to wait an hour (or more!) for the main act after the opening act has left the stage. I also like getting out at a reasonable time. I know. I'm old. But I would have appreciated these factors just as much at 22 as I do now at 32.

3. Showmanship. Weezer put on a great show. They looked like they were having fun. The singer spent a lot of time in the audience and not just in the first few rows. He went all the way to the back of the concert hall and posed for pictures, signed autographs, and sang along with fans. Beachballs were being tossed around, a little girl got to go on stage with the band for her 9th birthday, and even the sign language interpreter got some love. I did not expect much of a show. I envisioned Rivers standing at his microphone all night, barely moving. I was pleasantly surprised.

4. The music. Not only did Weezer put on a great show, they sounded great, too. I'm not familiar with their entire catalog and I am sure they did not make everyone happy but they seemed to select a good assortment of songs from their records. I knew every song, thanks to Brian and my time listening to them in high school. They even threw in a MGMT cover and made fun of Lady Gaga.

5. Rivers Cuomo. It's no secret that I like my men nerdy. If you know me, then you know I prefer Spock to Kirk and I married a guy who gets way too excited over Hot Wheels. Needless to say, I found myself swooning over the Weezer frontman a few times during the show. The thick glasses. The bad clothes. He has it all.

Study Session 2: Ohio Dominican University

Where: Ohio Dominican University, Spangler Learning Center in Columbus, OH.
When: Wednesday May 16, 2007
Time: 9:00 am

Since the regular school session is over parking was a breeze for a change. I met up with a few friends who are also suffering with the PRAXIS II on June 9. Spangler Learning Center is ODU's library and I'm pretty certain it is the loudest library in the world. Not only are classes going on in this building but the instructors insist on leaving the doors wide open. There are also staff offices inside the library and they too leave their doors wide open. I know far too much about ODU's accounting department thanks to this open door policy.

On this particular day, there were a few people in the library but very few. My friends and I spent at least an hour just complaining about school, grades, teachers, tests, and everything else. It quickly dawned on me that studying with friends is a huge distraction. On the plus side, when we got focused, I printed a 150 page PRAXIS study guide on ODU's printers for free. Well, maybe not for free...my tuition bill is huge.

My friends and I made our way to the top floor's study room and found lots of helpful PRAXIS study guides. This room is in the back so it was pretty quiet...except for us.

ODU's Grade: 3.5/5
Bottom Line: Noisy

Study Session 1: Caribou Coffee

Where: Caribou on Grandview Ave. in Columbus, OH.
When: Tuesday May 15, 2007
Time: 10:30 am

I was able to find parking right in front of the door which was nice since I was carrying a huge bag of textbooks. I went in and did not have to wait in line to order my coffee. Also nice. I ordered some sort of iced coffee concoction for $3.50. Who said studying is cheap?

When my order was up, I took it to a large table near the windows. There were only about 4 other people there so I had my pick of seats. I felt kind of guilty about taking a big table just for myself but I had tons of books.

Really nothing eventful here at all. All the patrons were studying or doing some kind of work so there were really no distractions. I was seated next to the back entrance so occasionally people would come in and out but overall this was a great place to study. However, if I'd come later in the evening I suspect I would not have found a seat so easily nor would it have been so quiet.

Caribou's Grade: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Quiet, good seating, expensive coffee.