Weezer is back and taking fans on a nostalgic journey. The band recently played a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden as part of their “Voyage to the Blue Planet” tour, performing every song from their debut album in sequence.
“It’s a pretty incredible feeling,” said drummer Patrick Wilson, who shares the stage with lead singer Rivers Cuomo. They are the two remaining original members of the band.
Earlier this year, Cuomo and Wilson revisited New York’s Electric Lady Studios, where they recorded The Blue Album 30 years ago. Electric Lady Studios has produced many legendary artists, from Stevie Wonder to the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin.
In the early 1990s, Weezer didn’t fit the mold of popular rock bands of the time.
“Rock bands are doing increasingly outrageous things like tattoos and piercings,” Cuomo said. “We came out completely clean-cut, four guys standing in a row, singing songs in a major key about girls and stuff. Was that the next step in rock and roll? I couldn’t understand it at all.”
The band’s name itself, “Weezer,” is a pop culture nod to Cuomo’s childhood nickname given to him by his father.
“I think he liked a show called ‘The Little Rascals,’ and there was a character called Weezer,” Cuomo explained. “Recently, I asked him why he named me after him, and he said, ‘Because he was a cool guy.’
However, Weezer’s fame was not immediate. The band played small clubs in Los Angeles, learning to read the room and adjust their set based on audience reaction.
“We played shows every week in clubs in Los Angeles,” Cuomo said. “We’re not in a vacuum there. We’re noticing, oh, did that react or didn’t react at all? We’re not drawn to what the room is reacting to. I can’t stay.”
Weezer’s breakthrough came with the release of their music video for “Buddy Holly,” directed by Spike Jonze and set in the world of the TV show “Happy Days.” This video, along with other videos from their debut album, helped propel the band into the mainstream.
“Songs that came out of grunge, which was pretty heavy and a little dark, might have been refreshing in a way to people at the time,” Wilson said.
Their debut album, released in May 1994, became an alternative rock classic. At the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, Weezer won Four Moonmen for their “Buddy Holly” video. Rolling Stone magazine later ranked The Blue Album among the 500 greatest albums of all time, calling it “one of the most enduring works of the alternative rock era.”
Looking back on those early days, Cuomo recalled the anxiety he felt after completing the album.
“I think there were two stories in my head,” Cuomo said. “One was, ‘Hey, I’m going to sell 100 copies and that’s it. I’m going to have to go back and work at Domino’s Pizza or something. But the other one was, ‘Hey, this album is so powerful, so It feels emotional and special.”For me, I think it’s going to have a big audience and it’s going to be an important record.”
Thirty years later, “The Blue Album” still resonates with fans, as evidenced by the sold-out crowds at Weezer tour venues.
“If we feel it’s essential and important to the world right now, then we’re happy to participate,” Cuomo said.
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