Karl's Corner - 07/23/2002

Enlightenment Tour Day 18: Holmdel, NJ; PNC Bank Arts Center
Main Stage: Sparta, Dashboard Confessional, Weezer
no Second Stage this show
Today the second stage acts got a day off due to a lack of suitable facilities at PNC. [Tomorrow they pick up the pace again, at the Village Underground in Manhattan, but note that their show and the Jones Beach main show are simultaneous independent shows.] Anyway today we got the inside scoop on Julian from the Strokes, whose injury is still quite nasty, which we sadly learned has forced them to cancelALL their remaining scheduled dates on the Enlightenment Tour. Julian isnt even able to leave his home for now, but the rest of the Strokes came by to show their support and catch the big rock show. Well, I guess you win some and you lose some. Bummer. And over in the 'win' category, some serious rain and thunderstorms only just grazed the show early on in the evening, after threatening a massive downpour all day. cool.
Meanwhile, the show itself was sweet, and the Jersey crowd roared their approval of the setlist choices. Rivers seemed to be telling the crowd he'd had a strange day so far, but the warmth of the fans (and the pyro!) helped him find the core of the rock tonight. Late in the set, a too-perfectly aimed water bottle from "too tall" Pat Wiggedy Wilson somehow totally creamed my camera, sending it into the dark depths of the barricade pit in several pieces. But i gotta say this for the Olympus C-4040: it took the hit in stride, and didnt even shut off when the PNC cameraman dude unwittingly stood on it till i found it! Not a scratch! 
...pic #11: Exit16, K I C K, Pete C (o' weezerisland.com!), nrvanagrl220, unthoughtfulwench 
...Sarah from Planet Janet sez: "why, just look at this setlist!"
...pic #24, L to R: kodos88, Lalo the Sparta tour manager, Flat Pepsi, jkam, MrTpitiesfools, Orophin, JDym00, ace, Chrizzle Carazzle... 
...the first batch of New Jersey fans' show tales that came in...
*"...I'm sitting at my computer while my girlfriend is at the show, but what a girl she turned on her cell phone and right now the weez is rocking out burndt jamb, now that's a girlfriend! Man Weezer even kicks ass over crappy cellular connection! So far this is a killer set list El Scorcho, No One Else, Burndt Jamb, Getchoo....this is excellent. I'm gonna go listen to the rest of the show! ROCK ON!" ---~Charlie
*"...I was completely thrilled with the show tonight. Not only was the setlist killer (Tired of Sex, Burnt Jamb, El Scorcho, Holiday...), but the crowd was totally into it too. I think it is the most amazing feeling when a room of thousands of people start singing together at the same time. It was pure and total bliss. You could also tell that the band was feeling the vibe too, everything was amazing tonight, it all just seemed to click. Luckily those thunderstorms knew enough to stay away, because even thunder and 70mph winds couldn't keep me away from Weezer. The show was amazing and sits at the top of my best show ever list. You guys rock. There really is nothing better then good on/up tempo rock!" ---Chrissy
*"...oh my god i just have to say that was the BEST show i've ever been too! it was my first weezer show and i cant believe the set list it was all pinkerton! i almost died when they started out with el scorcho and then right into getchoo but the highlight for me had to be the good life! i cant wait for the next show!" ---VS
*"...BEST SETLIST EVER!!! They played almost all of my favorites, and sooo much Pinkerton. The pyro, riser, and giant =w= were incredible. What a great performance. Scott's feedback at the end was great, and his and Pat's water bottle fight was hilarious. I got absolutely soaked on the lawn, but it was worth it. Best concert I've been to yet! Thanks Weezer!" ---Erin
*"...Wow, that was sweet. I live right here in Holmdel, and I was glad to be able to see my first Weezer show right in my hometown. The rain came in the beginning, but the Weezheads like me scared it away and it didn't come back! No one in the crowd really showed Sparta the love, but I still liked them, and Dashboard was popular as usual. But I was there to see Weezer, and I sure got them! Rivers was heard saying, "How's it going, New Jersey? Not to be confused with Old Jersey." Pat climbed down from his platform above the =w= at the end, and he said something, but it was incomprehensible above all the screaming and feedback. "The Good Life," "Holiday," "Jonas" and "Say it Ain't So" were incredibly awesome, and it was good to hear so much from past and present all mixed together into the set. I wish "Only in Dreams" was played, and I wish PNC actually took some of the seats outta there so the audience could actually move around, but besides that, it was the best concert (of any band) I've ever been to. Rock on!" ---John
*"...This was my first concert ever and every one from now on will pale in comparison. Sparta and Dashboard Confessionals were okay but I was really stoked for Weezer and it seemed like the audience was too. The pyro was excellent and when the =w= came up under Pat everyone went wild!! I stealthily took some pictures of the show and even got one with you! Rivers was cute in the suit (as always) and Scott was totally rocking it out. It was the coolest experience of my life and I can't wait to do it again." ---Pam Austria
*"...Wow. I just got back from the PNC show and it totally rocked. This was the second weezer show that i've ever been to - my first was in February at Continental Airlines Arena and I was able to move my way through the pit all the way to the front of the stage. Unfortunately, for this show my seats were relatively far back, but it was still unbelievable. The setlist was amazing - they played a really great variety, and once the guys got into a groove after a few songs, the show just blew everyone away. Everything sounded excellent and I was so glad that they ended the show with "Say It Ain't So." So, although I didn't have the best seats in the world, the rock was definitely brought to NJ, and I was extremely satisfied with how it was delivered." ---Eric S.
