Weezer

Mikey Welsh, Former Weezer Bassist, Dead At 40

10 Oct 2011 08:48:15 EDT

Welsh was found unresponsive in a Chicago hotel room on Saturday.
By Gil Kaufman

One-time bassist for Weezer Mikey Welsh was found dead in a Chicago hotel room on Saturday. Forty-year-old Welsh played in the group between 1998 and 2001, leaving more than a decade ago after suffering a nervous breakdown.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Welsh was found unresponsive on the floor of his room at the Raffaello Hotel on Saturday after failing to check out on time. A cleaning crew tried to open the door to his room and was unable to get in, at which point they found his body lying unresponsive near the door.

He was pronounced dead a short time later, and while the cause of death was not announced pending further toxicology results, authorities suspect a drug overdose. Police said prescription drugs were found in the room, along with a plastic baggie containing white powder believed to be heroin.

Welsh was the band's second bassist, replacing original member Matt Sharp, playing on the band's "Green" album, which featured the hits "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun." After leaving the group, he focused on a second career as a visual artist, and recently wrote on his Twitter page that he was looking forward to seeing Weezer in Chicago at the Riotfest on Sunday night.

"Today is a hard day for Weezer and all Weezer friends, fans, and family," the band's webmaster, Karl Koch, wrote on Sunday. "While everyone is still in shock over yesterday's tragic loss of Mikey Welsh, we know damn well he would never have wanted to stop the rock at today's RIOTfest, the show he was planning on attending. On the contrary, the rock was what he loved, both in music and art. To play the show and play it well tonight is to honor him and his memory. We have a feeling he will be watching."

The band also posted a tribute to Welsh on the site, describing the bass player as "our beautiful, creative, hilarious and sweet friend," who was "never one to shy away from the absurd, dangerous or strange."

On October 1, Welsh wrote excitedly about taking his first vacation in "quite a long time," saying he was headed to Nashville to be photographed working on a large-scale painting with a friend and then to Chicago to see Weezer. "I'm excited to see the boys, hang out and have some fun," he wrote.

The man who replaced Welsh, Scott Shriner, tweeted his condolences, writing, "Really bummed about Mikey. Heart goes out to his family and friends. Such a talent ... he made a special mark on the world with his art."

Share your wishes and condolences by leaving them on our Facebook page.

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Blink-182 To Release New Single 'Up All Night' Friday

13 Jul 2011 10:08:49 EDT

Band has been talking about elusive comeback single since 2009.
By Gil Kaufman

Like a whisper campaign about a tatted-up unicorn, Blink-182's elusive first reunion single, "Up All Night," has been the subject of chatter for years. The band first started talking about the tune in 2009, when they reunited after a nearly four-year hiatus, but because the recorded version of the song wasn't quite finished at that point, they decided against playing the song live during their subsequent tours.

But now they're ready to pull back the curtain on the song, which is slated to premiere at 10:30 a.m. EST on Friday. The tune will roll out on powerhouse Los Angeles rock station KROQ (106.7 FM) and on the band's official website, according to an announcement posted on the group's official Facebook page.

While recording on the band's first new album since their self-titled 2003 disc was recently wrapped, a release date for the as-yet-untitled CD has not been announced. Blink went on indefinite hiatus in 2005 amid inter-band tensions and announced their reunion at the 2009 Grammy Awards. They then hit the road that summer along with Weezer and Fall Out Boy.

Though they've kept it off the live list for two years, it's likely "Night" will be added to the band's set when they kick off their upcoming Honda Civic-sponsored tour dates with My Chemical Romance on August 5 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. In addition to MCR, the band will be joined by a rotating list of other support acts on the tour, including Manchester Orchestra, Rancid, Against Me! and Matt & Kim.

Bassist Mark Hoppus sounded pumped about the new songs in a recent Facebook post, writing, "Currently listening to THE FIRST MIX FROM THE NEW ALBUM!! Sounds kick. Ass. Cannot wait until this album is released! BOOM!!!"

