Weezer

Weezer is an American alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1992. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar), Patrick Wilson ^{Patrick Wilson (musician)} (drums, guitar, backing vocals), Brian Bell ^{Brian Bell (musician)} (guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals, keyboards). The band has changed lineups several times since its formation in 1992.They have released seven full-length albums, five EPs, and a DVD. Weezer has sold more than eight million records in the US to date.

The band is best known for their successful singles ^{Single (music)} "Buddy Holly ^{Buddy Holly (song)} ," "Undone - The Sweater Song", "Island in the Sun ^{Island in the Sun (song)} ", "Beverly Hills ^{Beverly Hills (song)} " and "Pork and Beans ^{Pork and Beans (song)} ".

The band's seventh studio album, Raditude,

 
Formation and debut album (1992–1995)


Weezer's first gig was opening for Keanu Reeves's band Dogstar ^{Dogstar (band)} . Weezer recorded their debut album with producer Ric Ocasek at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. During the recording, guitarist Jason Cropper left the band and was replaced by Brian Bell ^{Brian Bell (musician)} . The band released Weezer ^{Weezer (1994 album)} in May 1994. The record label originally did not wish to release a single, to see how much sales could be created by word-of-mouth alone. Soon after the release of Weezer ^{Weezer (1994 album)} , DJ Marco Collins of the Seattle radio station The End ^KNDD started playing "Undone - The Sweater Song" after hearing of their semi-success in California, which led their record label to release "Undone - The Sweater Song" as the first official single. The music video was directed by Spike Jonze. Filmed in an unbroken take ^{Long take} , it featured Weezer performing on a sound stage with various amusing studio antics, including a pack of dogs swarming the set. The video became an instant hit on MTV.

Jonze also directed the band's second video "Buddy Holly ^{Buddy Holly (song)} ". The video achieved heavy rotation on MTV and went on to win Jonze and the band four MTV Video Music Awards, including Breakthrough Video and Best Alternative Music Video, and two Billboard ^{Billboard magazine} Music Video Awards. The clip is also featured on the installation CD for the Microsoft Windows 95 computer operating system. A third single, "Say It Ain't So", followed. Weezer is currently certified triple platinum ^{RIAA certification} in the United States, Cuomo traveled back east to his home state of Connecticut, and using an eight-track recorder ^{Multitrack recording} , he began piecing together demo material for Weezer's next album. Cuomo's original concept for Weezer's second album was to be a space-themed rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. The album was intended to feature songs that flowed together seamlessly and end with a special coda ^{coda (music)} that briefly revisited the major musical elements of the piece. Ultimately, the Songs from the Black Hole album concept was dropped. Three singles were taken from the album: "El Scorcho", "The Good Life ^{The Good Life (Weezer song)} ", and "Pink Triangle ^{Pink Triangle (song)} ". The album's title sparked a legal challenge. Pinkerton Securities ^{Pinkerton National Detective Agency} of Encino, Calif., filed a temporary injunction against the band and its Geffen record label for trademark infringement two days before the album was to be released on September 24, 1996. A judge ruled for Weezer, and the album was finally released. This injunction caused Geffen to hold back some of the initial advertising and promotion for the album, possibly contributing to the album's slow initial sales. Due to initial weak sales (it peaked at #19 in the U.S.), the album was, at first, viewed as a commercial failure, especially when viewed in light of the multi-platinum success of their debut album. The album failed to gain traction in the mainstream music world, perhaps due to a darker, more abrasive sound on the album. However, word-of-mouth kept the trickle of sales going and eventually the record achieved cult status.


On hiatus (1997–2000)

Weezer completed their touring for Pinkerton in the summer of 1997. The members of the band took a break, with drummer Patrick Wilson returning to his home in Portland ^{Portland, Oregon} , Oregon to work on his side project, The Special Goodness; Matt Sharp left to complete the follow-up album for his group The Rentals The group decided on Mikey Welsh as Sharp's replacement. Weezer continued rehearsing and cut demos until the fall of 1998. Frustration and creative disagreements led to a decline in rehearsals, and in late fall of 1998, drummer Pat Wilson left for his home in Portland pending renewed productivity from Cuomo. Rivers Cuomo went into a period of admitted depression, painting the walls of his home black and putting "fiberglass insulation all over the windows and then black sheets of fiberglass so that no light could get through.

The band would not reunite until April 2000, when the Fuji Festival in Japan offered Weezer a high-paying gig to play in August 2000. The festival served as a catalyst for Weezer's productivity, and from April to May 2000, the band rehearsed and demoed new songs in Los Angeles. The band returned to live shows in June 2000, playing small unpromoted concerts under the pseudonym Goat Punishment. In June 2000, the band joined the Warped Tour for eight dates.


