Weezerpedia Discord Q&A with Karl Koch - December 2022

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Jason B: Hello Lieutenant Colonel Koch. I wanted to ask about the two shows in November 94 where Rivers got sick and couldn't sing. This was the leg of the Blue Album tour where y'all opened for Live. You did a "historic event" post about it (https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Historic_event:_11/04/1994).

There's a snippet of a Matt interview from 1995 (https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_News_interview_with_Matt_Sharp_-_December_8,_1995) in which he claims that he sang Friends of P. on stage at the Denver show (Nov. 6, 94). Do you have any memory of this? I found a source online where a fan was recounting Rivers having been sick and the rest of the band doing an acoustic set, like you reported, but the fan doesn't mention Friends of P.

Also - are there any photos/video from these Rivers-less shows? What was the decision-making process for the other three guys going up there without him? How did they divy up vocal responsibilities?

Karl: hey, sorry ive been absent! Yeah it was Salt Lake and Denver. Rivers was sick and lost his voice - i think we had to cancell the Seattle show. But Live would have been able to boot us from the tour/suspend out $750/night fee (lol) if we didnt play, so the other guys decided to cobble together the shows - gotta run - more shortly!

December 1, 2022 2:15 PM (#karlification)

Karl: ok, more - it was decided that Matt, Brian and Pat would each choose a couple of their own songs to sing and then theyd team up on (i think) Undone, and maybe buddy holly? this was before BH broke big so maybe not that though. ...it was acoustic, seated. They explained that RC was sick and tried to get the crowd to deal, and then they were off to the races with totally untested "solo"material.... it wasnt their crowd really, but there were a few hndred weezer fans in the audience for sure, and they must have been confused lol. I think Matt did "P" and maybe.... idk 2 other Rentals. Brian did some Space Twins. Pat did a few prototypical TSG songs. then the Undone and maybe BH. i think i videotaped part of the Denver show? Again all this was to make sure we werent replaced on the tour! By Kansas City RC was on the mend and did the show.

December 1, 2022 5:49 PM (#karlification)

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dylan (HMC): Karl, what was the result of this lawsuit?: https://www.spin.com/2006/10/weezer-sue-miller/

Karl: havent heard. knowing how law shit goes, its probably still in litigation on some dusty level

December 1, 2022 5:52 PM (#karlification)

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Burnst Jamp: Is there any chance we could be provided scans of the 2019 VIP Karl's Corner Experience Weezine (aka Issue #16)? We have every issue in the canon run of zines (excluding #17 for obvious reasons) archived on the site after a few months of collating scans of all of them from different sources--except for the ever-elusive sixteenth issue!! I can't even manage to find an image of it online, or a mention outside of your descriptions.......
[EDIT: Since sending this message I have found one (1) image of the zine's cover!! It is now on the WP page in it's low-res and mangled glory]
Scans of the three 'volume 2' issues from the early 2000s would be super cool too, since we only have phone images of issues 1/2 and no images of 3

Karl: planning a reprint edition of 15/16 with some bonus material (or included in a larger reprint, or paired with something else)

December 1, 2022 5:53 PM (#karlification)

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JohnnyDeformed1: Hi Karl, many years ago, on the old Karl's Corner, I recall you mentioning Rivers was planning to write a book about the earliest days of Weezer. Will this project ever happen? Or did I just dream this?

Karl: Im thinking that morphed into the Pinkerton Diaries, and then was slowly supplanted by his demo project, which is a more Rivers like way of telling his tale i guess! He originally envisioned a series of those "diaries" books, covering the different eras.

December 1, 2022 5:57 PM (#karlification)

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Karl: an aside: in your opinions (if you have them), which of these ideas should happen (and if so, which first): 1. Reissue of SFS album (vinyl)/possible pairing with newer SFS material 2. Skreaiper release (anything - likely EP, vinyl) 3. new KP music release (any format/quantity) 4. Shirts or other merch of KP, (and/or) SFS (and/or) Skraiper.

December 1, 2022 6:08 PM (#karlification)

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Discoverlife2: @Karlophone are the rumors true that Winter is the best of SZNZ? I saw a comment from Suzy saying it was her favorite, but people are saying it’s also yours?

Karl: its my fave (but that doesnt mean its the best)

December 5, 2022 6:53 PM (#karlification)

Karl: my sense is they are on par with the other 7 songs on the EPs. As good. Theres a song limit on what makes something an "EP" vs an "Album" (not sure how/when that number was agreed on and by whom), and as we know, far more than 7 songs were in the running for each SZN. So adding one is a thank you to the devoted fans who were willing to order - and wait long for! - the vinyl. In my opinion, without that 8th track, its not really "complete". And - by having 8 songs, it graduates from an "EP" to an "Album".
oops - was trying to reply to Discoverlife2's question above

December 16, 2022 9:05 PM (#karlification)

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Top Martin Noakes Scholar: Heya Karl, very specific question but do you by any chance know what drums were used for the recording of the White album? Or at least do you have any pictures of the kit that Pat used since I've been looking for that specific drum tone since the album came out basically.

