He wore those glasses before they were ironic

On Sunday, as opening band The Triggers left the stage without ever announcing its name, the… On Sunday, as opening band The Triggers left the stage without ever announcing its name, the audience chattered anxiously waiting for Weezer. Flying W’s went up whenever someone walked on stage, and calls for the band pierced the already noisy atmosphere.

Weezer’s frontman Rivers Cuomo greeted the audience at Stage AE’s outdoor arena and announced that it was the band’s first concert in Pittsburgh in nine years. Those who’ve been waiting all those years weren’t disappointed as the band’s 90-minute fast-paced set included seven songs from its 1994 self-titled album…

It seems that the new indoor-outdoor concert venue has sparked the desire for many big names like Weezer to revisit the ’Burgh. As he wandered across the stage during the third song sporting his signature thick black glasses, Cuomo made a point to profess some love for the Steel City.

As an intro to “Undone — The Sweater Song,” he talked about his early admiration of the Steelers, expressing his childhood desire to be a professional football player. Cuomo explained that, much to his dismay, sometime around adolescence he realized he’d never have the physique for the pros — lucky for the audience.

Weezer’s nerd rock sound was only aided by the rawness of a live performance. The spot-on vocals and harmonies made for a sound not too far off from the band’s recordings.

The energy of the crowd singing alone and the animation of the band — Cuomo in particular — perfectly fit Weezer’s garage-band vibe.

The band launched into “Undone” with the shouted accompaniment of the audience. And the crowd was familiar with all the songs, even the lesser-known jams.

When the bandlaunched into “Memories” from its 2010 album Hurley as its first song, its staying power became immediately obvious — fans all knew the lyrics. The crowd was refreshingly dedicated, not just attending the show for “Island in the Sun” — which the band did play — but also for songs like “Photograph.”

In return, Weezer played to its audience. Cuomo splashed himself and the crowd with fountains squeezed from water bottles and grabbed the outreached hands at the edge of the stage. At one point the singer climbed down from the stage and moved out along the edge of the pit.

When the band finally left the stage, it didn’t wait around long for an encore. Coming back out quickly, the band left the audience with “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” and, finally, “Buddy Holly.”