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Weezer Revisit Pinkerton At Second Of Two Shows In San Francisco

01 Dec 2010 10:38:17 EST

Band performed 1994's Blue Album at previous night's show.
By Matt Elias

Halfway into Weezer's set on Tuesday night, frontman Rivers Cuomo was sprawled out onstage, basking in the overwhelming sense of adoration in the room. It was night two of Weezer's Memories Tour stop in San Francisco, at the Nob Hill Masonic Center, and the band started with a 10-song set followed by their 1996 sophomore effort Pinkerton in its entirety (night one saw Weezer play its entire Blue album).

As loose and energetic as the previous night, Weezer's second engagement was a nod to die-hard Weezer fans. The set included some rarities like 1995's "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly" and "Susanne." Band members shared vocal duties throughout the set — guitarist Brian Bell took over on "Pork and Beans" and bassist Scott Shriner on "Dope Nose." And as he did the night before, drummer Pat Wilson donned a guitar during the first part of the set, with drummer Josh Freese taking over percussion duties.

The fans also took part in the action. Rivers invited a trio of fans decked out in homemade Weezer Ts onstage for the rest of the audience to see. At another point, Rivers spotted a fan waving a homemade flying W flag and invited him onstage. They stretched it out for all to see, and Rivers then displayed it on the drum riser.

When he wasn't inviting fans onstage, Rivers Cuomo was running through the audience, high-fiving fans and climbing on theater seats. No one was left untouched — not even the venue staff. During "Hash Pipe," Cuomo yanked a beanie off a petite female staffer, plopped it on his head for a bit, then stretched it out onto a beefy security guard's dome.

Intermission followed and Weezer's unofficial fifth member, Karl Koch, helmed a slide show (just like on the first night), showing off gems from Weezer's early days. The crowd swooned at the sight of one of Weezer's first fliers from 1992, a photo of the band with Spike Jonze during the Pinkerton recordings, and also shared a collective laugh at a Rolling Stone magazine clipping that declared Pinkerton the second-worst album of 1996 (just behind Bush's Razorblade Suitcase).

When it was time for the Pinkerton set, the album's cover art hung in the background, Pat returned to his drum kit and Rivers returned sans glasses (and not looking much different than he did during his Pinkerton days). The band ripped through the album's 10 songs, garnering even more sing-alongs than the previous night. Those in attendance were definitely a dedicated bunch.

The feeling was mutual. On "El Scorcho," Brian gestured to the crowd during the lyrics "I'm a lot like you," summing up the sentiment of the night.

As the rest of the band left the stage, Rivers closed out the show with his acoustic guitar on "Butterfly" (and Karl took a stab at drumming). As the song concluded, Rivers took one simple bow and exited the stage — capping off a splendid two-night engagement of the Memories Tour.

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Weezer Take Fans Down Memory Lane In San Francisco

30 Nov 2010 09:35:26 EST

Memories Tour stop features set of songs from 1994's Blue Album.
By Matt Elias

"You guys ready to take a ride on the Weezer time machine?" shouted Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo as he and his band took the stage at the Nob Hill Masonic Center on the first of two Weezer Memories Tour stops in San Francisco. Night one was billed as the "Blue" evening, with the band playing its 1994 self-titled debut (a.k.a. the Blue Album) in its entirety. But there was much more in store for the Weezer faithful than Rivers had clued us in on back in August on the set of the foursome's "Memories" music video.

Before the Blue tunes got under way, the trip down memory lane began with a retrospective set of hits. Kicking things off appropriately with the Hurley single "Memories," the band worked its way backward through its catalog. Rivers began most of the songs by shouting out the year and the album it was from, trekking all the way back to "Falling for You" from 1996's Pinkerton.

The show itself was loose and fun, with Rivers racing up and down the aisles, eventually making his way up to the soundboard on the balcony. By "Pork and Beans," the fourth song of the 10-song mini-set, Rivers was streaming toilet paper rolls into the crowd and anointing people with water. Although there were 3,000 fans in attendance, Rivers made sure each one felt as if he or she had a front-row seat — and likely gave them a high five too.

As the set — which also included "Beverly Hills," "Keep Fishin' " and "Hash Pipe" — wound down, the band broke for intermission. During the break, fans were treated to a treasure trove of artifacts courtesy of Weezer's resident historian/ photographer/ jack of all trades, Karl Koch.