*"...Hey, we just got back from the show at the PNC bank arts center (which is how I'm sure every review will start out). Anyway, it was AMAZING! We had some trouble getting there cuz of the rain and we were soaked by the time we got to our seats. Sparta was really good! That's definitely an album we need to invest in. Dashboard was also excellent! One ass shouted at them to get off the stage, but the rest of the crowd was really into it and rightly so! (picked myself up a t-shirt). Anywsy, when Weezer came on, they absolutely rocked the house! It was so cool to hear all those Pinkerton songs that I had never heard live before! The crowd was very energetic and so was the band! Brian and Scott were dancing around (Scott even went up the the platform to visit Pat!) and Rivers really looked happy! (He wore his guitar as a very large hat). It was really cool the see the band having such a great time! And Pat being lifted up on the huge =W= platform was great! Brian looked like he couldn't get enough of it. The pyro was also killer!! All in all it was a very fun show (The 3rd show I've seen) and very easy to get into :o)" ---~Ree and Liz
*"...awesome show tonight! after being totally disappointed by dashboard, i was so excited when weezer came out with a bang. the lack of slower songs definetly set an amazing, energized mood for the whole crowd. the best part, though, was watching a guy in front of me, old enough to be my dad, totally rockin out to my name is jonas. that, my friends, was amazing. rock on." ---mandy the great.
*"...i got there at 5 30. had a little fun in the parking lot till it started raining. the show started right on time with sparta kicking ass. sparta was really on and put on a good show. good opening band. about 15 minutes later dashboard confessional went on. dashboard was alot better than i expected. i liked his new songs. i expected a bob dylan type of backlash for the use of electric guitars, but everyone was supportive.the drummer is rediculously good. thenn..... WEEZER. weezer was absolutely positively amazing. they rocked harder then i've ever thought possible. so good. oh man. the pyro was awesome. the songs were awesome. rivers' funny comments ruled. i'm glad to see he's not as shy and quiet as he used to be. he had the place by the balls. he knew it and love it. i met karl. he signed my ticket. i told him isn't it funny that you're the most popular roadie in rock and roll history. really nice guy. i'm going again on friday in camden. whooot whooot-" ---adam in north jersey
*"...Just writing in my version of tonight's concert. Sparta and DC were ok. They didn't seem to impress me much because I was all set to see weezer and no one else. I wanted to rock out, and I did. Right before weezer stepped on stage [karl] popped out from the side and my sister and I screamed for you. You gave us the devil horns rock sign. Awesome, thanks. Weezer then too stage and rocked the house. They played so many songs from Blue and Pinkterton. They only played Island in the Sun and Smile from Green and Burnt Jamb and Dope Nose from Maladroit. I really wanted to see the boys play Say It Ain't So. All time fave. And on the encore they did. The very last song. This was like a religious experience for me. Weezer rocked and I went all out nuts during Say It Ain't So. Thanks for a great show! -Rock on," ---Rei
*"...I've never been mud-sliding at a concert before... especially not to tired of sex...Damn, these weezer concerts just keep getting better and better... I think the reason this show was better than any of the other ones I've been to was, because of its amazing set-list...Rivers rocked NJ once again and it was so great seeing them all...Can wait for tomorrow at Jones Beach...Thanx," ---Jerome
*"...Wow It seemed Rivers got bit by the sarcasm bug tonight. The show started with everyone a little uneasy. I think no one was used to seeing Weezer in a venue with filled with seats. That didn't stop Weezer from rocking hard. And in-between the rocking it did not stop Rivers from being the most talkative I've ever heard him. Not only talkative but hilariously cynical and sarcastic. It seemed to me that was the 'guy' who wrote the Pinkerton album. The fans got a heavy dose of it tonight (Which in my opinion made it the best set list ever). I'm looking forward to seeing more "solid up-tempo rock" tomorrow at Jones Beach, thanks to Tommy Hill, our benevolent corporate sponser. Best show ever" ---Dan, NJ
special notice: theft report "...Tonight, after seeing Weezer completely rock the PNC arts center, I go back to my car to find my cell phone and almost all of my CD's stolen out of my car. This all happens on the same day that I lost my job. All in all, not a very good day. I was looking forward to the show to take my mind off of work, which it did, but getting back in my car, everything just stirred right up again.
I just want to say that Weezer fans in general are the greatest fans in the world, and I think that it is completely indecent of a "so-called" weezer fan to steal something out of someones car. I am I guess really writing in hopes that the person responsible reads this and realizes that it has taken years for me to build my CD collection, and the ones in that case were the ones that meant the most to me. I used to play bass in a band called RedRover, and the last rough demo that I recorded with them was in that case, along with some compilations that we were on. I also lost my copy of Maladroit, the new get up kids(On a wire), a couple of Sense Field albums, my Weston albums, Clarity (Jimmy Eat World) and about 20 others. The only good news I can report is that the "Blue album" was and still is in my CD player, because I was listening to it on the way to the show. And why exactly does one steal a cell phone anyway? Do they think they now have their own cell phone? Don't people understand that it would be immediately shut off? Signed,
Jobless, phoneless, musicless Jay in NJ" [if you can offer any help, contact Jay. thanks.]
Category:Karl's Corner - July 2002