Weezer rolls through Bridgeport, Connecticut to The Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater on June 28, 2023 with their Indie Rock Road Trip

July 2, 2023
International Concert Reviews
by Jody Wilk Photographer/Writer

On an evening still filled with smoke from the Canadian wildfires, Weezer rolled up Interstate 95 to Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, bringing their Indie Rock Road Trip to town with Future Islands and Joyce Manor in tow.

Upon arriving at the venue at about 5:30 pm, the line to get into the venue was small. However, by the time Weezer hit the stage, the amphitheater was nearly full. This show brought out people of all ages. Once into the venue on this humid evening, it was apparent that the fans were ready to see Weezer perform all their hit songs.

First to take the stage was Joyce Manor, a punk rock/indie rock band, hailing from Torrence, California. Founded in 2008 by Barry Johnson and Chase Knobbe, they released their first album, Joyce Manor in 2011 and followed it up with 5 more full length albums along with many ep’s. Their most recent album, 40 oz. to Fresno was released in 2022. They played a 13-song set of solid punk rock music including three songs off of Fresno. These guys sounded great! Go out and check them out if they are playing near you.

Joyce Manor is:

Barry Johnson – Lead Vocals, Guitar

Chase Knobbe – Guitar

Matt Ebert – Bass, Backing Vocals

Neil Berthier – Acoustic guitar, Synthesizer, Backing Vocals (touring musician)

Neil Hennessy – Drums (touring musician)

Setlist:

1.Heart Tattoo

2.Beach Community

3.Ashtray Petting Zoo

4.Gotta Let It Go

5.Don’t Try

6.Schley

7.Falling in Love Again

8.NBTSA

9.Big Lie

10.Victoria

11.Constant Headache

12.Christmas Card

13.Catalina Fight Song

Next up was Future Islands. Formed in 2006, this self-proclaimed post-wave band brings a heavy synth sound with Samual T. Herring dominating the stage with his unique style of vocals. Utilizing a wide range, with an occasional guttural growl, Samual performs with a passion very few are able to achieve. He utilized the entire stage, kicking and jumping and putting on a high energy performance for the crowd. Future Islands has six studio albums out, with the most recent, As Long as You Are, being released in 2020.

Future Islands is:

Gerrit Welmers – Keyboards, programming

Samual T. Herring – Lead Vocals

William Cashion – Bass, Guitars

Michael Lowry – Drums

Setlist:

1.For Sure

2.Plastic Beach

3.Peach

4.Walk Through That Door

5.Ran

6.Before the Bridge

7.The Painter

8.A Dream of You and Me

9.Ancient Water

10.King of Sweden

11.Seasons (Waiting on You)

12.Tin Man

13.Vireo’s Eye

The house was packed with fans of all ages, and all on their feet in anticipation of seeing Weezer perform their hits, spanning their 31-year career. Weezer hit the stage about 9:30 p.m. beginning their set with “My Name is Jonas” off of their self-titled album. I was happy to be able to photograph “Beverly Hills” while we were in the pit. Weezer’s stage setup was a cool 50’s car dashboard, where the drums were on the right side of the dashboard above the radio station numbers, and above the steering wheel was a platform that Rivers would frequent while singing.

They kept the fans singing along and on their feet for the entire show. One fan commented, “Weezer Rocks! I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome they are live. Definitely one of the best concerts I have seen.” They performed a 21-song set, plus a 3-song encore. Barry from Joyce Manor joined in on a few songs including “You Gave Your Love to Me Softly”. The bass kicked in so hard during “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” that it made me jump. To everybody’s liking, they ended the night with one of their biggest hits, “Buddy Holly”. This was my first time seeing Weezer after hearing their hits on the radio for so many years. I’m definitely glad I didn’t miss the show. You can catch them on tour through early September, and then again at select festivals later in the year.

Weezer is:

Rivers Cuomo – Lead Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards

Patrick Wilson – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Brian Bell – Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals, Keyboards

Scott Shriner – Bass, Backing Vocals, Keyboards