Concert Review: Weezer, Pixies, And Sleigh Bells (PNC Music Pavilion)

When we first learned legendary artists Weezer and Pixies were teaming up for a massive summer co-headlining tour and bringing it to Charlotte, we got excited. When we found out they chose Sleigh Bells to be their opening act for the second leg of the tour, we lost it. They were bringing an epic mini-festival to Charlotte's PNC Music Pavilion and like everyone else who loves great music, we had to be there.

Why? Simply put, this is the tour of the year.

SLEIGH BELLS

We're big fans of Sleigh Bells and were fortunate enough to see them earlier this year. They didn't disappoint at the Lincoln Theatre, and they didn't disappoint on this tour, either. They brought it hard and served as the perfect lead-off to this glorious night. Derek Miller once again proved to be a workhorse, staying in the background and churning out crunching guitar licks. This allowed singer Alexis Krauss to command center stage to jump around, work the crowd, and whip her hair, all while still managing to remain pitch-perfect on every sugary-sweet note. Unlike their February show, the duo were joined by another guitarist, Jason Boyer, who helped provide more sonic depth.

Unfortunately, less than half of the crowd was present when Sleigh Bells took the stage. If you are attending one of the remaining tour dates, make sure you get there early enough to catch Sleigh Bells' set. You won't regret it.

SLEIGH BELLS SET LIST

"Blue Trash Mattress Fire"
"Riot Rhythm"
"Comeback Kid"
"Rainmaker"
"Infinity Guitars"
"Favorite Transgressions"
"And Saints"
"Crown On The Ground"

PIXIES

It's been years since I've seen the Pixies. And while they've gotten older, they haven't lost a step.

The band came out, grabbed their instruments, and plowed through their set. The stage was bare, the lights were minimal. There was very little engagement with the audience, which is fine, because they chose to let their outstanding catalog speak for itself. Black Francis's trademark scream was on point, sending shivers through your body like it was 1989 and you were listening to Doolittle for the very first time. Joey Santiago played a smoking guitar and came the closest to "showmanship;" at one point, he played his guitar solo by moving his hat across the fretboard. But let's talk about Paz Lenchantin. Yes, she's not Kim Deal. But she's awesome on bass and vocals, and did an amazing job on "Gigantic."

Long story shot, the Pixies kicked ass.

PIXIES SET LIST

"Ed Is Dead"
"Nimrod's Son"
"Mr. Grieves"
"Vamos"
"Caribou"
"U-Mass"
"River Euphrates"
"Cactus"
"Planet Of Sound"
"Where Is My Mind?"
"All The Saints"
"Here Comes Your Man"
"Gouge Away"
"I've Been Tired"
"Head On" (Jesus & Mary Chain cover)
"Debaser"
"Hey"
"All I Think About Now"
"Gigantic"
"Wave Of Mutilation"
"Crackity Jones"
"Isla de Encanta"
"Monkey Gone To Heaven"

WEEZER

When the stage hands pulled back the curtain at the start of Weezer's set to reveal a replica of Arnold's Drive-In from Happy Days, the crowd realized this wasn't going to be any ordinary show. From the opening chord of "Buddy Holly," Weezer was there to show the crowd a good time on this hot July night.

Weezer could've played it like the Pixies and just let their music do the talking, but they didn't stop there. Not only did Rivers Cuomo make several costume changes, there were several set changes -- the stage transformed from Arnold's Drive-In to Rivers's boyhood garage to a stadium setting. The big W made the change along the way as well. There were firebombs! They did covers of Green Day, The Turtles, Africa, and Black Sabbath songs. Rivers serenaded the crowd from a "boat" he sailed down the aisles and into the crowd. Weezer was there to be a rock band, a stadium band, a band to rock your world and give you a memory. It worked.

And yes, there was the music. Weezer played hit after hit after hit and the crowd knew almost every word. The set culminated with a rousing "Say It Ain't So" before giving way to a short cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" with guitarist Brian Bell on the mic. This show was one for the books, folks!

WEEZER SET LIST

"Buddy Holly"
"Beverly Hills"
"Pork And Beans"
"Undone (The Sweater Song)
"Hash Pipe"
"Perfect Situation"
"My Name Is Jonas"
"El Scorcho"
"In The Garage"
"Surf Wax America"
"Happy Together" (The Turtles cover) / "Longview" (Green Day cover)
"Keep Fishin'"
"Island In The Sun"
"Take On Me"
"Burndt Jamb"
"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"
"Feels Like Summer"
"Africa" (Toto cover)

ENCORE

"Pink Triangle"
"Say It Ain't So" / "Paranoid" (Black Sabbath cover)

There are only a handful of shows left in Utah, Washington, California, and Arizona. If you have the means, we definitely recommend you check out the tour of the year.