Karl: i'll ask Pat. dont have photos personally, but they likely exist.

December 16, 2022 9:07 PM (#karlification)

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Hasief: Hey @Karlophone, this is more of a logistics question: since you don't live in LA anymore, how do you keep on top of documenting and archiving the band's activities when you're not with them in person? Especially when they're in the studio. Or does the way they record now not necessitate you being there for just about every moment?

Karl: yeah, theyve been doing things mostly "piecemeal" for a while now, so while i could grab some images and video - and would/will as opportunities arise, its certainly not the "full studio session" vibes like it was. the last time that happened was EWBAITE, where i attended the 3 main recording sessions nearly in full, 3 sets of 2-3 weeks at t a time. Which i'm glad happened, as that was our last time with Ric and they were working full band in the room for much of it, so there was a lot more to "see". I know at least some of the band would prefer to work that way more often, and since the main rule of weezer is "NEVER say never", i assume it will happen again at some point.

December 17, 2022 8:20 AM (#karlification)

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juan cena: How much of getting up and leaving was rewritten and was it already rewritten by the time they performing it live in 1994/95?

Jason B: https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Recording_History_-_Page_8#Summer_.2796_:_.22Pinkerton.22_wrapped_up

this seems to say it was never played live, but maybe played at a soundcheck

Karl: yeah never live as far as i remember (watch me be wrong someday). Bring me up to speed, is there only the one version out there? I seem to recall the one with changed lyrics (that i didnt prefer) has never been released...???

December 18, 2022 6:18 AM (#karlification)

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Discoverlife2: Also really quick @Karlophone before you go, do the bonus tracks on SZNZ come at the end of the album or are they placed in their “correct” album spot?

Karl: the bonus track is the 8th track on each SZNZ album, i believe. does that mean its the "missing last track" or just where you put a"bonus" track? i dont know, Personally, i feel like they are supposed to go in the 8th spot.

Burnst Jamp: They occupy quite a similar position to "Indian Summer," as I see it. Exclusive to one format, but still on the album(/EP). I'd say they should count on the track list

Karl: thats a good way of looking at it. It mad me SO MAD that Indian summer wouldnt fit on the vinyl without the sound being denigrated. but then i realized the album can end with that or "the other end of the friend". its like a post credits scene or something.

December 19, 2022 6:42 PM (#karlification)

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Persephone: Going to the store right now, before SZNZ: Autumn it was tweeted that a pumpkin spice latte paired best with the project, what drink would you recommend for SZNZ: Winter?

Karl: iced coffee, black

December 20, 2022 12:45 PM (#karlification)

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MoonBright: I'm sorry this is what karlification has become, so on for the sake of using this channel properly can you tell me what you remember about the ozma concert that was happening during the fanclub meet up at Jackie and Kristy Hunts house on April 13th 1996?

Karl: As for that Ozma backyard jam - video exists! not of all of the performance, but some bits and pieces. interspersed with various party moments. I do not recall which actual Ozma songs were performed, offhand. But they did cover maybe... undone? or somesuch. and i think Friends of P?? It was Just Daniel and Jose, sitting at a picnic table, with a casio keyboard, a mic, and maybe an acoustic guitar??

December 20, 2022 6:17 PM (#karlification)

Karl: We drove over from Sound City Studios- i think with Spike Jonze, who was with us for a few days, shooting pix during Pinkerton recording. Me, RC, BB, and Spike. I dont think Matt or Pat was there?? Is this event listed in the wp somewhere, and how many photos do you guys have? because theres a good deal of those.

December 20, 2022 6:20 PM (#karlification)

MoonBright: yes of course! lovingly catalogued by the weezine and my list of ozma concerts
https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Ozma_concert:_04/13/1996

Karl: ok thats great. And I can say that can be very much beefed up, photo wise, based on what i recall in my physical files. And of course the video. [I was doing an exhaustive digitization of all my home video tapes back in the spring, and it was derailed as i had to focus on moving my whole archive to a new place. And as i went, i ID'd the occasional tape that was glitched and would need to be redone from the source tape (you see, many years earlier, i transferred all my VHS masters to miniDV tapes. the VHS were fine, but unbeknownst to me , a few of the miniDVs have glitches. But of course i still have the VHS tapes they were copied from, so i can go direct VHS-> computer now to restore them)] . ANyway - i believe the Pasadena home movie is in fine shape. Once i'm properly moved in to our new place, this and many other projects will re-start.

