LAMC Productions pulled off two consecutive throwback gigs at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, and it was a blast from the past that everyone wanted
Music has the power to take you back in time – the rebellion of teenhood, adolescent drama, embarrassing fashion choices and all that pubescent jazz. As fading a memory that chunk of our lives may be, music can restore those hazy flashbacks into vivid revisits, thanks to its timeless appeal that can span across generations. So when we heard that these two soundtrackers of our past – Weezer, and Panic! at the Disco – were performing in Singapore one day after the other (courtesy of top-dog promoters, LAMC Productions), our inner Neverland syndrome kicked in. Were we gonna miss an opportunity to catch our musical heroes in the flesh? Given that this was Weezer’s very first show in Singapore despite being around for 25 years, and PATD’s comeback gig after eight, our response was pretty clear.
Weezer kicked off the double dose of nostalgia on the 15th. Unlike most gigs that start traditionally tardy, Weezer got things going shortly after their scheduled timing of 8pm, surprising many punters who took their time trickling in (for the record: gigs should always start on time; kudos to LAMC). And for those who sauntered into the massive Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre late, they probably missed one of Weezer’s most prolific songs that they weren’t afraid to unleash near the beginning of their set, “Hash Pipe” back from 2001.
For the thousands of fans in the audience, this was a much-welcomed trip down Memory Lane, with hits that spanned Weezer’s 10-album repertoire. Squeezed into a 16-song set, fan faves included 1994’s “My Name Is Jonas”, a stripped-down rendition of 2001’s “Island In The Sun” through which the band cheekily wore tropical flower garlands, and 2005’s swaggery rock anthem “Beverly Hills”. In fact, the alt-rockers’ catalogue was so darn huge, that they even treated the fans to a medley of greatest hits, performing back-to-back snippets of “Dope Nose”, “Keep Fishin’”, “The Good Life” and other beloved singles.
New songs from their 2016 White Album were unveiled too, but these rock revolutionaries knew that the audience was yearning for more of their past material – we had been waiting 25 years after all! Rivers Cuomo and co. more than just obliged with tracks from the vault; the bespectacled frontman, in particular, was an excellent entertainer with his down-to-Earth banter and ridiculous costume changes – sombrero and king’s crown included. At the climax of “Perfect Situation”, Cuomo even hopped off stage and ambled casually into the audience, attracting the grabby masses like a swarm of ants on candy.
Yet another unforgettable highlight from the show was Cuomos’ engaging improv, piecing together a song made up of fan tweets flashed onto the screen – including a humorous fan who was gutted that he was missing “The Weezer”, another who said that catching them live was “destiny”, and a third who was “beyond Joseph Schooling excited”. “Joseph Schooling | He got the gold!” sang Cuomos, which naturally got a deafening ovation from the audience. And summing up the whole show with their collective charisma, the band dished out an encore that everyone had waited all night for – “El Scorcho” (which transitioned jestingly from a cover of fun.’s “We Are Young”), and the iconic “Buddy Holly” that certainly pleased all the Mary Tyler Moores in attendance.
Without a doubt, Weezer’s long-overdue show was a blast from the past that made us feel young again – but this was only round one!
Weezer was reviewed by Kevin Ho
For all the testosterone boys and harlequin girls, Panic! At The Disco finally returned to our shores the following night and boy, was it worth the wait. When the lights finally dimmed, the crowd at the Suntec City Convention Centre went wild with frenzied screams of the fans (mostly tweenagers). Mine included, of course.
Brendon Urie, the man of the hour, opened the set with “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” in a blue jacket with a leopard-print tee and tight black leather pants. Oh, Brendon! If that didn’t get the ladies swooning, his high falsettos and charisma during “Death Of A Bachelor” definitely did the trick. Throughout the concert, his energy never faltered as he even went on to do a back flip (topless!) halfway through a rousing rendition of “Miss Jackson”.
But if I had to make one disappointing observation, the bare stage setup was such a stark contrast to PATD’s glory days of theatrical shows and intricate costumes. I would love to have had it similar to their “Nothing Rhymes With Circus” tour in 2006.
But all that didn’t matter once Brendon started singing “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”; I couldn’t believe that I was seeing him perform their biggest hit in the flesh! I sang (okay, shouted) the lyrics along with him, and it took me back to when I was 14 when I’d replay A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out on my iPod Nano (remember those?).
Drenched in sweat from dancing and singing to the final number, “Victorious”, I left feeling grateful to have gotten the chance to fulfil my teenage fantasies and finally see PATD live. And yet, even though Brendon got my heart racing by the end of the set, I couldn’t help but feel regret – regret that I’d missed them in 2008, when my Panic! fever was at its peak.
Hey Brendon, maybe don’t wait another eight years to come back next time?
Panic! At The Disco was reviewed by Hazirah Rahim
Thank you Weezer and Panic! At The Disco for letting us relive our childhoods! And much props to LAMC Productions for making it all happen.