Ever wonder what the age demographics are for those attending modern alt-rock concerts? Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters lead singer,decided to find out in Denver Friday night. Limping back on stage for an encore, Grohl lamented that for the second time on the tour he’d “popped a muscle” in his leg. Thus, feeling his age (36), he asked for a show of hands when calling out age brackets. From the response, it appeared that about 20% of audience members were in their teens, about 40% in their 20s, 20% in their 30s, 15-18% in their 40s and a smattering of folks claimed to be 50 and older. Results weren’t unexpected, but the process was interesting all the same.

The concert comprised three acts. Openers, the Kaiser Chiefs, from Leeds, England, did a marvelous job of warming up the fashionably late crowd. Their 30-minute set seemed incomplete, but Weezer followed in short order. At this point, it’s time to admit this reviewer attended the concert only to see the Foo Fighters and knew almost nothing about Weezer’s music except the recent radio singles. And how can one’s first impression of a band be anything but, “these guys are weird,” when the lead singer, Rivers Cuomo, comes out wearing a striped long-sleeved shirt and down vest. (Hey, guys, it was 85 outside today!)

Thus, initially, Weezer appeared to be just a bunch of nerds who, at one time, probably were unable to get girls and formed a band to achieve some “cool.” Whether that’s true, matters not. The hour-and-fifteen-minute performance was definitely the antithesis of nerdy--very professional, stylistically varied, up-tempo and just plain fun to listen to. Radio singles are not indicative of this band’s capabilities. The crowd was enthusiastic throughout renditions of major hits such as, “'Say It Ain't So,” “Hash Pipe,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Beverly Hills,” as well as for songs from the new album. During the show a giant, electrified, "W" descended from the ceiling, getting instant response from concert-goers, many of whom raised their thumbs and index fingers to form their own version of the “W.” (OK, we’re swinging back to nerdy now). At one point, band members pulled someone from the audience and let him play guitar on one of their songs. It was a case of “local boy does good.” All in all, Weezer impressed much more than expected.

The Foo Fighters came out pounding about 9:50 p.m. and the intensity throughout the building cranked up. One could not only hear the music, one could feel it. The Foos opened with “In Your Honor,” the title cut of the new CD, then launched into a lot of golden oldies such as “Everlong,” “All My Life,” “My Hero,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Breakout,” and “Learn to Fly.” New songs were sprinkled in--“DOA,” “Best of You,” and “End Over End.” A surprise performance of “Stacked Actors,” kept the energy going and a pulsing rendition of “Times like These,” added to the torrid
pace.

Near the end of the show, drummer Taylor Hawkins slipped out from behind his drum set and stepped forward to sing a song. His attire inspired some hilarious comments from other band members, including Grohl who snickered, “Shaggy called and asked for his shirt back.” (Well, Hawkins did have that ‘ugly American tourist” thing going with a lime-green, striped tank top, billowing jean shorts and white ankle socks pulled straight up. (Taylor, where’s your rock ‘n’ roll fashion sense?).

Grohl didn’t do a lot of talking but did reminisce about playing the Fillmore during the Foos last Denver stop. Though he said he liked the smaller venues, and that any place the band performed was good, he also stated that this tour was the band’s first “arena rock” tour and clearly thought this type of touring tracked high on the fun-meter. Which lets me segue into some of the….

Negatives. My companion thought the music was overly loud, distorted, and poorly modulated. Of course, he’s not a big fan of singers he calls “screamers.” Those of us who like the screaming, well, it didn’t seem so bad. What was bad was the stage set-up. Grohl has obviously played to large crowds as Nirvana’s drummer, but drummers don’t move around much. The band’s inexperience in playing to large crowds was evident. As a lead singer, Grohl needs to be aware of playing a little more to the cheaper seats (or at least the sides). The band had no side-stage ramps and no ramp invading the GA floor area. Additionally, the drummer was totally hidden from concert-goers in the first sections and neither the Diamond Vision screens nor much of the light show were visible for viewing. Yes, we got to see the lasers and fog and confetti, but, no, we didn’t get even marginally good close-up views of the band members performing.

The above should be a caution to Pepsi Center concert-goers. The “pre-sale” tickets used by this reviewer afforded a good view of hanging cables, speaker banks and limited floor space on-stage. Seats in sections 146 and 128 can be good or bad depending on row and seat number.

One more nit to pick. While crowd surfing can get simply tiresome, especially for those in the fringes of the GA floor area who are trying to avoid it for the most part, the body-slamming teen or twenty-something males near the front stage-left clearly were a distraction, visibly marring the concert experience for not only those around them but for many of those seated nearby.

Complaints aside, the Foos get a definite thumbs-up. Their energy, enthusiasm and unabashed passion for pounding, straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll is infectious. Like football players who “leave it all on the field,” the Foos left it all on the stage.

Mountain West Music 2005