Rivers Cuomo delights Weezer fans with a rare acoustic performance at Bottom of the Hill

Photos by Mike Rosati // Written by David Skaff //

Rivers Cuomo //
Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco
May 9th, 2018 //

Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo brought his solo acoustic show to Bottom of the Hill, located in SF’s Potrero Hill district and touted by Rolling Stone as “the best place to hear live music” in the city, as he was greeted by a sold-out crowd mid-week.

Cuomo delighted the packed room with acoustic renditions of Weezer cuts as well as covers of Mike Posner, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, REO Speedwagon and Poison, but he also gave Weezer’s “Pig” — a bonus track off the deluxe edition of 2008’s Weezer (“The Red Album”) — its live debut. The audience, thrilled by what it was witnessing, came alive and sang along to most of the tunes Cuomo played during a 27-song set that lasted more than two hours.

Surprisingly, the show also included a special guest in former Weezer guitarist and founding member Jason Cropper, who performed two songs with Cuomo. Afterward, he remarked, “To be in a room stuffed with Weezer fans for a Rivers Cuomo solo show … So fun!”

Rivers Cuomo with Jason Cropper

“This crowd was a smart, kind, polite community of people who are passionate about this man, his band and the songs — it’s amazing,” he added. “To be playing Weezer (“The Blue Album”) songs with Rivers again after a 25-year hiatus? Wow! Literally a dream come true.”

With Cuomo leading the way, Weezer are set to hit the road this summer for a 29-date, North American co-headlining tour with the Pixies that features three California dates at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, The Forum in Los Angeles and Mattress Firm Amphitheatre in Chula Vista the second week of August following the release of the band’s 12th LP Weezer (“The Black Album”) this month.

Rivers, in the meantime, will also be performing another solo acoustic show, this time at a sold-out Troubadour in Los Angeles, less than four weeks before Weezer kick things off on June 23rd in Tampa.

Setlist:
I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Mike Posner cover)
El Scorcho (Weezer song)
Wonderwall (Oasis cover)
Buddy Holly (Weezer song)
Basket Case (Green Day cover)
Undone – The Sweater Song (Weezer song)
1979 (The Smashing Pumpkins cover)
Say It Ain’t So (Weezer song)
Happy Together (The Turtles cover) (with “Longview” snippet by Green Day)
Island in the Sun (Weezer song)
Can’t Fight This Feeling (REO Speedwagon cover)
Sober Up (AJR cover)
The Good Life (Weezer song)
Slob (Weezer song)
(Girl We Got a) Good Thing (Weezer song)
Pink Triangle (Weezer song)
Cardigan Disaster (New song; live debut)
Getchoo (Weezer song)
Pig (Weezer song) (Live debut)
Talk Dirty to Me (Poison cover)
No Other One (Weezer song)
Falling for You (Weezer song)
Today (The Smashing Pumpkins cover)
In the Garage (Weezer song) (with Jason Cropper) (preceded by a brief tease of “My Name Is Jonas” by Cropper)
No One Else (Weezer song) (with Jason Cropper)
Why Bother? (Weezer song)
Across the Sea (Weezer song)