December 20, 2022 6:59 PM (#karlification)

MoonBright: the pic of Jose and Rivers is priceless

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Karl: Jose is wearing one of the earlier bootleg t-shirts, probably sold outside the Hollywood Palladium in Spring '95. Do you guys have plans to include a bootleg/unauthorized section in the merch pages? there are some hideous ones

December 20, 2022 7:04 PM (#karlification)

MoonBright: I didnt know it was a bootleg! @Burnst Jamp is our resident merch head

deckra: i was under the assumption that we were including bootleg content but it wasn't of as high priority as the original stuff
but yeah, burnst is definitely the one to ask. i think we've unspokenly divided our focuses separately to the physical media and merch parts of the archive respectively

Burnst Jamp: Definitely is in the plan to have space for bootleg shirts! I've done some brief searching for them, though I've never compiled any sort of list (and certainly I'm far from having seen even close to all of them). Difficult to catalog them, for sure, especially since many are certainly lost to time. Probably will come after we get a more comprehensive set of OG/official merch

Karl: i agree with that - theres too much stuff to lump it all together. But both music media and physical merch have some weird boots

Burnst Jamp: I used to be obsessed with finding the media bootlegs, haha. I have a somewhat sizeable collection after a year or so of looking for them (Rock Candy and Boys at Play being notable pieces). @deckra and some of the other collecting guys have me beat there for sure, though

deckra: oh should i send my bootleg collection image
hold on let me find it

MoonBright: I was told by a teacher that there was a shirt sold during the midget tour that said "weezer" on it and then just had 4 random guys on it

Karl: wait we should do that now as real merch
adding to list of Fan Club exclusives to come

December 20, 2022 7:09 PM (#karlification)

deckra:

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Karl: those goofy Japanese vinyl boots are so annoying to me - theyre hard to find, they dont have anything on them you dont already have already... and yet.... theyre cool...

deckra: seriously! i hate looking at it but it's sorta neat that it exists

Karl: i have the 2 "weezer rare single collection" ones, from past tours in Japan. But then theres that one you have, and 2 (!) "album 5" ones (the 2002 stuff)

deckra: oh yeah there's plenty of them out there, always just rips of the bulk demos that were uploaded in the early 2000s. and they all suck! it's always just a plain sleeve with a piece of colored construction paper slid in the front lol
it does make me wonder how it was made though. bootlegging on vinyl has to be pretty damn difficult, no?

Karl: its not terribly hard to do a vanity press - assuming youve got the connects to get the metal masters cut, and access to pressing, both of which definitely exist in Japan. Of course these days, pressing plants around the world are all slammed and behind, as so many globally were dismantled after vinyl crashed in the 90s. so tossing off a quick set of a few hundred weezer boots around the corner at Toshi's pressing hut might have been pretty easy at one time, but i bet its unheard of now.

December 20, 2022 7:47 PM (#karlification)

Hasief: Just did a search for Weezer shirts on an Indonesian Amazon-esque online marketplace. I think most of them are bootlegs haha.

dilavni.band(.com): half the weezer listings on ebay are bootleg tshirts

Burnst Jamp: Probably the case lol. Print-on-demand stuff (i.e., most modern bootleg merch) is much less notable to me than vintage bootlegs items, though. Anything post-2015 would probably not really qualify to be archived

Karl: i'd agree. and yes Hasief - theres been a thriving unauthorized merch market in Indonesia for a long time, many many bands.
the "best" bootleg apparel is the stuff that was actually sold on the street at concerts. This tended to be in Philadelphia, LA, Chicago, and sometimes NYC (the byzantine worlds of the mafia and other strange concerns made NYC stuff oddly less prevalent than smaller cities). But occasionally wed see stuff in other midwest cities. Just about never in the South or Pacific NW. And while i recall seeing some guys hawking fake stuff as late as the Memories Tour, i dont think ive seen much of it since then. Oh maybe in Europe a bit.

theangel: I know there was people selling bootleg Hella Mega shirts (I know that because my friend bought one) but I don't know if I've seen it very much for other Weezer shows anymore.

Karl: oh yeah i forgot about the Hella Mega fakes. Which is funny they existed, considering there were also no less than 2 sets of real "bootleg"promo shirts (the ones with the band names and photos all mixed up, printed badly). Who did the boots better?

December 20, 2022 8:33 PM (#karlification)

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King Tom: Hey Karl - was Grand Moff Tarkin ever considered as a band name? I saw this scribbled on the original lyrics sheets for It Holds Me Together (along with big Muff Pie and Large Train) and thought someone said that it was, but can't find any record of that (could be I'm just making it up).

Karl: hmm - seriously considered? Probably not. But clearly, it wouldnt have been written down if it wasnt at least briefly considered. A LOT of goofy names were bouncing around back then....

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Hasief: Reposting this before it gets scrolled too far back 😬:

@Karlophone Let's say post-EWBAITE is a separate era of the band based on how they work. Which of the albums released since then do you consider the best and/or your favorite, and which ones do you consider missed opportunities, especially considering the amount of material that was in contention?

Karl: I like White, Ok Human, and the SZNZ best. I feel Black and Pacific Daydream could have been stronger, but both have some neat songs and arent "bad". Van Weezer Im actually still digesting! But i like it more than Black and PD overall, i think. Teal i dont really think of as an "album"

December 20, 2022 7:07 PM (#karlification)

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