Renewed popularity and The Green Album (2000–2001)


In the summer of 2000, Weezer (now consisting of Rivers Cuomo, Mikey Welsh, Pat Wilson, and Brian Bell) went on tour (including dates on the popular Vans Warped Tour). Weezer's setlist consisted of 14 new songs that fans have labeled the Summer Songs of 2000 (commonly abbreviated, SS2K). When 13 of these songs did not appear on Weezer's next album, fans of the songs started a petition demanding the release of studio versions.

Eventually, the band went back into the studio to produce a third album. They chose the title, Weezer ^{Weezer (2001 album)} (2001), to repeat the self-titled name of their first release. This album quickly became known as "The Green Album" due to its distinctive bright green coloring. Shortly after the release of the album, Weezer went on another American tour. They attracted a new generation of fans thanks to heavy MTV rotation for the videos of their hit singles, "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun ^{Island in the Sun (song)} ".

As reported on August 16, 2001, by MTV, bassist Mikey Welsh was checked into a psychiatric hospital. His whereabouts were previously unknown, as he mysteriously went missing before the filming of the second video for "Island in the Sun". Weezer was prompted to find a temporary replacement for Welsh. Through a mutual friend, Cuomo received Scott Shriner's number and asked if he was interested to fill in for Welsh. Shriner accepted the invitation.


Maladroit (2002)



The band took an experimental approach for the recording process by allowing fans to download the demos from their official website in return for feedback. After the release of the album, the band stated that this process was somewhat of a failure, as the fans did not supply them with cohesive, constructive advice. Cuomo eventually delegated song selection for the album to their original A&R rep, Todd Sullivan, stating the Weezer fans chose the "wackest songs." Only the song "Slob" was included on the album due to general fan advice.

The recording was also done without input from their record label, Interscope. Cuomo had recently had what he then described as a "massive falling out" with the label. In early 2002, well before the official release of the album, the label sent out a letter to radio stations requesting the song be pulled until an official, sanctioned single was released. Interscope also briefly shut down Weezer's audio/video download webpage, removing all the MP3 demos. Online Weezer fans staged a brief protest with several websites proclaiming "Free Maladroit".

In April 2002, former bassist Matt Sharp sued the band, alleging, among several accusations, he was owed money for co-writing several Weezer songs. The suit was later settled out of court.

The fourth album, Maladroit, was released on May 14, 2002, only one year after its predecessor. The album served as a harder-edged version of their trademark catchy pop-influenced music, and was replete with busy 1980s-style guitar solos. Although met with generally positive critical reviews, its sales were not as strong as those for "The Green Album", and it remains their lowest-selling album to date. Two singles were released from the album. The music video for "Dope Nose" featured an obscure Japanese motorcycle gang ^Bōsōzoku , and was put into regular rotation. The music video for "Keep Fishin'" combined Weezer with The Muppets, and had heavy rotation on MTV. Both videos were directed by Marcos Siega.

As soon as Maladroit had wrapped up, the band immediately began work on their fifth album, recording numerous demos between tours (often recording as many as 24 songs in a day) . These songs were eventually scrapped, and Weezer took a break after the release of two albums in quick succession. During this break, Bell and Wilson released LPs from their respective Space Twins and The Special Goodness side-projects.

Weezer released their much-delayed first DVD on March 23, 2004. The Video Capture Device DVD chronicles the band from its beginnings through Maladroit's Enlightenment Tour. Compiled by Karl Koch ^{Karl Koch (Weezer)} , the DVD features home video footage, music videos, commercials, rehearsals, concert performances, television performances, and band commentary. The DVD was certified "gold" on November 8, 2004.


Make Believe (2003–2006)


From December 2003 to the fall of 2004, the members of Weezer recorded a large amount of material intended for a new album to be released in the spring of 2005 with producer Rick Rubin. The band's early recording efforts became available to the public through the band's website. The demos were a big hit, but none of the songs recorded at this time were included on the finished album. That album, entitled Make Believe, was released on May 10, 2005. Despite commercial success, Make Believe generally got a mixed reception from critics, receiving an average score of 52 on review collator Metacritic. Although some reviews, such as AMGs, compared it favorably to Pinkerton, others, among them Pitchfork Media's score of 0.4 out of 10, panned the album as predictable and lyrically poor.

The album's first single, "Beverly Hills ^{Beverly Hills (song)} ", became a hit in the U.S. and worldwide, staying on the charts for several months after its release. It became the first Weezer song to hit #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. "Beverly Hills" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the first ever Grammy nomination for the band. The video was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. The second single off Make Believe was "We Are All on Drugs". MTV refused to play the song, so Weezer re-recorded the lyrics by replacing "on drugs" with "in love" and renaming the song "We Are All in Love". In early 2006, it was announced that Make Believe was certified platinum ^{RIAA certification} , and "Beverly Hills" was the second most popular song download on iTunes for 2005, finishing just behind "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani. Make Believe's third single, "Perfect Situation", spent four weeks in a row at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. "This is Such a Pity" was the band's fourth single from the album, but no music video was made for its release. The Make Believe tour also found the band using additional instruments onstage, adding piano, synthesizers, pseudophones, and guitarist Bobby Schneck.