The slide show, narrated by Koch, highlighted Weezer's early days: a flier from L.A.'s Club Dump (now the Viper Room), an early set list that pretty much would come to be the Blue Album, a photo of the actual garage described in "In the Garage" off the Blue Album (yes, it exists), just to name a few.

With intermission over, it was time for the evening's main course. A simple blue background with the band's name, similar to the Blue Album cover, replaced the lighted flying W. It was as if the band were saying "let the music speak for itself." They kept it pretty simple for the Blue Album portion of the night. There were fewer antics — the bandmembers were anchored in their positions — but by no means was it a subdued performance. It probably was the most sing-along portion of the night, especially during "Buddy Holly" and "Say It Ain't So."

At one point during "Surf Wax America," a fan made his way onstage and mingled with the band. They kept it cool, showing not an ounce of frustration.

As the band hammered away onstage, the audience stayed on its feet for the entire night. There was a special feeling in the air, a feeling that you were being treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When it was all over, as the final notes of "Only in Dreams" hung in the air, the band grouped at the foot of the stage and took a simple bow to thunderous applause. A modest gesture to make, but it speaks volumes to the band's longevity and devoted fanbase.

And of course, Rivers couldn't get away without high-fiving a few fans on his way offstage.

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Weezer Rehearse Long And Hard For 'RJ Berger' Cameo

18 Nov 2010 21:15:07 EST

'We're going to put the music thing aside for a couple years,' drummer Pat Wilson jokes after shooting scenes for MTV comedy.
By James Montgomery

At this point in their career, Weezer have the whole acting thing down pat. So much so that they don't even need to see a script. Of course, that's mainly because they usually don't have any lines.

" 'Keep Fishin' ' was probably our acting debut, but we didn't speak any lines in it," guitarist Brian Bell said of their music video with the Muppets.

"Actually, in [the video for] 'Buddy Holly,' I said, 'Thanks, Al,' " drummer/guitarist Pat Wilson laughed. "And we've done all kinds of stuff, like 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' some 'Melrose Place,' old-school, but legit, really."

So basically, they're old pros, and it's probably why they weren't sweating their cameo on a season-two episode of MTV's "The Hard Times of RJ Berger," which they filmed on Monday in Los Angeles. Either that or the fact that all they had to do that day was get up onstage and play a couple of songs — Pinkerton fave "El Scorcho" and current Hurley single "Hang On" — which, really, doesn't require all that much in the way of acting.

But, truth be told, their "Hard Times" guest appearance means a little more to the guys, because of a rather interesting connection between the band and the show.

"Well, they named the high school 'Pinkerton.' The creators of the show, I guess, were fans of ours, and called the high school Pinkerton," Bell explained. "And when we found out about that, it caught our interest about the show in general ... and now we're here playing."

And really, Weezer are liking this gig so much that they're seriously considering switching careers. After all, being in a band is hard work. Acting isn't.

"It feels great to be on an actual show," Wilson said. "We're pretty much going to put the music thing aside for a couple years and go with this."

Do you think Weezer should go Hollywood or stick to making music? Tell us in the comments!

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Weezer Respond To $10 Million Breakup Challenge

07 Oct 2010 12:07:03 EDT

Drummer Patrick Wilson makes a counter offer for 'the deluxe breakup.'
By Gil Kaufman

Weezer hater James Burns, consider yourself served. Just hours after anti-fan Burns launched a campaign asking the group's alienated admirers (or maybe enemies) to help him raise $10 million via an online petition to get the "Buddy Holly" rockers to split up for good, Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson met Burns' challenge and raised him $10 million.

"If they can make it 20 (million), we'll do the deluxe breakup," Wilson joked on his Twitter feed on Tuesday, the same day Burns posted his anti-Weezer screed.

