The Weezer Vault
The Weezer Vault is the name given to Karl Koch's extensive archive of Weezer documents, music, merchandise, and paraphernalia. It contains a large volume of rare and publicly unseen material. It began in the '90s and has continued to be maintained in the present day.
Koch has streamed a handful of "Vault Dives" exclusively to Weezer Fan Club members — initially in 2020 through the video conferencing service Zoom, and later, starting in 2024, on the Weezer Fan Club app. These streams typically last 1–2 hours and involve Koch showcasing a series of unique, uncommon, or otherwise interesting pieces and providing information about their history and context.
Overview
Many pieces date back to 1991 or earlier; the vault's scope includes not only material directly pertaining to Weezer, but also the members' other musical projects and artists associated with or influential to Weezer. Koch's close relationship with the band has allowed him to procure many one-of-a-kind (or otherwise publicly inaccessible) pieces, such as demos, promotional pieces, and other personal items.
The vault began some time after the band's 1992 formation, likely in the late '90s or very early 2000s. As Koch continued collecting and archiving items for the band, it became necessary to section off an area in his personal media collection dedicated to Weezer items. It gradually grew in size over the course of the next 2–3 decades as Koch gathered more material and the band continued its activity — eventually becoming unmanageable in its original location. In 2023, Koch moved homes and relocated the vault to a more spacious area in his basement. He continues to maintain it in the present day; efforts to digitize its contents began in the late 2010s or early 2020s and are ongoing.
The title of Weezer's 2004 DVD, Video Capture Device: Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002, makes reference to the Weezer Vault.
Gallery
Pre-2023
2023–present
List of Vault Dives
- May 9, 2020 Island in the Zoom appearance (audio on archive.org)
Streamed using Zoom
- June 27, 2020 (video on archive.org)
- August 4, 2020 (audio on archive.org)
- November 15, 2020 (video on archive.org)
Streamed on Weezer Fan Club app
- February 26, 2024 (video on YouTube)
- April 14, 2024 (video on YouTube)
- August 30, 2024 (video on YouTube)