Review: In Tampa, Weezer goes for the gold during stacked alt-rock gathering [w/photos]

Weezer plays Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 14, 2026. Credit: Ryan Metcalf/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay In case you’re just waking up, Weezer has been on a roll. And it’s not just the “Buddy Holly” memes. Last August, Rivers Cuomo and friends dropped their seventh self-titled record (a.k.a. The Gold Album), perhaps their most nostalgic to date. If not for the references to QR codes and trees being knocked down for condos, almost every song could pass for a vault track Matt Sharp worked on while still in the band almost 30 years ago. And this may have to do with how Cuomo has been more flexible about sharing songwriting duties of late. He didn’t receive a writing credit on three Gold songs, two of which were played Wednesday night at Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena. Following a quick video about a kid who telepathically hypnotizes Weezer to perform in his backyard in an effort to impress other kids, the dorkiest posse in rock entered through a wh