Weezer, Panic! at the Disco bring nostalgia, new sounds to Nashville

If the return of Pokemania wasn't enough of a nostalgia trip for Nashville's millennials this week, Wednesday's sold-out concert at Ascend Amphitheater featured Weezer and Panic! at the Disco: two brainy rock acts who first hit the mainstream in 1994 and 2005, respectively.

And just like Pokemon, strangely enough, both of them are suddenly more relevant in 2016 than they've been in years.

Panic made their contemporary stardom clear right off the bat on Wednesday. Led by mastermind Brendon Urie, the band stacked their set with songs from their 2016 album, "Death of a Bachelor" - which was their first to top the charts.

Those were the songs that really thrilled their contingent of fans on Wednesday - many of whom were clearly not alive when Weezer's debut hit stores (back when there were stores.) It might be the most savvy mix of modern rock and hip-hop production to date: a blend of bass-heavy beats that rattle your vision,  heavy metal thunder and Queen-inspired drama. But what really puts it over the top is Urie's vocal range - splitting the difference between Barry White and Mariah Carey - and his confidence. The guy held his own on piano for a gutsy cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" (there's Queen again), did a backflip off the drum riser at the climax of "Miss Jackson," and if sitting behind a second drum kit for a solo wasn't enough of a showoff move - he did it shirtless.

Weezer's been attempting to recapture their '90s glory since the 21st century began, and they've come closest with their latest self-titled album, which was released in April. On this tour, they're cherry-picking the best tunes from all of the last 22 years - perhaps a little too fairly. Almost every album was represented, and some have held up better than others. They judiciously crammed a half dozen favorites into a medley, leaving you to wonder if it was better to hear at least a chorus of a tune, or if you'd rather not hear it at all.

Of course, the band gave their biggest numbers - the most crucial three all stemming from 1994 - the full treatment, though there was often a bit of wacky panache thrown on top. Maybe frontman Rivers Cuomo would slap a sombrero on his head, or he'd incorporate a bit of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" into an introduction, or play a bongo solo mid-song. They brought out Nashville country favorite Kacey Musgraves to add vocal harmonies to an acoustic "Island in the Sun," which Musgraves has covered at her shows.

"There's some damn talent in this town," guitarist Brian Bell, who was raised in Knoxville, said afterwards.

"That sounded really awesome," added Cuomo. "I want to take her on tour."

As nice at that cameo was was, no appearance could compete with the moments when "Say It Ain't So," "Undone (The Sweater Song)" and "Buddy Holly" reared their heads. Cuomo and company closed out the evening with the last tune. It had a pretty famous video back in 1995, blending the band in with vintage footage of "Happy Days" from 20 years prior. It's a surreal thing to see them play it in person in 2016, 21 years later, even if it's lost a little of its punch.