The band has announced the possible release of a live DVD composed of footage from the 2005 Japan tour. It will consist of a two day, seven camera shoot of the shows in Japan, plus material that will be drawn from various behind-the-scenes footage. The DVD was announced in late 2005, but in a recent update on the band's website, Karl Koch noted it was "apparently edited, but has been put on hold for now."


The Red Album (2007–2008)


Weezer's Weezer ^{Weezer (2008 album)} (also referred to as "The Red Album") was released in June 2008. Rick Rubin produced ^{record producer} the album and Rich Costey mixed it. The record is being described as "experimental", and according to Cuomo, includes longer and non-traditional songs, TR-808 drum machines ^{Roland TR-808} , synthesizers, Southern rap, baroque ^{baroque music} counterpoint, and band members other than Cuomo writing, singing, and switching instruments. Pat Wilson stated the album cost around a million dollars to make, contrasting it with the $150,000 budget of "The Blue Album". The album's singles were produced by Jacknife Lee, the album's lead single "Pork and Beans ^{Pork and Beans (song)} " topped the Billboard ^{Billboard (magazine)} Modern Rock Tracks charts for 11 weeks and its music video won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video ^{Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video} , and the album's second single, "Troublemaker", debuted at #39 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at #2. In October 2008, the group announced that the third single would be "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)"

On May 30, 2008, the Toledo Free Press revealed in a Scott Shriner interview that Weezer would be unveiling the "Hootenanny Tour", in which fans would be invited to bring their own instruments to play along with the band. Said Shriner: "They can bring whatever they want...Oboes, keyboards, drums, violins, and play the songs with us as opposed to us performing for them."
The band performed 5 dates in Japan at the beginning of September and then embarked on what was dubbed the 'Troublemaker' tour - 21 dates around the US, including one in Canada. Angels and Airwaves and Tokyo Police Club joined them as support at each show and Brian Bell's 'other' band The Relationship also performed at a handful of dates. Shortly before the encore at each show, the band would bring on fans with various instruments and perform Island in the Sun ^{Island in the Sun (Weezer)} and Beverly Hills with them. At a show in Austin, after Tokyo Police Club had played their set, Rivers was wheeled out in a box and mimed to a recording of rare Weezer demo, 'My Brain', donned in pajamas with puppets on his hands, before being wheeled off again. This bizarre event later surfaced as the climax to a promo video for Rivers' second demo album, Alone 2.

Rivers Cuomo also wrote a song with pop duo Aly & AJ, and was very pleased with the way the girls worked. It is unknown if the song will be made public on an album.

On December 4, iPhone OS developer Tapulous released the game Christmas With Weezer, featuring gameplay similar to Tap Tap Revenge and six Christmas carols performed by the band. A digital EP featuring the songs, entitled "Christmas with Weezer", was also released Dec. 16, 2008.

Raditude (since 2009)


Billboard.com ^{Billboard (magazine)} reported that Weezer was heading into the studio in early November 2008 to record a seventh Weezer album with producer Jacknife Lee. Lee recorded two songs on The Red Album, most notably the successful single "Pork and Beans ^{Pork and Beans (song)} ." Drummer Pat Wilson stated the band was wasting no time cutting a new record because each band member was contributing to the songwriting. Since they no longer rely on one person for the songs, they accumulate an album's worth of songs much more quickly. However, in an interview with Spinner, Brian Bell stated that someone "jumped the gun," and that although the band was currently writing new material they did not have any plans to enter the studio any time soon.

A YouTube video titled "Let's Write a Sawng: Step 16," uploaded on November 15, 2008, showed Rivers Cuomo in the studio with Jacknife Lee short-listing three songs from a list of 23, adding speculation to the recording of a seventh album or new B-sides.
Weezer toured with Blink-182 in 2009, including an August 30 stop at the Virgin Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
On July 17, Karl Koch revealed on weezer.com that the band's second album Pinkerton would be reissued in a Deluxe Edition.
On July 24, 2009 Weezer played 3 new songs live in Korea at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival entitled "Can't Stop Partying", "I'm Your Daddy", and "The Girl Got Hot". Cuomo's demo of "Can't Stop Partying" was released on his solo album Alone II in 2008. While performing "The Girl Got Hot" on July 26, 2009 at the Fuji Rock Festival, Rivers Cuomo revealed that Weezer's to-be-titled seventh studio album would be released in October 2009. On August 12, 2009 the band confirmed on their official website that their seventh album would be released on October 27, 2009. The album's first single, entitled, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", was set for a August 25, 2009 release.
On August 18, Karl Koch ^{Karl Koch (Weezer)} revealed the album's title, Raditude./news/weezer-filled-with-raditude-this-fall-1004005573.story On the opening night of the Blink-182/Weezer tour in Toronto, Cuomo revealed a few more song names in an interview with Alan Cross of Explore Music: "Let It All Hang Out" (described as a "super-fun, party jam" with lyrics by Jermaine Dupri) and "Put Me Back Together" (a ballad written with All-American Rejects)
It was revealed at Disney's D23 Convention in September that Weezer will perform "Rainbow Connection" with the Muppets on a Muppet album due out in 2010.

