Weezer performed a five-song acoustic set atop the Hinano Cafe in Venice Beach on Friday. The show featured classics like 'Buddy Holly' and 'Island in the Sun,' with Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino joining for 'Go Away.' It kicked off 'Weezer: The Gathering – Initiation Week' tied to their new arena tour announcement.
The performance included 'Undone – The Sweater Song,' 'Buddy Holly,' 'Island in the Sun,' 'Say It Ain’t So,' and 'Go Away.' Rivers Cuomo and bandmates played for fans as part of promotions surrounding the 'The Gathering' tour, announced the previous day. The 32-date North American arena run starts September 8 in Sacramento and ends October 24 in Los Angeles, with support from The Shins and Silversun Pickups. Artist presales begin March 31, and the tour includes stops at venues like Chase Center in San Francisco and United Center in Chicago. The Initiation Week features additional Los Angeles events, such as a Weezer-themed trivia night at Barney’s Beanery and a pickleball tournament with band members on March 30. This follows the upcoming release of new single 'Shine Again' on April 1, from Weezer's untitled 16th studio album on Reprise/Warner Records—their first full LP since 2021's Van Weezer. Weezer formed in Los Angeles in 1994 and have sold over 10 million albums in the U.S. and 35 million worldwide. The band recently toured North America in 2023 for the 'Voyage to the Blue Planet' and headlined the Hella Mega Tour with Green Day and Fall Out Boy. 'Go Away,' from 2014's Everything Will Be Alright in the End, has gone viral on TikTok, hitting the Top 40 on the Daily Viral Songs chart with about a million streams per day.
