Karl's Corner - 07/24/2002

Enlightenment Tour Day 19: Wantagh, NY; The Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater
Main Stage: Sparta, Dashboard Confessional, Weezer
Second Stage: Rooney, Loudermilk(??), Home Town Hero, Am Radio (at "The Village Underground", in Manhattan) 
"Weezer World Cup" Foosball Challenge #5: New York- WXRK
Foosball Challenge #5! Today before the show there was another fan vs. weez foosball challenge. In many cities on the Enlightenment Tour, the local radio station will be choosing winning fans who get to come backstage before the show and challenge the band to a mini-foosball tournament! [your local radio station should be talking about the contest, if theyre not, then its not likely to be happening in your area]. There are usually 6 winners per show, and they divide up into 3 teams who face off vs weezer for one game each.
Todays match results:
Round 1: Team Weezer (Cuomo/Wilson) V. The Crushers (David Moran and Joseph Moran) : Winner: Team Weezer. Score: 10-0.[schooled in billiards, the Moran brothers were struggling to keep up, but fought as hard as they could]
Round 2: Team Weezer (Cuomo/Wilson) V. Step Up (Brian Sumper and Matt Van Horn) : Winner: Team Weezer. Score: 10-1.[fought the good fight, but outclassed]
Round 3: Team Weezer (Cuomo/Wilson) V. Captain Sludgebucket (Jim Ostaszewski and Kim Kielczewski) : Winner: Team Weezer. Score: 10-1.[The Sludgebucket team's performance was a good deal sharper than their point tally. Their goal was really a beauty.]
Special Sudden Death match: Todays matches had a special prize of a new foosball table to the team that did best vs weezer, so the two teams who were tied with one point apiece had to have a sudden death shoot out to see who got the prize! So it was Step Up V. Captain Sludgebucket in a vicious battle! There was only one point to be had, but the volley was intense, with such a prize at stake...Finally Step Up slipped one by the good Cap'n, and the matches were over.
Meanwhile the Jones Beach show was pretty epic. It was interesting to note the differences between this jones Beach show and the one last September. Tonights show was a lot easier to watch for the crowd, as it was a LOT warmer, and the wind was just breezy, not crazy like last year. And the band was a good deal stronger musically while more comfortable on stage, after months of growing more acclimated to these large scale shows, and overcoming all sorts of difficulties. It just plain rocked. To my suprise, Pat later said it was a rough show for him, but he has really grown as a musician over the years, so its getting really hard to tell when he's having problems on stage- he rages pretty hard most all the time, as do all the guys these days. As for this photographer, some draconian restrictions at Jones Beach limited my chances to get decent showtime photos tonight, so i apologize for the selection this time around.
...Special 'side stage' report from our insider over at the Village Underground show in Manhattan...
"...‘Twas a night of love at The Village Underground on Wednesday night, as the second stage bid farewell to their brethren in Loudermilk (as well as welcoming a brand new group to the fold: Rooney). Loudermilk played an excellent, dynamic set, followed by The Enlightenment Tour debut of Rooney, who were great. Kevin Ridel of am Radio announced that tonight was Home Town Hero’s finest performance of the tour so far, even despite the lack of fire-breathing from their energetic drummer, Ray. The traditional onstage chaos at the end of am Radio’s set was particularly exciting (and poignant) tonight, since everyone knew it would be the last time all three bands would be together. Loudermilk will be sorely missed, but we’ll surely be hearing more from them in the future. If you haven’t heard them yet, check them out, they rock!" ---“bocadilla de jamon y queso”
[additional report from a fan in the fans' stories below] 
...pic #25, L to R: Weezer_Child(?), Queero McGayguy, me be beatleweez(?), Weezrfan32, a Stroke, ace, Gaia Immaculata. not pictured: dude E, AhmedMalik... 
...the first batch of fans' show tales that came in...
