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Weezer turns 20
Author: Robert DiGiacomo (Press of Atlantic City)
Published: May 31, 2012
- Alt-rockers keep churning out hits
For Weezer, 20 years of success is the new normal. The alternative rock band has now been together for two decades, but isn't planning to mark the mile stone with any hoopla, Patrick Wilson says.
"We have no big celebration planned or anything, because it just feels normal," says Wilson, who appears with Weezer 8 p.m. Friday, June 1, at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. "I've been doing this for so long, it feels like such a part of our lives we play shows and make music. It's straightforward. I'm just happy people love it and still want to hear our songs."
Indeed, it's business as usual for the Los Angeles-based band. Weezer started the year by head lining its first fan cruise Caribbean voyage with Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and other bands but otherwise is just doing regular dates around the country.
With no concrete plans to make a follow-up to 2010's "Death to False Metal" (Geffen), the band has programmed its current setlist primarily from its "hit train." The song titles give some idea of Weezer's offbeat sense of humor: "Buddy Holly," "Island in the Sun," "Undone - The Sweater Song," "Say It Ain't So," "Perfect Situation," "Beverly Hills" and "Pork and Beans."
"We change it up now and again, but mostly it's just the hits," Wilson says.
Even if Weezer was ready to return to the studio, the band never made it a practice to road test new material before recording it.
"When I was a kid, I never wanted to hear the new songs I wanted to hear the ones I knew," Wilson says, "We're lucky we've had a lot of hit songs."
Back in the post-grunge, early '90s, the music wasn't enough to get noticed Weezer helped build its fan base initially through a series of cutting-edge videos.
Wilson says the band always made sure the visuals served the music and not the other way around.
"We didn't use any tricks, Wilson says. "To me, it's a weird time we live in. I'm not sure a lot of things that get notoriety are getting them for the reasons I'm interested in. I'm stoked we made interesting videos that helped spread awareness of the music.
"Now I feel music is a necessary evil to sell the personality of an artist, which is annoying to me, because I don't give a st about that. I just want to hear the music I love. It's a dark time for rock."
The opportunity to get back to basics is part of the appeal of Wilson's long-term side project, The Special Goodness, for which he has just released his fourth album.
The record, called "Natural," is all-Wilson he wrote the songs, sang lead vocals, played the instruments and even handled the recording and mixing in his home studio.
"I wanted to make a real stripped-down sound one guitar, a bass and drums and one vocal," he says. "It sounds really big and fat and sonic, so I'm really pleased with it."
As a truly solo project. The Special Goodness isn't likely to lead to any live performances. Nor is it meant to supplant Wilson's steady gig with Weezer.
"I'm a pretty social guy, and I like to interact with other people musically," he says. "These days, it's hard to get stuff together, and you end up doing everything yourself. It kind of makes your brain hurt, but I learned so much from doing it the next time will be easier."
Does his brain hurt less with Weezer?
"If we're playing a show and I'm just playing drums, it's pretty easy to lose yourself in the music. I guess that's the whole point. It's a lot different from making a record."
Setting sail with fans, bands
In January, Weezer set sail with Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Wavves, the Antlers and several thousand fans for a Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Destiny.
The Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, itinerary included separate Weezer sets featuring all the tracks from "Pinkerton" and "The Blue Album, as well as a live reading of lead singer Rivers Cuomo's book, "The Pinkerton Diaries"
"It was pretty awesome," Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson says of the experience. "I didn't know what to expect. If they asked us to do it again, I would."
Never having spent time on a boat before, Wilson didn't particularly like the few instances of rough seas.
"I was going back and forth and I thought, "Man, I'm wasted," he recalls. "Then I realized (the ship) was swaying back and forth."
But having direct contact with the fans more than made up for a little seasickness.
"A lot of times I would go up on deck and hang out with everybody," he says. "It's such a great experience to be on a cruise ship, and every single person wants to buy you a beer."
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