Weezerpedia Discord Q&A with Karl Koch - May 2023

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Joel-G: Hey Karl, with regards to the blue/green/yellow demo tapes, do you know whether Surf Wax America was included only on a certain colour or colours? Or is it possible that a tape of any colour could contain it?

Karl: great question - ought to only be on a few of the blue ones, as it was needed very early on for the few people who knew about it, and maybe a small handful of others. There are also the possibility that a few of those were actually custom copies with the 4+Surf Wax added - i.e. copied to random store bought blank cassettes when a copy was needed for someone

May 7, 2023 5:24 PM (#karlification)

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justinhoenke: Karl: do you have any ideas which songs from 1998 that Mikey may have co-written with RC? I seem to recall something saying that Mikey gave some bass riffs to RC to use. And I think one of those may be “Everyone” based on an interview Mikey did where someone asked him if he heard that song on DTFM.

Karl: offhand no, cant be sure, but i do think trampoline was one. Whatevers on the same session as the "velouria" recording (Mouse House Studios) - any or all of those could possibly be the ones in question. that fits the mid 98 time frame where Mikey was new still and RC was open to trying collaborative jams etc - before he started to really hyper focus on various extensive experiments on how to make songs (which slowly ground the group rehearsals to a halt)

May 7, 2023 5:28 PM (#karlification)

Jason B: @justinhoenke check out this list - my understanding is that these writing credits for Mikey were basslines Rivers chose not to use so he took them to Juliana Hatfield and she did use them. "Everyone" def could be more of a Mikey thing than he has been officially credited for, but I feel like it was more likely a Riv demo (i.e. all the main musical ideas came from him) that Mikey got to mess around with a lot during band sessions where everyone had smoked about 10,000 joints
https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/List_of_Mikey_Welsh_songs

Karl: haha thats an astute conclusion, and likely accurate lol. Thanks for the reminder - i do remember when we got Mikey for the fall '99 TSG tour, he had been recording with Juliana and i do remember him talking about giving her basslines. (and he is indeed credited on her album then). It stands to reason that RC decided against using them by the time things fell apart later summer '98 (this lines up with his increasing feeling that he had to figure out how to write 'perfect' songs and needed to sort out the formula(s) for that etc etc). I believe Mikey shared them spring 98, jams were had, but aside from their influence n the vibes of some of those heavier' songs (like Trampoline, Cherry Berry, etc), they arent in the songs per se (or RC would credit them as such as co-writes - hes never ever wanted to claim a credit for something that he didnt write)

May 9, 2023 8:28 AM (#karlification)

justinhoenke: Two things! Thank you for this Karl. I feel like at some point in time I’d like to come up with a definitive timeline of the entire year of 1998. It’s all so hazy when these things happened. Also holy hell that SG tour was 24 years ago this year. I remember that entire Pittsburgh show like it was last night. Also we need to get “Cherry Berry” someday!

Karl: as i said above somewhere, pieceing together just what is established took decades. And King Toms summary is a solid basis - what weare pretty sure we know, is in there. What that doesnt cover, is what remains to be determined- if possible. I know i possess some cds and tapes and dusty memories that might shed a little light here and there, but i dont have a holy grail type motherlode of info lying around about 98-99. Fortunately most (rip Mikey) key players are still around for me to grill when i have an opportunity. Naturally their memories are often the issue lol...

May 9, 2023 6:29 PM (#karlification)

Karl: oh and i now see my quote about Mikey offering Rivers those basslines in Spring 99. I dont know how accurate that is or what i based that on - might have been Mikeys own words when we were touring TSG later that year. But I dont know that Mikey was even in LA/near Rivers as late as Spring 99. Hence in the absence of concrete data (which i may have somewhere), we should presume he might have offered those basslines in summer 98. if it was spring 99, then it was a special appeal, like "hey ,come out of that black room, i got some basslines. no? ok im going to hang out with Juliana fora while"

May 10, 2023 1:19 PM (#karlification)

