RECAP: WEEZER'S 'VOYAGE TO THE BLUE PLANET’ 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BLUE ALBUM TOUR VANCOUVER

On October 5th, 2024, Weezer’s Voyage to the Blue Planet tour docked at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena for its 18th show, and the scene was set for a cosmic celebration. Despite the city’s busy night—rivaling entertainment with a Whitecaps game and another concert in the mix—Weezer’s fans turned out in droves, spanning generations. This wasn’t just another rock show; it was a rocket fuelled show marking the 30th anniversary of The Blue Album, a cornerstone of 90s alternative rock.

Photos by Tage Stenner / Backspin Canada

The arena was cast in hues of blue as the audience buzzed with excitement. A massive NASA-inspired spaceship sat at centre stage beneath a glowing blue "W," as countdown clocks on both sides of the stage ticked down to “lift-off.” The fans shouting in sync with the final moments—until sparks and fog erupted in a simulated launch. The spaceship ascended, unveiling the band as they opened with "II. Anonymous," launching the crowd into orbit and setting the tone for a night that felt like a mission into uncharted musical territory.

The theatrics were not only fitting but meticulously crafted. Decked out in NASA-style jumpsuits, Rivers Cuomo and his bandmates leaned fully into the tour’s galactic theme. Cuomo, in his usual understated charm, quipped that the night’s adventure was "a very dangerous mission," but the Vancouver crowd didn’t seem to mind. From the opening riff to the final chord, Weezer kept the audience strapped in, riding shotgun on this space quest.

Bass player Scott Shriner was a sight with his translucent double-necked bass—a piece of gear that could’ve come straight from a sci-fi film. His low-end grooves anchored the set, as Cuomo and Brian Bell swapped shredding duties, often standing shoulder to shoulder, firing off riffs with surgical precision. Patrick Wilson was a blur behind the drums, his rhythms pulsing like the heart of a rocket engine, propelling the set forward.

The journey reached its peak when Cuomo announced they’d arrived at the Blue Planet, and to save it, they had to play The Blue Album in full. The crowd erupted as Weezer launched into "My Name is Jonas", the nostalgia palpable. Fans of all ages screamed along, the lyrics a shared memory spanning three decades. It was a cosmic sing-along, reaching fever pitch with "Buddy Holly" and the crowd taking over entirely for "Say It Ain't So."

For a brief moment, technical issues threatened to derail the adventure. The side screens, crucial to the immersive visuals, went dark after "My Name is Jonas" and didn’t fully recover until later in the set. But if anything, this hiccup only served to underscore the DIY ethos that’s been woven into Weezer’s DNA since their inception. The band rolled with it, and the crowd hardly seemed to care—lost in a musical universe that only Weezer could craft.

Cuomo’s revelation that he and the audience were all aliens felt like a cheeky nod to the band’s quirky identity. By the time they reached "Undone – The Sweater Song," the crowd was fully locked in, shouting back every lyric. In many ways, it felt like the ultimate celebration of not just The Blue Album, but of the connection Weezer has built with their fans—a band that still feels as relatable today as they did in the 90s.

Aside from the minor technical glitches, the show was spectacular—fueled by a clear attention to detail. Weezer brought the drama, the humor, and the nostalgic hits, while still leaving room for moments of raw musicianship and fan interaction. It was a night to remember.

As The Blue Album remains a cultural touchstone, Weezer has managed to keep their legacy not just alive but thriving, with tracks like "Buddy Holly" still earning hundreds of millions of streams and continuing to inspire new generations. And with only four shows left on the tour, Vancouver was lucky to witness this near-end leg of the journey. The final countdown leads to Los Angeles, where they’ll wrap up the tour at the Intuit Dome on October 11th, a fitting finale for a band that first took off from LA’s indie scene more than three decades ago.

The night’s final question wasn’t what song was coming next—it was this: how does Weezer keep doing it? How does a band, seemingly from another world, stay so grounded in the hearts of their fans while continuing to blast off into new musical frontiers? With every show, they seem to offer the same answer: you’ll just have to keep watching.