The Weezer Cruise Day 2 - Carnival Destiny 20 January 2012

Day 2 20^th January 2012 (Sea Day)

Day 2 apart from being my fiancés birthday was a full day of Weezer activities.  We had our Weezer Photo, Rivers Pinkerton Diaries Reading and our Pinkerton show in the Palladium. 

Breakfast and some shopping (Pinkerton Diaries & Weezer Snuggie) were done and we got ready to head to the Criterion Lounge for our Photo with Weezer.  We wore New Zealand related t-shirts (I wore a New Zealand Football shirt) so that even if we didn’t get to say anything to band they would at least know that we travelled along way to see them.  Unfortunately the photos were set up with the band up the front and you standing behind them.  That said the picture turned out great.  Maybe the band will see it, who knows.

We had a bit of lunch and checked out a bit of Yacht Rock Revue on the Lido.  Yacht Rock Revue play AOR tunes from the 70’s and all dress the part.  They were kind of fun but compared to the other bands on the bill didn’t really interest. 

Rivers Pinkerton Diaries reading was our next port of call.  This event had originally been open to anyone but at the last minute was moved to the Criterion Lounge a venue that could only hold a few hundred people.  We luckily got tickets and found a nice spot in the lounge.  The set up was Rivers on a chair reading excerpts from his limited edition book The Pinkerton Diaries.  He was a little shakey at the start but he got more comfortable as he went along and started getting laughs from the audience.  His reading went for about 30 minutes at which time he took questions.  For the most part the questions were light but Rivers really took time to answer them.  He seemed really interested in getting to know his fans to the point that he seemed disappointed when Sixthman said to him that time was up.  I considered saying to him that we are nice people in this part of the world and we would love to have them but decided that it would be douche bag thing to do.

As he was leaving Rivers offered to sign peoples copies of the book which Sixthman collected and returned to you room once they were signed. 

We hung around in the Criterion Lounge for Rock Bingo with Free Energy which was a good laugh.  We didn’t win anything but had a good time.

Lou Barlow was next in the Criterion Lounge playing his first Solo show on the cruise.  Lou decided to start 15 minutes early so he seemed surprised every time he asked how long he had to go.  This is particularly apparent near the end when he was struggling to come up with songs to play that he wasn’t playing with Sebadoh or Dinosaur Jr.  The set was laid back and featured song from his whole career and some choice covers including the debut of Run To You originally by Brian Adams.  He called out Ryan Adams for covering Round and Round recently saying that he better not touch his Cold As Ice. 

Lou Barlow Setlist:

Holding Back the Year
Puzzle
Run to You 
Pearl
Easy (Fight Is Over)
Round & Round 
Imagination Blind
Love Is Stronger
New Sebadoh Song
Think (Let Tomorrow Be)
Soulmate
Punch in the Nose
Home
Cold as Ice
Legendary
Spoiled
A Hit 
Natural One
Ballad of Daykitty

We headed to dinner and then headed to the Palladium Lounge to see our Pinkerton Show.  By this time the boat was rolling and this was even more apparent when you could see the hanging speakers swaying side to side.  Our spot on the ground was third row to the right of the stage and we got a great view of the band.  Rivers walked out and started kicking around a football before the show then the rest of the band join him and we where into it.

Now this show had been listed as a B-sides and Pinkerton show so when the band came out and played Troublemaker it was a surprise.  I’m not a big fan of this song but it was good fun live.  The first half of the set featured some more hit’s which were great to hear.  The first real b-side I Just Threw Out The Love Of My Dreams was a real treat with Rivers doing the vocals and it sounded great live.  Rivers had said at his Pinkerton Diaries reading that he loved playing Teenage Dirtbag at festivals because most people thought it was Weezer so it made the bands cover a fun surprise.  Can’t Stop Partyin’ was played more in line with the Alone version of the song.  Blue Album b-sides Jamie and Mykel & Carli were both brilliant and a real treat to hear.  The final song of this part of the set was newly released Pinkerton era song Tragic Girl.  I haven’t really got allot from this song on CD and this live version didn’t make me like it anymore.  Was great to hear as I believe it’s the first time it was played but probably the weakest song of the set.

The band left stage and Karl lead the Intermission which featured photo’s from the Blue and Pinkerton eras.  Karl’s commentary was insightful, funny and gave the fans a feeling of what it was like in this much loved period of the bands history.

Then Rivers appeared in the audience taking photo’s with fans while the band waited for him to get on stage.  I’m a Pinkerton guy so seeing the album performed was what I had been waiting for.  From the opening feedback of Tired of Sex to Rivers “I’m Sorry” closing out Butterfly Pinkerton was a absolutely vital live.  The band seemed to really love playing these songs and playing them for people who really wanted to hear them. Especially Getchoo, Why Bother?, set highlight The Good Life & Pink Triangle. 

Setlist:

Troublemaker

We Are All on Drugs

I Just Threw Out the Love of my Dreams

No One Else

Teenage Dirtbag

Can't Stop Partyin'

Keep Fishin

Mykel and Carli

Jamie

Tragic Girl

“Pinkerton”

Tired of Sex

Getchoo

No Other One

Why Bother?

Across the Sea

The Good Life

El Scorcho

Pink Triangle

Falling for You

Butterfly

After leaving the Palladium Lounge we made our way to the Casino to catch Free Energy’s Set.  This band might not be ground breaking but they are a hell of a lot of fun.  The songs and the band are bursting with energy and this energy was infectious (and Free ;P).  The Casino Stage area was packed with everyone moving along to the bands Cheap Trick meets Thin Lizzy pop songs.  Their set was a mixture of songs from their album Stuck on Nothing and a number of new songs.  These new songs were encouraging and I will definitely keep an eye out for their record when it is released.  Sleep time.

Free Energy Setlist:

TBA