{"id":458279,"date":"2026-09-09T14:21:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/458279\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T14:21:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:21:06","slug":"review-weezer-strikes-gold-at-sacramento-tour-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/458279\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Weezer strikes ‘Gold’ at Sacramento tour opener"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Brian<\/a>Weezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2014 The golden age of Weezer is here. That much was evident in the weeks leading up to The Gathering Tour.<\/p>\n

Weezer
The Shins, Silversun Pickups
7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9
Chase Center, San Francisco
Tickets: $58 and up<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Frontman Rivers Cuomo appeared on \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\u201d painted head-to-toe gold. Billboards of the band recreating \u201cWe Buy Gold\u201d ads popped up across L.A. Social media videos of members on random side quests struck comedy gold. And tour ticket-holders received emails on how to \u201cBecome the Gold.\u201d<\/p>\n

The newly released Gold Album<\/a> even had many Pinkerton diehards online pleased.<\/p>\n

Call it effective marketing. Call it the power of free will. Whatever the case, Weezer has been in its element, embracing its brand of geek-rock-meets-absurdist humor with an audience that embraced it back.<\/p>\n

That mutual understanding seemed to be the golden rule at the tour opener in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

Across the sold-out Golden 1 Center, fans dressed in jewelry, sequins and capes all of the sacred color. A few even had their faces painted and made it onto the \u201cGold Cam\u201d jumbotron segment. Those who didn\u2019t show up in uniform rocked Weezer tees of different eras, while even more threw up the W-hand sign like a natural reflex.<\/p>\n

\u201cSacramento has an acceptable quantity of gold,\u201d Cuomo said after checking to see if the crowd understood The Gathering assignment.<\/p>\n

\"Weezer,<\/a>Weezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

While 2024\u2019s Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour<\/a> was set in outer space, The Gathering took place back on earth, in front of a replica of suburban single-family home. Palm trees, a tall, white picket fence, a Weezer-branded mailbox and shoes hung on power lines completed the scene.<\/p>\n

The show began with a video of a young boy summoning the band to perform at his house in an attempt to impress his bullies. Things took a supernatural turn as various effects cued the next part of each set.<\/p>\n

Lightning struck onscreen, causing a \u201cpower outage\u201d that transitioned into a campfire jamboree for \u201cLongtime Sunshine,\u201d which had each band member mixing up his instruments. Cuomo took to a keyboard, drummer Patrick Wilson was on guitar, guitarist Brian Bell played the clarinet and Scott Shriner stuck to the bass. The four later found a high-voltage switch on one of the telephone poles and pivoted to \u201cIn The Garage\u201d as the lights returned.<\/p>\n

Next, the house glowed in suspense as Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups emerged out the door in a wizard gown. She duetted on \u201cWe Might As Well Be Strangers,\u201d the Tiktok-viral \u201cGo Away\u201d and \u201cI Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the Weezer house resembled one from a Los Angeles neighborhood, the band made it clear that Sacramento was its home for the night. Multiple references to the capital city snuck their way into song verses.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod damn, you half Sacramento girls,\u201d Cuomo sang for \u201cEl Scorcho.\u201d \u201cI asked you to go to a Green Day\u2014er, Deftones concert,\u201d he later ad-libbed on the fly.<\/p>\n

\"Patrick<\/a>Weezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

On top of the local shoutouts, the band had something for fans of every era, including a handful of songs that had long been locked in the vault.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep Fishin\u2019\u201d made it in for the first time since 2018 and \u201cSlob\u201d for the first time since 2005.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hear it for all the Maladroit fans!\u201d Cuomo yelled in reference to the aforementioned cuts. For fans whose gateway was that very 2002 album, the recognition didn\u2019t go unnoticed.<\/p>\n

Weezer performed the most songs off its first two albums, dedicating a small segment of the show specifically to Pinkerton\u2018s 30th anniversary. Material from other releases were sprinkled throughout the set, including just three selects from the Gold Album.<\/p>\n

