My OMG! Weezer post!!!!!
Okay so I think we all know that I love Weezer. I absolutely loved their Green Album when I was like 11 (haha) and then I kinda forgot about them (how could I?!?) until keeper_of_stars started raving about them to me and I thought, "hey I used to LOVE that band." So back in...2004 I think (MB was released 2005, so 2004 is probably right) I refound Weezer and bought all the albums I hadn't ever listened to before (ie. all the super amazing ones) and I immediately fell in love again. I loved them so much more than I ever had, because really at 11 you have no idea what music is about and I had never heard Pinkerton before. And plus now =W= reminds me of keeper_of_stars and vice versa, which makes Weezer that much better.
So yes, I've been an enormous fan for 4 years, which maybe doesn't sound like that long, but (as I'm sure you may already know) when I obsess I obsess big time. I have over 130 Weezer/Rivers Cuomo songs on my computer and I have listened to every song far too many times. :) But despite the fact that they are my favorite band I have never been able to see them live. And I've been looking forward to TRA tour because then I could see the band live and it would be beyond amazing.
But in a wonderfully lucky turn of events I didn't even have to wait that long...
So by pure and simple and wonderful luck a friend (Kat) and I managed to get our names on the list so we could go to Paramount Studios in LA and go to this MTV shoot with Weezer for a "Hootenanny" as they called it, where you could jam out with the band. I was SUPER excited.
So we get up in the wee hours of the morning so we can get to LA by 7-ish. We find the stage and have no idea what to expect, but we are both super excited. So we check in and sign consent forms and wait around a bit, while they play King, one of the few songs that has not been leaked yet (not that I've listened to the leaked songs). But it was cool because we were one of the first fans to get to hear it. It's a slow but rocking song sung by Scott, which will never be one of my favorite Weezer songs, but still it was cool to hear. There really aren't too many people there, probably under 100 fans and then 40 or so people they hired to play instruments and be "fans" as well. So we sit and wait and sit and wait a bit more and then suddenly Scott walks into the stage area and you know I'm just kinda staring stupidly at him in awe, because I'm smooth like that. And he walks up to one of the hired people who is playing guitar and he says "Hi, I'm Scott" and the guy just kinda stares at him and says "Yeah, I know." It was really cute. So Scott grabs some food and leaves, and we wait some more, briefly seeing Brian too. At some point Kat takes a pineapple which they randomly had in a fruit basket they had out for us. It was very odd. :D Oh at some point one of the manager-esque people said that this kinda Hootenanny set up is something like what Weezer wants to do for their tour. What does that mean!?!
So finally after a lot of waiting we get to go to the sound stage. Weezer is in the center on this platform that rotates, that looks pretty spiffy. So we get to go around the platform passing within maybe 3 feet of all of the band members (Rivers was waving and nodding to everyone....it was so amazing). And me and Kat somehow got to sit right in the front (so close I could have touched Brian if I wanted to) but somehow we got moved backward before the performance started, but we were still insanely close. They handed out some instruments and such and with a lot of fiddling and sound checks and explanations of what was happening, they were ready to begin. First we did a take so Weezer could get some good audio, which meant we basically got to see them perform King live, with the band not even 10 feet away! As I said Scott sings this one, and Rivers was farther away but I had this really perfect view of him and it was...well, amazing. After the first take we got to sing along and act the part of big fans (not much acting going on) and kinda play our instruments when the band was playing. After a take or two then they got the platform rotating, which was super neat because then I got an amazing view of every member. Rivers was so adorable, wearing kinda dorky kinda khaki shorts, white knee high socks, a plaid shirt, a casual dull black sweat shirt, a trucker hat, really cool colorful shoes (nikis maybe?) and sporting a slimmer version of his mustache (it actually looked pretty good!). And even though he wasn't singing lead he still started the band off and was very much a leader.
So they did a few takes of King then switched to Pork and Beans. And the switch took a while and we were all just kinda chilling and the band was just kinda milling around us. I nearly bumped into Pat while he was holding his son. So cute. And at one point Rivers just kinda walked right by me.