Burns currently is accepting donations for his cause at ThePoint.com, where he wrote, "Every year, [frontman] Rivers Cuomo swears that he's changed, and that [Weezer's] new album is the best thing that he's done since [1996's] Pinkerton, and what happens? Another pile of crap like 'Beverly Hills' or 'I'm Your Daddy.' ... This is an abusive relationship, and it needs to stop now. ... I am tired of my friends being disappointed year after year. I am tired of endless whimsical cutesy album covers and music videos. ... I beg you, Weezer, take our money and disappear."

So far, Burns has a long way to go. At press time, total pledges equaled a whopping $350 and, per the site's rules, no one will actually have to pay up until the $10 million goal is met.

A spokesperson for the band — who just released their indie label debut, Hurley — has yet to comment on the breakup offer. Weezer are gearing up to launch a limited tour on which they will perform both Pinkerton and their landmark 1994 self-titled debut (a.k.a. the Blue album) in their entirety. The outing is currently scheduled to kick off with two dates in Los Angeles on November 26 and 27.

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Weezer Add Dates To Memories Tour

24 Sep 2010 08:51:25 EDT

Band will perform Pinkerton/Blue albums on successive nights in Boston, with more East Coast stops under way.
By Gil Kaufman

But wait, there's more! Fresh off announcing the first two dates on their upcoming Memories Tour, Weezer revealed four more gigs on Thursday night, with the promise of additional East Coast lovin' on the way as well.

The outing, whose official title is Weezer's the Memories Tour Driven by State Farm Itinerary, will have the boys playing back-to-back nights at venues. On the first night, they'll perform their classic 1994 self-titled debut (a.k.a. the Blue album) in its entirety, followed by some greatest hits and tunes from their recently released Epitaph Records debut, Hurley. The proceeding night will find them dipping into the fan-favorite emo opus Pinkerton, followed by a different set of hits and Hurley bits.

"We have this really exciting idea to do a tour where we spend two nights in each city, and the first night, we play the entire Blue album, and the second night, we play the entirety of Pinkerton," singer Rivers Cuomo told MTV News exclusively last month on the set of the band's "Memories" video. "We're just running it by promoters right now to see if there's sufficient interest in the markets to do something like that, and if they're onboard, it's gonna happen."

Clearly, the interest was there, since in addition to the first batch of dates in Los Angeles in San Francisco beginning on November 26, the band has announced a pair of shows to follow in Boston, with a promise of New York dates on the horizon.

Weezer's indie-label debut, Hurley, hit stores last week, landing at #6 on the Billboard albums chart. The video for "Memories," which featured the crew from "Jackass" and a whole lot of skateboarding, premiered on MTV earlier this month.

Weezer's Memories Tour dates so far, according to their label:

» 11/26-27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre

» 11/29-30 - San Francisco, CA @ Nob Hill Masonic Center

» 12/14-15 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre

Will you check out Weezer's Memories Tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Weezer Announce First Blue/Pinkerton Tour Dates

23 Sep 2010 19:53:30 EDT

Memories Tour will make two-night stops in L.A. and San Francisco.
By Katie Byrne

Weezer are men of their word. Last month, when we visited the set of Weezer's "Memories" video in Sun Valley, California, frontman Rivers Cuomo revealed exclusively to MTV News that they had an ambitious tour concept cooking.

"We have this really exciting idea to do a tour where we spend two nights in each city, and the first night, we play the entire Blue Album, and the second night, we play the entirety of Pinkerton," Cuomo said, invoking the names of the band's first two albums. "We're just running it by promoters right now to see if there's sufficient interest in the markets to do something like that, and if they're onboard, it's gonna happen."

Apparently the interest was there: Weezer have announced on their website that they'll be hitting Los Angeles and San Francisco at the end of November for two nights apiece, with more dates to be announced, for what's being billed as the Memories Tour. On top of playing Blue and Pinkerton from start to finish, a "greatest-hits set" will also be included at the shows, according to the site.

VIP tickets go on sale Friday at 1 p.m., and an American Express presale starts Saturday. Tickets for the L.A. show go on sale to the public October 1, and the San Francisco dates will be available October 3.