*"...well i got home very quickly but probably still not fast enough to make the corner...damn these palm pilots! anyway, i saw the show last night and this one was slam sucker! only in dreams and in the garage makin it in. i think only in dreams was the most powerful performance ive ever seen. it really blew me away. alright better wrap it up or i might not make it! (probably wont anyway) surprisingly, the show sounded great (not a big fan of jones beach) and i could hear brian tonight!" ---freddie
*"...Wow, that show was amazing! I don't know how else to describe it. It was alot better then last years show at Jones Beach. The band was really alive tonight, Rivers was totally in to it. And Scott, hes the man, that thing with the bass at the end of the show was just really cool. Brian, he rocked, and so did Pat! The new =w= sign is really a cool addition! Oh man, that set list was flawless, a few newer songs wouldnt have sucked, but the way it was was just really good. I just want to thank Rivers for playing some pink songs for us! Rivers didnt seem to hate the fans like everyone has been saying after his interviews. Weezer just has and energy on stage thats impossible to explain, you guys continue to amaze me with your music and show, definatly the best shows i've ever been to! the pyro wasnt bad either! love ya guys" ---Joe Monitto
*"...ive seen the big ol' =w= quite a few times and i never got a more positive vibe from them befor. I felt as if all the love we gave was truly respected and that we werent all just "bitches".... I rocked harder then anyone in the whole place with my firend jon.... if you were looking halfway up scotts side inthe orchestra you knew we were there, with our =w in our hands slameeing heads ad screaming at a level that left us speachless at the end...(speachless meaning both 1. could not speak cause we screemed sooooo much and 2. speachless cause the show was sooooo perfect that even if we could speak that we would be unconscience form the sheer rock-itude of the magnifigant brian (my name too), pat , scott and rivers..." --Brian
*"...Well this was my third time seeing Weezer at Jones Beach and the shows just keep getting better. Sparta was excellent, and I'm definitely going to have to pick up their album. I'm really not a fan of Dashboard Confessional, so once Sparta was done I was just waiting for Weezer to hit the stage. When they did it was excellent. There was a full moon right behind the band, and Rivers was decked out in a business suit and sunglasses. Once the rock started, it didn't end until the show was over. Rivers seemed chatty again, urging Brian and Scott to strike cool rock star poses. After "Keep Fishin'" he said something about that being the video with the Muppets. "Only In Dreams" was really cool with fog pouring out over the audience and covering the stage. Overall, it was a great mix of old and new songs, with a bunch of Pinkerton which was really cool to hear. A great show once again, thanks a lot guys." ---=AndreW=
*"...I just got back from the Jones Beach show and wanted to tell everyone how it was. This was my first Weezer concert and I had a great time. The songs played were awesome and I loved how Weezer got "medieval" on us, haha. I was wondering where the W was and it was very cool how it rose up about halfway through the set. Rivers was looking very dapper in his suit as was Brian, Pat, and Scott. The crowd seemed very into Weezer. Thanks guys for an awesome concert and a great time. Keep up the great work on the site Karl! Good luck with the rest of the tour!!!" ---Justin Paley from East Meadow, NY( hofstrajustin on the weezer.com boards)
*"...I sat 9th row and the was the mest concert ever. First off Sparta was absolutely fantastic, I have every intention of buying the cd very soon. Next, i'm a pretty big Dashboard Fan, so I was blown away by there performance and they played some new songs and many favorites. I actually had a chance to shake hands and talk with the guitar player John Liefer while he was taking pictures of Sparta. Then after Dashboard, Came Weezer who was just phenominal Hands down amazing. The band assembled the most amazing setlist, "Only in dreams" and "El scorcho", "tired of sex" and "no one else" are some of my favorites. I was in heaven. BEST CONERT EVER"
*"...Hye Karl, I Just want to say that the Jones Beach show was AWSOME!!!! The opening act Sparta was ok but the place was empty when they played. i wish the guy could sing more clearly though. And as for dashboard they were great it was kinda weird though because they played alot of their old songs in electric guitar then apose to acoustic and they played 2 new songs which was cool. and they add tenacious d as one of the lines in their songs. also i was dissapointed because the crowd was very boring. When Weezer came on it was awsome i was going crazy the played Only in dreams, Buddy Holly, Keep Fishin, tired of sex...etc and they're was a funny part where rivers was trying to summon demons which i thought was funny because in "superstar" he says he doesnt summon deamons hehe. the encore was great it was say it aint so and dope nose. this was my friends,my brother and my first weezer show and it was AWSOME!!!" ---Adam (WeezerEatsKorn)
*"...Five words: This was a ROCK SHOW! There was so much rock going on that Rivers himself said this was a rockin' show. Rivers was quite talkative even chatty with the electric crowd tonight bringing the evil spirits with him that totally charged the Jones Beach crowd. Much improved over the last show at Jones Beach with the Ocean trying to run the crowd out of the venue. You can't beat fireballs and flying Ws on a perfect July evening with the moon making a guest appearance just behind the ampitheater. Thank you Rivers, Pat, Brian, and Scott for making it the most memorable rock concert of my life. Hope to see Weezer again real soon. Keep up the good work guys." ---Adam
*"...WOW, what an amazing experience! First starting off with a highly explosive performance by Sparta. Who in my opinion kicked some serious ass. Then going into Dashboard Confessional. Unfortunately I'm not the biggest fan of his but I know all the ladies are. Then finally topping it off with one of the electric performances I've ever seen. They definitely started it off with a bang playing No One Else. But I felt the crowd Hit its peak and kept it there when the band played Buddy Holly. I loved the riser and all the pyrotechnics and I'd like to thank weezer and every one else for giving me a kick ass night!!" ---~chris~
*"...The Village Underground was the perfect venue for a night of Retro rock. Loudermilk started out the show with a good rockin set. My friends and I were there for home town hero, so it was cool to see them out in the audience. It seemed that there were a lot of people there for Rooney, who were also good. The crowd thinned out a lot after that, but they missed out, because Home Town Hero to put on a totally awesome set. In between Home Town Hero and AM Radio, we got Home Town to sign posters for us. We also met the singer from Papa Roach who was there along with some of his bandmates. We almost left after that, but I'm really glad we stayed because AM Radio was totally rockin. For their last song, everyone from Loudermilk, Home Town and AM Radio was up on stage (not a very large stage mind you), and things were just totally insane! Definitely one of the best shows I've ever been to." ---Jessica (Pittsburgh PA)
...Radio note!Philadelphia area listeners, tune into Y-100 Saturday from Noon to 4 PM and again on Sunday from 8 PM to Midnight for WEEZER RADIO ON Y100! Pat, Rivers, Brian and Scott will take over Y100 and do their very own show, with handpicked tracks from their favorite bands. Plus, you know that Pat the Wil-dog must have been a DJ in another life, 'cause when he hits the mic, its gonna get funny. Sadly the Y-100 online stream isnt currently operational, so this radio takeover will only be available to those who can tune in the old fashioned way. 
Category:Karl's Corner - July 2002