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Jason B: Hey Karl - wondered if you could verify a date for me. The Super-Chrono on =wp= says the first Weezer/Carnival Art show was on Dec. 11 1992 at Club Lingerie. I did a little searching in a newspaper archive and found an LA Weekly listing (12/17/1992) that has them performing together on December 18 - one week later. A weird screenshot is attached here (all I can access on the free version) as well as some excerpted text from the transcript:

CLUB LINGERIE. 6507 Sunset Blvd ... Fri Alternative sounds from Carnival Art, rocked roots from Mighty Rhinos, also Spiderbaby, Weezer...

Is there a chance you have another artifact in the Magical Karl Workshop that confirms this date one way or another?

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Karl: Slapbak.. of course they were an 8 piece funk band lol
i will look!!!
wait is the 12/11 date also used elsewhere in WP? (like was that based off the SC listing originally)?

Jason B: yeah 12/11 is on wp (list of weezer concerts, date pages) from the super-chrono

Karl: so far my own original personal show list(created around 1995 when i first started getting things organized) say it was 12/11. but theres other sources to check still

May 10, 2023 6:41 AM (#karlification)

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deckra: hey karl- incredibly specific question: in this promo shoot at bundy cleaners, is this intersection that's marked with the arrow in the image Ahmerst ave? i was able to find the location of bundy cleaners using the map from weezine 17, but the fact that it was demolished and the entire area was rebuilt has made it really difficult to pinpoint the exact part of the road it's on using google maps. i'm most likely going to be visiting LA in a few months and i'd love to visit the exact spot of this photo!

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Karl: no, thats one of several driveways on the south side of Exposition. see my screenshot. now that whole north side is a massive train station. but where i put the red blob is roughly where the cleaners was. NOTE that the ENTIRE BLOCK (and more nearby residential blocks) that the Amherst house is part of is ALL behind chain link fence now, and looks like it will ALL be replaced with a massive development soon - if it hasnt already begun. Report back to us here with photos when you get there!

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May 14, 2023 6:57 PM (#karlification)

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Joel-G: Hey Karl, just wondering if this looks legit to you. Everything looks good to me, however the oval shaped cut out in the middle of the label seems to be slightly tighter to the spool/hubs than what I've seen on other tapes. Would appreciate your thoughts on it

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Karl: first look it looks right to me, but one thing i would say is the 'c.1993' does look "too far" from the inside hole. which would line up with your observation that the hole looks too tight, i.e. too small. my own collection includes just the label for a yellow, and its not peeled, so it still has the oval center. and the cut does look closer to the c.1993. otherwise is very very close. And who knows how much variation there was when the sticker sheets were printed up??

May 18, 2023 12:12 PM (#karlification)

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Moony B'deedle: @Karlophone hello supreme emperor, yesterday I embarked on the ultrimate quest to make the Karl Koch Weezer Nachos™️. For the future generations I feel the need to make sure you concur with the recipe https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Karl_Koch%27s_nacho_recipe

Karl: LOL thats an amazing page. I forgot all about that, er, "interview". As for the recipe, its 95% there. Ive made some.... special modifications... (Han Solo voice) over the years. I will list them. 1. no more than 3 layers of the chips/cheese/stuff 2. keep it light and airy - cant emphasize enough, you need the heat to penetrate the inside to avoid undecooked sludge. 3. pursuant to #2, go a little longer than you thinkyou should. the chips should be getting pretty burnt on the tips. 4. add some salsa before baking, just little blobs here and there (then more after all cooked). 5. more siracha and tabasco at the end. 5. cut an avocado (ripe and creamy) up into cubes and spread on the top after cooking. 6. cut 1 lemon in half and squeeze the juice (not the seeds though) over the top a the very end, before serving. .......7. optional [ADVANCED] use a baking pan for the base layer only, use a BUNDT CAKE PAN, (upside down), to layer the "doughnut". put that one in first, takes longer to cook than the flat sheet will. (put flat sheet in a little later, in fact use a separate oven for it if possible so it doesnt steal the heat from the bundt, or just crank to 400+ if you got one oven. Pull out sheet when done, add some hot sauce etc, then take out bundt cake pan, and carefully FLIP IT ONTO THE FLAT PAN, dumping out the hopefully somewhat congealed mass of nacho doughnut ring. (then add the salsas, hot sauce, siracha, avocado cubes, and lemon). .........oh and 8. no franks hot sauce, only tabasco (oh and red and green tabasco too)