Weezer's Memories Tour dates so far, according to their website:

» 11/26-27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre
» 11/29-30 - San Francisco, CA @ Nob Hill Masonic Center

Will you check out Weezer's Memories Tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Weezer's Hurley Cover Star Never Planned To Sing With The Band

22 Sep 2010 18:36:40 EDT

'What are they going to do, put a tambourine in my hand?' Jorge Garcia laughed last month, before jumping onstage with Weezer in Hollywood.
By James Montgomery

Weezer's Tuesday night AXE-sponsored secret show in Hollywood featured a whole lot of surprises — you know, aside from the show itself, since it was a secret — including My Chemical Romance joining the band onstage to rip through a version of "My Name Is Jonas" and former "Lost" star (and inspiration for Weez's new Hurley album title) Jorge Garcia, who shared lead-vocal duties with Rivers Cuomo on "Perfect Situation."

And if you think the crowd was shocked by all this (which, judging by YouTube footage of the performance, they were), you can imagine how Garcia must have felt. When MTV News spoke to him last month, he spoke about his future plans to help the band promote Hurley, which, at the time, definitely didn't seem to include jamming out with them.

"I'll go up and wave, but what are they going to do, put a tambourine in my hand?" he laughed. "I think definitely [I'll go to some shows] — they've been really cool, and they invited me to other shows — so there's a good chance I'll be floating around some Weezer concerts."

So, to recap: Some waving? Definitely. A little light tambourine work? Possibly. Singing lead on a Weezer song? Absolutely not. Of course, things can change over time and, as evidenced by Tuesday's show, they did. Though Garcia wasn't planning to sing, he was cooking up some alternative promotional plans for Hurley (which debuted at #6 on the Billboard albums chart), most of which involved huge printouts of the album's cover, which, of course, features his face.

"I'm thinking that," he laughed. "I'm thinking T-shirts with my head on them."

And, of course, as he proved Tuesday night, a little singing never hurt anybody either.

What do you think about Jorge jumping onstage with Weezer? Let us know in the comments!

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Weezer's 'Memories' Video Premieres

09 Sep 2010 17:57:32 EDT

Band taps Johnny Knoxville for retro homage to backyard skateboarding.
By Kyle Anderson

It's a series of new beginnings in the Weezer camp. They have a new album (Hurley, their eighth full-length effort and the best one they've pulled off in the new millennium), a new label (independent punk-minded imprint Epitaph, home to the likes of Rancid, Social Distortion and Bad Religion) and a crunchy new single called "Memories" (which contains a bunch of references to the band's early days and an awesome shout-along chorus).

In fact, the only thing that isn't ripe with newness is the band's just-premiered video for "Memories." Sure, it's a new composition that features guest appearances from the stars of "Jackass," but it's all about looking back.

"I had been married for a few months and had been in school for the semester before that, and basically I had been away from the band and the rock world for a while," Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo told MTV News about the writing process of the single. "I was really missing it, and just sitting there alone in my room missing the fans and missing my band, so 'Memories' is about getting back in there."

"Getting back in there" meant giving a call to old pal Johnny Knoxville (whom, Cuomo recalled, hung out and played tennis and basketball with the band back in the early '90s) and getting the "Jackass" crew together for a day of skateboarding, rocking out and general backyard debauchery.

Shot on grainy Super 8 cameras, "Memories" has the same kind of kinetic DIY energy as the skate videos these guys probably passed around on VHS in the '80s. That's fitting, seeing as how the site of the video shoot was the same as one of the locations in the legendary skate vid "The Search for Animal Chin," which starred Tony Hawk's Bones Brigade. The clip features Weezer playing next to an empty pool (and, at certain points, inside said pool) while various skateboarders and BMX riders buzz them with turns, flips and tricks.

Since the chorus is such a hands-in-the-air sing-along, it's no wonder that the best parts of the video show the "Jackass" cast — including Knoxville, Wee Man, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and Ryan Dunn — singing along with Cuomo and stealing Brian Bell's guitars.

Even if you don't like Weezer, "Memories" is worth watching, if only because in between scenes of the guys horsing around, there are clips from the upcoming film "Jackass 3-D," which should get fans of wanton violence excited for the magic ahead.

What do you think of Weezer's "Memories" video? Let us know in the comments!

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