The Indie Rock Road Trip tour had a (planned) pit stop at Minneapolis this Wednesday, stopping at the fabulous, gargantuan Armory where 8000 adoring fans packed themselves into the massive space to catch the return of 90s-but-also-other-decades darlings Weezer. They brought LA indie rising stars Momma and the ineffable Modest Mouse with them, filling out the event space with their car-themed projector and stage setup and sending everyone back on a nostalgia trip. The atmosphere was palpable as people brimmed with anticipation for the evening that would follow - Weezer hadn’t been to the state since their performance on the Hella Mega tour in 2021 at Target Field, and they had brought such a phenomenal pair of bands with them.

Momma opened the show - familiar-but-inventive with the twin vocal melodies of Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, their sound was at the same time completely enveloping and soothing, a lullaby to simpler times and simpler places. They were the perfect opener for the two bands to follow, setting the bar high but leaving their own mark on the audience (and it wouldn’t be the last time they’d be around that evening). The tour’s intent to capture the spirit of the Indie old guard and combine it with an almost passing-of-the-torch makes perfect sense when you see Momma’s performance - there is surely great things to come.

Modest Mouse followed suit. Frontman Isaac Brock took the stage, looked out pensively, and then kept it simple - “we’re Modest Mouse, let’s do this”, and then soft strumming exploding into Brock’s familiar twangy cry as a rendition of "Dramamine" was played out. Old hits and newer songs alike would be covered over the next hour, with timeless classic "Float On"  crossing swords with newer cuts like" Fuck Your Acid Trip" and "Back to the Middle", the blend of sounds really demonstrated just how effortless a lot of Modest Mouse’s ingenuity and sincerity seems. Even with 30 years on their belts, they make all their material sound timeless and cohesive, sounds of new and old blending together without missing a step (and why they were a perfect pairing for this tour).

Finally Rivers and co take the stage, and the crowd loses their mind (after a pre-show that consisted of Toto’s "Africa" being played directly after a Metallica song) as they launched into their first song, "My Name is Jonas". Weezer - depending on the venue hit - brings with them a massive projector with closeups on the performers displayed for those further back, simultaneously providing a visual tour through cartoonish landscapes from the perspective of a windshield. The idea is road trip visually, and with that in mind, Weezer charted a journey through their discography, busting out rarely seen classics like "Susanne" while playing safe bets like "Say it Ain't So" (and of course "Buddy Holly" for the encore), dancing all across their 30 years of material, much to the absolute delight of the packed house.