The year 2023 was one roller coaster ride for me. Aside from experiencing a major change in my work life and another drama in my life, I got to watch my favorite band, Weezer, for the 4th time. The first and second concerts was a well-planned event that I had been eagerly anticipating, having saved up for it. However, the other two were last-minute decisions driven by my own impulsiveness.
When I heard that Weezer was going to hold a show in Jakarta for the second time, I bought the ticket without hesitation. They were set to perform at a festival called Soundrenaline 2022. I purchased the ticket without even knowing the exact time and day of Weezer’s performance; I just wanted to see them live again after their last concert in Jakarta back in 2013.
The day arrived for the Soundrenaline festival, and I found myself standing at the very front row of the festival section, singing and crying along with my favorite band. For some millennials like me, having fun at an all-day festival is a bit of a challenge because we don’t have as much energy as we did when we were younger. However, the excitement of the event seemed to give me more energy, allowing me to stand until the encore. Weezer’s performance that night was quite special as they surprised the audience by performing an Indonesian song called “Anak Sekolah,” a legendary number by the beloved Indonesian singer Chrisye. Rivers Cuomo, the vocalist, had been teasing about this song for a couple of days before the concert, leaving fans curious about how he would sing the lyrics fluently in Indonesian. The show was amazing, and despite them not performing one of my personal favorite songs, it was still a warm and fun experience overall.
For the third show, I flew to Bali just three days after the first one. Weezer performed at another festival called the Road to Now Playing Festival 2022. This show gave me a completely different experience. They played on Peninsula Island, right next to the beach, creating a perfect atmosphere. The sea breeze, the Bali crowd, and the sand in my sandals made it a unique experience. They finally played “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here,” a song I had been longing to hear since the second show. Additionally, they performed “Anak Sekolah” by Chrisye for the second time but surprised the audience by inviting Ario (vocalist) and Pandu (bassist) from The Adams, who were also playing at the festival as the opener, to collaborate with them on stage. It was a touching moment, especially considering Pandu is one of Weezer’s biggest fans. I felt jealous and proud at the same time!
The fourth show happened a year later in Singapore. The last-minute booking gave me a last-minute seat, but I didn’t mind because after everything that happened in 2023, I felt I deserved a fourth show of my favorite band. I flew to Singapore alone and took an MRT ride to the Star Theater to watch them. I didn’t even mind that this concert had assigned seating, something that the old me would have considered boring. It turned out to be anything but boring, mainly because Singapore has a reputation for being a well-organized event host. The main difference was in the audio quality; theater halls like this have all it takes to deliver an eargasmic performance. Another highlight was how Weezer always adds a surprise and personal touch to every place they visit. During their Singapore show, they performed a Singaporean song called “Home” and even ate Durian on stage.
Fast forward to today, May 10, 2024, and Weezer is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album, the Blue Album. It’s the album that introduced me to Weezer and contains my all-time favorite song by them. To commemorate the occasion, they released a demo track of “My Name is Jonas.”
Reflecting on it all, I still can’t believe I saw Weezer for the fourth time. It might take another 10 years for them to visit Indonesia again, and I just hope I live long enough to catch them.
IRIND works 
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