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West Valley City • Combine a scorching July evening with three high-energy frontmen, dazzling sets, nearly four hours of music and a sold-out crowd of nearly 22,000 and you end up with what is sure to be a highlight of the summer concert season for alternative-rock fans.
The 100-degree temperatures at the start of the show didn't phase Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, Panic! at the Disco's Brendon Urie and warm-up lead Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness on Tuesday night at the Usana Amphitheater.
Whether it was Cuomo thrilling his fans with a walk through the packed aisles, Urie doing back-flips off the stage or McMahon standing at the top of his piano, the one thing the night didn't lack was energy.
This was one of those rare nights when everything seemed to come together. Playing near the end of their summer tour, the bands had their music down and the frontmen seemed to feed off the energy of a happy audience.
It was hard to know which of the two headliners the crowd was most excited to see. Judging from the number of Panic! T-shirts, the younger fans were more into St. George native Urie and Panic!
But then Cuomo and Weezer took the beach-themed stage, designed to look like the cover of the group's latest album, and the crowd stayed alive on its feet.
And, though short, McMahon's 30-minute set to open the show — ending with his hit song "Cecilia and the Satellite" — set the stage for the co-headliners. He used four blow-up props and a parachute top placed on the lawn seats, where he ran up to give the folks far from the stage a look.
Which of the three were the best?
The answer to that question depends on your musical taste.
My granddaughter Lindon, for example, enjoyed the first two bands but came alive for Weezer, the first band she can remember liking when she was in first grade.
For me, Urie's energy in view of the heat was amazing. Whether he was covering Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" from a piano above the drummer, doing a back-flip from a riser after "Miss Jackson" or showing amazing range from high to low notes in a 19-song set, the Panic! frontman never seemed to stop.
Weezer, though, used its video screen to amazing degree, offering dazzling graphics that synced with the music. Cuomo used prop hats and even a king's robe as he pranced across the stage during a 16-song set that ended with "Buddy Holly."
The staging resembled the cover of Weezer's new "White Album," complete with a lifeguard shack dominating the stage.
There are times when a veteran band such as Weezer introduces songs from a new album that don't go over well with a crowd looking for a greatest-hits compilation.
So it was surprising that one of the highlights of the evening was a softer, more quiet song from Weezer's new album called "I Love the USA." Cuomo asked the audience to light cell phones and thousands obliged, creating a wonderful, moving effect.
Other highlights came with the more familiar hits, "Pork and Beans" and "Beverly Hills." There were times when Cuomo let the crowd sing along.
For this geezer who came to Weezer with only limited knowledge of the group's music, the dazzling evening of loud and high-energy sounds made me feel like a youngster again.
And my normally reserved granddaughter could not contain her smile, a grin that seemed to represent the feeling of a very satisfied audience.
Twitter @tribtomwharton