Again first they did one just for audio, and Rivers sounded amazing. He wasn't playing a guitar or anything just kinda standing there and clapping and having fun and totally in the zone. So then they told us for the second take they wanted us to chime in. Great moment: someone asked when we should start playing (because they told us to start on the second verse for King) and Rivers just kinda looks around and says "when do you guys want to start playing?" Hehe. Then said something like "start playing whenever you think is right, whenever you want to". It was super great. So they are singing and rotating and rocking out and BAM right in our face, so so so very close, it was so intense. Vocals were a bit hard to hear because the speakers weren't set up to catch the vocals, they were mainly focusing on instruments at this point, but still Rivers sounded swoon worthy. And actually it all sounded really rockstar, all the different instruments and everyone jamming and singing along with the band. Rivers insisted we all sing the "I don't caaaare" part really loud with him, which was a lot of fun. And I swear one time when he was rotating towards me, I was kinda being a dork and nodding my head to the music and staring intently at him and I could have sworn he made eye contact with me and then he started nodding his head just like I was! A magical moment. I mean I'm pretty sure he made eye contact with me.
Johnny Knox did some takes to introduce the band which was cool.
After many takes (some takes just focusing on the audience you *might* be able to see me in the video!) we stopped. And again we were just kinda free to mill around with the band members drifting every which way. A group was around each band member so I high tailed it over to Rivers where some people were taking pictures of him. A manager of sorts said we had to leave because the band had to change and we were on a tight schedule so no more pictures, so I walked up to him and shook Rivers' hand and said hi. And he said hi back.
I shook his hand!!!!
So we were walking back having just jammed with Weezer and seeing them super up close and...it was beyond amazing.
So we thought we were gonna leave, but then they said if we wanted to stay we could because they might need us later. It was still early so we stayed and the director of the videos came by and see who he wanted to use and he picked me and Kat!!! And he just picked 15 people, plus all the people who were hired.
So we got to go back to the stage and all of Weezer was wearing these cool white industrial looking jump suits. Rivers was on the drums! And Pat was singing lead vocals for Automatic. It was great to just get to hear the song. So we got to help with the video (I totally won't be seen though). They had a big orange parachute the band was under with all this confetti on top and these adorable kids were running around underneath it playing and having fun when the band jammed out on their little platform. It was neat. So we got to help with the parachute and get totally covered with glitter and confetti and hang around for awhile. Again I almost ran into Pat. Oops.
Then it was done with and Rivers waved goodbye to us and said "You guys rock!" and thanked us for doing it. He was so super nice and sweet and a lot more outgoing than I think he might have been a few years ago. I mean still shy and all that, but not afraid to just be himself at all. He personally thanked all the kids for coming and all that. Then we got feed lunch (it was surprisingly tasty and fancy) and then they didn't need us for anything else.
So on our way out we saw all these square dancers who were coming for another shoot for Weezer and we saw Pat again. And we saw Rivers walking into his trailer.
So Kat and I drove home excited and exhausted and incredibly happy.
The End. I'm sure I've forgotten a ton of things...but that was the gist. Please excuse the grammatical errors, I'm excited and exhausted.
***edit*** new icon picture was taken by me. :D
So yes, I've been an enormous fan for 4 years, which maybe doesn't sound like that long, but (as I'm sure you may already know) when I obsess I obsess big time. I have over 130 Weezer/Rivers Cuomo songs on my computer and I have listened to every song far too many times. :) But despite the fact that they are my favorite band I have never been able to see them live. And I've been looking forward to TRA tour because then I could see the band live and it would be beyond amazing.
But in a wonderfully lucky turn of events I didn't even have to wait that long...
So by pure and simple and wonderful luck a friend (Kat) and I managed to get our names on the list so we could go to Paramount Studios in LA and go to this MTV shoot with Weezer for a "Hootenanny" as they called it, where you could jam out with the band. I was SUPER excited.
So we get up in the wee hours of the morning so we can get to LA by 7-ish. We find the stage and have no idea what to expect, but we are both super excited. So we check in and sign consent forms and wait around a bit, while they play King, one of the few songs that has not been leaked yet (not that I've listened to the leaked songs). But it was cool because we were one of the first fans to get to hear it. It's a slow but rocking song sung by Scott, which will never be one of my favorite Weezer songs, but still it was cool to hear. There really aren't too many people there, probably under 100 fans and then 40 or so people they hired to play instruments and be "fans" as well. So we sit and wait and sit and wait a bit more and then suddenly Scott walks into the stage area and you know I'm just kinda staring stupidly at him in awe, because I'm smooth like that. And he walks up to one of the hired people who is playing guitar and he says "Hi, I'm Scott" and the guy just kinda stares at him and says "Yeah, I know." It was really cute. So Scott grabs some food and leaves, and we wait some more, briefly seeing Brian too. At some point Kat takes a pineapple which they randomly had in a fruit basket they had out for us. It was very odd. :D Oh at some point one of the manager-esque people said that this kinda Hootenanny set up is something like what Weezer wants to do for their tour. What does that mean!?!