Cuomo singing the latest single, \u201cC.E.O.,\u201d felt a little too awkwardly self-aware, with the first verse talking about how \u201cnobody wants to hear [something new]; they just want the classics.\u201d It\u2019s a sentiment the band has grappled with in regard to the sonic direction of new material.<\/p>\n

But for the record, fans shown on the video screen were still singing along to the new stuff, word-for-word.<\/p>\n

And while The Gathering delivered anticipated hits and even turned some into a bit (yes, Weezer acknowledged the viral \u201cBuddy Holly\u201d lick), it was anything but a nostalgia concert. Instead, it celebrated a band still bringing new creative visions to life, and its fans that were all-in for the ride. And that outcome was as good as gold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeezer loves you,\u201d Cuomo said as parting words.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>The Shins perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

Like any proper gathering, special guests were in attendance. The Shins and Silversun Pickups rounded out the evening with some of the most influential sounds known to alternative rock.<\/p>\n

Every in-person appearance from The Shins is like witnessing one of the world\u2018s natural wonders. You\u2019re not sure when you\u2019ll see it next, so you savor the feeling those simple songs bring and hope that it lasts.<\/p>\n

James Mercer and company sounded polished as expected. Yet hearing the opening verse of \u201cSimple Song\u201d was still as affecting as ever.<\/p>\n

The live arrangements made each cut feel like it had grown with time. The hopeful thrums and cosmic buildups of \u201cNew Slang\u201d and \u201cSleeping Lessons\u201d were reminders that life could be full of possibilities (even with a brief cover of R.E.M.\u2019s \u201cIt\u2019s the End of the World\u201d squeezed into the latter). The incomparable poetry of each doubled down its stature as anthems for manic pixie dreamers and the \u201cthousand different versions of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mercer, in an ecstatic mood, also made a cheeky \u201cFamily Ties\u201d reference at the end of \u201cPhantom Limb.\u201d<\/p>\n

And though nostalgia was in the air in one way or another, this isn\u2019t to hold The Shins down to the past. Rather, their set was a convincing case that there\u2019s reason to look forward.<\/p>\n

\"Silversun<\/a>Silversun Pickups perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

Fellow alt-rock luminaries Silversun Pickups are one of the most active and consistent acts in the scene. The band released Tenterhooks in February, just finished touring for that and then celebrated the 20th anniversary of Carnavas.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no denying how solid \u201cPanic Switch\u201d and \u201cLazy Eye\u201d are. The expansive riffs, textured guitar tones and all-around catchy melodies are masterclasses in composing a modern classic. New material like \u201cThe Wreckage,\u201d off Tenterhooks, hit the spot, too, offering satisfying darkwave hooks.<\/p>\n

Live, the songs had a nearly wicked ring to them, intensified by deep red stage lights. They packed an even mightier punch thanks to Nikki Monninger\u2019s bass lines, alongside Brian Aubert\u2019s signature falsetto and guitar, Joe Lester\u2019s keys and Christopher Gualao\u2019s beats creating a rich atmosphere singular to the band.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Patrick<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tWeezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Brian<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tWeezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Weezer,<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tWeezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Rivers<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tWeezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Brian<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tWeezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Rivers<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tWeezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Rivers<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tWeezer performs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tThe Shins perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tThe Shins perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tThe Shins perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tThe Shins perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Silversun<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tSilversun Pickups perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Silversun<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tSilversun Pickups perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Silversun<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tSilversun Pickups perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Silversun<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tSilversun Pickups perform at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Weezer<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tAttendees watch Weezer at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Weezer<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tAttendees watch Weezer at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Weezer<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tAttendees watch Weezer at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

Follow editor Chloe Catajan at Instagram.com\/riannachloe.<\/a><\/p>\n

About The Author<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chloe Catajan<\/a><\/p>\n

Chloe Catajan is a concert photographer from the San Francisco Bay Area. When she\u2019s not in the photo pit or scribbling down notes, you can find her screaming along to every song from the crowd and probably getting a little too emotional over the music.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chloe Catajan is a concert photographer from the San Francisco Bay Area. When she’s not in the photo pit or scribbling down notes, you can find her screaming along to every song from the crowd and probably getting a little too emotional over the music.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t