Raditude's album artwork was revealed on September 11, featuring a National Geographic contest-winning photograph of a jumping dog named Sidney.
On December 6th, 2009, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo was injured when his tour bus crashed due to black ice. Cuomo suffered three broken ribs, and his assistant broke two ribs. His wife, baby daughter, and their nanny were also on the bus; however, they escaped injury. Weezer cancelled tour dates the following day. The band resumed touring on January 20th, 2010.

In December 2009, it was revealed that the band was no longer with Geffen Records, and that they were unsure about their future in recording. The band has stated that they will still release new material, but they are unsure of the means, whether it be self-released, released online, or getting signed by another label.
The band are in the process of compiling Odds and Ends, a collection of rarities, and are planning a deluxe edition of Pinkerton. The band also recorded a new song for the forthcoming movie, Shrek Forever After.
Weezer will be co-headlining the Bamboozle Festival in May 2010, and will performing at the first Annual Verge Music Festival In Milwaukee, Wisconsin (June 4th-5th) as well as the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN in June.Lead singer Rivers Cuomo released a demo-compilation album entitled Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo on December 18, 2007. The album contains demos of Cuomo's that span from 1992 to 2007, including songs from Weezer's abandoned second album, Songs from the Black Hole.

During this time, Brian Bell ^{Brian Bell (musician)} also took some time out to work with Chicago rock outfit the The Relationship. It will be the band's first album and is due to release soon.

Rivers' second demo album, Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, was released on November 25 2008. The album includes further tracks from the scrapped Songs from the Black Hole, early versions of songs later released as full-band demos, amongst various other demo tracks.

Many members of Weezer have bands of their own. Brian Bell has collaborated with Space Twins and The Relationship, Patrick Wilson was in The Special Goodness, and Matt Sharp was in The Rentals as well as performing alone under his own name ^{Matt Sharp} .Many modern bands, such as Bloc Party, Ash ^{Ash (band)} , Emery ^{Emery (band)} , Manchester Orchestra, Brand New, Cymbals Eat Guitars list Weezer as an influence. Weezer themselves have listed several influences, among them KISS ^{Kiss (band)} (with direct references in the song, "In the Garage"), Nirvana ^{Nirvana (band)} (who was their labelmate for a very brief time before Kurt Cobain's death), Pixies (especially early on in their career), Wax ^{Wax (rock band)} *Weezer ^{Weezer (1994 album)} (1994)
*Pinkerton ^{Pinkerton (album)} (1996)
*Weezer ^{Weezer (2001 album)} (2001)
*Maladroit (2002)
*Make Believe (2005)
*Weezer ^{Weezer (2008 album)} (2008)
*Raditude (2009);Current lineup
* Rivers Cuomo – lead vocals, guitar (1992–present)>
* Brian Bell ^{Brian Bell (musician)} – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (1993–present)>
* Scott Shriner – bass, backing vocals, keyboards (2001–present)>
* Pat Wilson ^{Patrick Wilson (musician)} – drums, percussion, guitar, backing vocals (1992–present)>

;Former members
* Jason Cropper – guitar, vocals (1992–1993)>
* Matt Sharp – bass, vocals (1992–1998)>
* Mikey Welsh – bass, vocals (1998–2001)>

;Touring members
* Bobby Schneck – guitar (2005)>
* Karl Koch ^{Karl Koch (Weezer)} – keyboards; webmaster (2008)>
* Josh Freese – drums (2009–present)>

;Session
* Schmedley – keyboards on early Make Believe demos (2002)>
* Akiko Tarumoto – violin on Make Believe (2005)>
* Stephanie Eitel ^{Agent Sparks} – additional vocals on Make Believe (2005)>
* Jason Freese – saxophone on Make Believe (2005)>
* Josh Freese – drums on Raditude (2009)>
* Jacknife Lee – keyboards, vocals, guitar, percussion, programming on Raditude (2009)>
* Amrita Sen – vocals on Raditude (2009)>
* Nishat Khan – additional vocals, sitar on Raditude (2009)>
* Aaron Suplizio – additional bass on Raditude (2009)>
* Sim Grewall – additional percussion on Raditude (2009)>