So finally after a lot of waiting we get to go to the sound stage. Weezer is in the center on this platform that rotates, that looks pretty spiffy. So we get to go around the platform passing within maybe 3 feet of all of the band members (Rivers was waving and nodding to everyone....it was so amazing). And me and Kat somehow got to sit right in the front (so close I could have touched Brian if I wanted to) but somehow we got moved backward before the performance started, but we were still insanely close. They handed out some instruments and such and with a lot of fiddling and sound checks and explanations of what was happening, they were ready to begin. First we did a take so Weezer could get some good audio, which meant we basically got to see them perform King live, with the band not even 10 feet away! As I said Scott sings this one, and Rivers was farther away but I had this really perfect view of him and it was...well, amazing. After the first take we got to sing along and act the part of big fans (not much acting going on) and kinda play our instruments when the band was playing. After a take or two then they got the platform rotating, which was super neat because then I got an amazing view of every member. Rivers was so adorable, wearing kinda dorky kinda khaki shorts, white knee high socks, a plaid shirt, a casual dull black sweat shirt, a trucker hat, really cool colorful shoes (nikis maybe?) and sporting a slimmer version of his mustache (it actually looked pretty good!). And even though he wasn't singing lead he still started the band off and was very much a leader.
So they did a few takes of King then switched to Pork and Beans. And the switch took a while and we were all just kinda chilling and the band was just kinda milling around us. I nearly bumped into Pat while he was holding his son. So cute. And at one point Rivers just kinda walked right by me.
Again first they did one just for audio, and Rivers sounded amazing. He wasn't playing a guitar or anything just kinda standing there and clapping and having fun and totally in the zone. So then they told us for the second take they wanted us to chime in. Great moment: someone asked when we should start playing (because they told us to start on the second verse for King) and Rivers just kinda looks around and says "when do you guys want to start playing?" Hehe. Then said something like "start playing whenever you think is right, whenever you want to". It was super great. So they are singing and rotating and rocking out and BAM right in our face, so so so very close, it was so intense. Vocals were a bit hard to hear because the speakers weren't set up to catch the vocals, they were mainly focusing on instruments at this point, but still Rivers sounded swoon worthy. And actually it all sounded really rockstar, all the different instruments and everyone jamming and singing along with the band. Rivers insisted we all sing the "I don't caaaare" part really loud with him, which was a lot of fun. And I swear one time when he was rotating towards me, I was kinda being a dork and nodding my head to the music and staring intently at him and I could have sworn he made eye contact with me and then he started nodding his head just like I was! A magical moment. I mean I'm pretty sure he made eye contact with me.
Johnny Knox did some takes to introduce the band which was cool.
After many takes (some takes just focusing on the audience you *might* be able to see me in the video!) we stopped. And again we were just kinda free to mill around with the band members drifting every which way. A group was around each band member so I high tailed it over to Rivers where some people were taking pictures of him. A manager of sorts said we had to leave because the band had to change and we were on a tight schedule so no more pictures, so I walked up to him and shook Rivers' hand and said hi. And he said hi back.
I shook his hand!!!!
So we were walking back having just jammed with Weezer and seeing them super up close and...it was beyond amazing.
So we thought we were gonna leave, but then they said if we wanted to stay we could because they might need us later. It was still early so we stayed and the director of the videos came by and see who he wanted to use and he picked me and Kat!!! And he just picked 15 people, plus all the people who were hired.
So we got to go back to the stage and all of Weezer was wearing these cool white industrial looking jump suits. Rivers was on the drums! And Pat was singing lead vocals for Automatic. It was great to just get to hear the song. So we got to help with the video (I totally won't be seen though). They had a big orange parachute the band was under with all this confetti on top and these adorable kids were running around underneath it playing and having fun when the band jammed out on their little platform. It was neat. So we got to help with the parachute and get totally covered with glitter and confetti and hang around for awhile. Again I almost ran into Pat. Oops.
Then it was done with and Rivers waved goodbye to us and said "You guys rock!" and thanked us for doing it. He was so super nice and sweet and a lot more outgoing than I think he might have been a few years ago. I mean still shy and all that, but not afraid to just be himself at all. He personally thanked all the kids for coming and all that. Then we got feed lunch (it was surprisingly tasty and fancy) and then they didn't need us for anything else.
So on our way out we saw all these square dancers who were coming for another shoot for Weezer and we saw Pat again. And we saw Rivers walking into his trailer.
So Kat and I drove home excited and exhausted and incredibly happy.
The End. I'm sure I've forgotten a ton of things...but that was the gist. Please excuse the grammatical errors, I'm excited and exhausted.
***edit*** new icon picture was taken by me. :D