May 19, 2023 4:42 AM (#karlification)

Moony B'deedle: I would like to clarify a few things, so if there's no three layer then what is the correct order of application? Is it still chips then cheese then peppers then sauce? And can you clarify your chip choice as the optional hint of jalapeños has been discontinued by tostitos
And should the peppers be the jarred stuff or fresh cut?

Karl: yeah, each layer in this order: chips, cheese blend, banana pepper and jalapeno slices (not a ton, like 8-10 pieces max per layer), then sauce/salsa (i mix up the combos per layer. usually use more "green" (like chile lime Cholula, green tabasco) on the lower layers for some reason. Yes it was a disaster they stopped hint of jalapeno. ive tried the various other possibilities (incl hint of guacamole) and they dont cut it. SO i just do the multigrain scoops and hint of lime. OH - on the bottom layer, on the pan, its all scoops -- upside down like an army of turtles. J peppers i use jarred. but damn if you can fresh cut some, that sounds like a bonus

May 19, 2023 5:06 AM (#karlification)

Jason B: Moderators note: please do not try the Bundt cake flip move without proper training and/or supervision

Karl: its especially tricky because the bundt cake thing is super hot out of the oven so you need 2 oven mitts to hold and flip, but you dont want it to go flying out. ideally there would be a thin pan you could set on it, flip, then pull the pan out, dropping the contents gently onto the other tray's layer. but then you need more hands. teamwork! or maybe put parchment paper on it, flip it and then carefully pull the paper out before removing the bundt cake pan. ALSO: find a coating so the cheese doesnt stick to the bundt pan - easy off doesnt cling to the walls!

May 19, 2023 9:49 AM (#karlification)

Moony B'deedle: ok ok ok ok ok, what are your queso opinions, specifically on nachos

Karl: i love a good warm legit queso for dipping chips at a restaurant, but anything in a jar usually disappoints, so its not part of the home nacho plan

May 19, 2023 10:02 AM (#karlification)

Burnst Jamp: To clarify the Bundt method: Is the layering process completed in reverse, since it's flipped at the end?

Karl: yes, basically, but you have to put chips first so its not 100% mess at the bottom (which will become the top)

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May 19, 2023 6:22 PM (#karlification)

Karl: i also forgot Ortega Medium Taco Sauce as one of the sauces to lightly drizzle on some of the layers.

May 20, 2023 7:35 PM (#karlification)

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juan cena: Were the songs from the first demo tape rerecorded for the kitchen tape?

Burnst Jamp: No, according to Weezine #3 the three re-used songs were taken directly from the original demo

Karl: yeah the original demo was bacisally proto kitchen tape session - they just got back in the saddle and kept recording, with the notion it would be their "album" to shop around. the november demo (that actually got made with stickers etc) happened because of the new songs/new vibes and the desire to make something tighter and better, since the "shopping around" wasnt bearing any fruit yet, and they were getting better live by that point. Aside from the odd snare sound, it is a better performance, tighter. you can hear the band improving between August and November '92.

May 20, 2023 7:24 PM (#karlification)

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Moony B'deedle: @Karlophone hi Karl I just want to tell you that achieving a 20/20 on the 2019 VIP Weezine is impossible as question 10's correct answer is Sebastian but the answer key says it's Joe Laffoley. What do you have to say for yourself?

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Karl: i blame the elves in the workshop

May 21, 2023 9:38 AM (#karlification)

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