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WEEZER & DYNAMITE HACK
THE METRO
Chicago, Illinois
September 3, 2000


by Brad White


    Hundreds of eager fans lined up outside the Metro on Sept. 3 long before Weezer's all ages concert was to start. Doors opened at 6:30 pm and teenagers flooded in, most dressed in stylishly nerdy attire, like the band would wear themselves.

    The opening band, Dynamite Hack, kicked off the night with their power-pop brand of alternative-punk. They played well, but the audience not give the Hackers and  an overwhelming response.  The band were able to get heads bobbing, however.   The audience seemed mostly unfamiliar with Dynamite Hack's music, until they started strumming the melody of their first single, "Boys in the Hood," a cover
of the old NWA rap anthem that has been given a whitewashed acoustic treatment.

They were a decent support act, but even the members of Dynamite Hack themselves admittedly could not wait for Weezer to come out and take the stage. They repeatedly offered their praise of the Weezer boys.  The Hack went on and on
about Weezer throughout their set, barely saying anything about themselves.
   
    As Dynamite Hack left the stage, the crowd really started getting pumped up.  You could see more people entering from the back doors, cramping together and trying to get as close as they could to Weezer. As it came time for Weezer to emerge, fans were already dripping with sweat from the tightly compact group.

    Weezer hit the stage and started off with "My Name Is Jonas."   Being one of their more popular songs, the crowd went nuts. Two bodies started surfing towards
the front of the room, finally getting pulled down by the guards at the front.

    "Only in Dreams" and "Say It Ain't So" were also popular with the crowd, as a few mini-mosh pits started. The crowd was so compact at points that if one member
would take a step back into an open space, the entire crowd would start swaying. It was hard to believe that they all just didn't fall to the ground.

    Everyone in the audience seemed a die-hard Weezer-fanatic. Those in the balcony, like those on the main floor, were singing every word to each song performed. Energy poured from the stage, was absorbed and then returned to the band from the audience.  It was a kinetic experience to say the least.  Even production crew were jumping around and going crazy.

    Weezer got it going during their encore with one of their more popular early songs -- "Buddy Holly." The group continued rolling along with a rave up rendition of "Surf Wax America." During this number guitarist Matt Sharp went body surfing in the crowd....still trying to play his instrument.

  Weezer put on a monumental show. Like all the band's dates on this tour, the Metro show was a complete sell-out.  This is one concert that Chicago Weezer fans will never forget, and one the people who couldn't get tickets will be hearing about for a long time to come.

    With their first, self-titled album released in 1994, and their second album, "Pinkerton," released in 1996, Weezer is over due for a new one. The new material
played at the concert sounded great. Be on the lookout for their new album, which they said is projected to come out around February 2001.