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Weezer Biography:
Weezer is a rock band from Los Angeles, California that formed on Valentines Day in 1992 by Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Matt Sharp, and Jason Cropper.
Five weeks after forming Weezer landed their first gig, opening for Dogstar (featuring Keanu Reeves) at Raji's Bar and Ribshack on Hollywood Boulevard. Weezer began playing clubs and small audiences around L.A. and signed a recording contract on June 26, 1993 with Geffen Records. The band was signed onto the DGC label (which later became Interscope).
The self-titled debut, Weezer, commonly referred to as the Blue Album, was released May 10, 1994. During the recording of the Blue Album, Jason Cropper left the band and was replaced by Brian Bell, a then-bassist for the band Carnival Art.
"Undone - The Sweater Song" was released as the first single. The music video was directed by Spike Jonze. Jonze also directed the band's second video, "Buddy Holly." The video featured footage from the television sitcom Happy Days spliced with the band performing in a remade "Arnold's Diner," a familiar setting from the series. The video achieved heavy rotation on MTV and went on to win Jonze and the band four MTV Video Music Awards and two Billboard Music Video Awards. The success of the video arguably pushed the band into the mainstream spotlight. The Blue Album is currently certified triple platinum in the United States, making it Weezer's all-time best seller. It is ranked 297 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums.
Weezer's sophomore album, Pinkerton, was released on September 24, 1996. Due to initial weak sales the album was, at first, viewed as a commercial failure. The album failed to gain traction in the mainstream music world, perhaps due to a darker, more abrasive sound on the album. Pinkerton was labeled "one of the worst albums of 1996" by a Rolling Stone Magazine reader poll. However, word-of-mouth kept the trickle of sales going, and the album eventually achieved a cult status. In 2004, Rolling Stone changed their rating to 5 stars and inducted Pinkerton into the Rolling Stone Hall Of Fame. A large contingent of critics and fans currently view Pinkerton as Cuomo's artistic peak, despite the album being outsold by four of the five albums.
In April of 1998 Matt Sharp did not rejoin the band after their break and officially left Weezer. Weezer decided on Mikey Welsh as Sharp's replacement. Weezer continued rehearsal and cut demos until the fall of 1998. Frustration and creative disagreements led to a decline in rehearsals, and in late fall of 1998, drummer Pat Wilson left for his home in Portland pending renewed productivity from Cuomo. Rivers Cuomo went into a period of admitted depression, painting the walls of his home black and putting "fiberglass insulation all over the windows and then black sheets of fiberglass so that no light could get through."
Weezer would not reunite until April of 2000, when the Fuji Festival in Japan offered Weezer a high-paying gig to play in August 2000. The festival served as a catalyst for Weezer's productivity, and from April to May, 2000, the band rehearsed and demoed new songs in Los Angeles. The band returned to live shows in June 2000, but without the Weezer name. Instead the shows featured the group's first use of the pseudonym Goat Punishment.
On June 23, 2000, the band, now back under the Weezer name, joined the Warped Tour for eight planned dates. Weezer was well received at the festival leading the band to book more tour dates for the summer. In the summer of 2000, Weezer (now consisting of Rivers Cuomo, Mikey Welsh, Pat Wilson, and Brian Bell) went on tour. Weezer's setlist consisted of 14 new songs that fans have labeled the Summer Songs of 2000 (commonly abbreviated, SS2K).
Eventually, the band went back into the studio to produce a third album. Weezer (2001) chose to repeat the self-titled name of their first release. Shortly after the release of The Green Album, Weezer went on another American tour. Weezer attracted a new generation of fans thanks to heavy MTV rotation for the videos of their hit singles "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun."
Weezer’s fourth album, Maladroit, was released on May 14, 2002, only one year after its predecessor. Although the album was met with generally positive critical reviews, its sales were not as strong as those for The Green Album, and it remains their lowest-selling album to date. As soon as Maladroit had wrapped up, the band immediately began work on their fifth album, recording numerous demos between tours for Maladroit. These songs were eventually scrapped, and Weezer took a break after the release of two albums in quick succession.
Weezer’s fifth album, entitled Make Believe, was released on May 10, 2005. The album's first single, "Beverly Hills," became a hit in the U.S. and worldwide, staying on the charts for several months. It became the first Weezer song to hit #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The song was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the first ever Grammy nomination for the band. The video for the song was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.
In early 2006, it was announced that Make Believe was certified platinum, and "Beverly Hills" was the second most popular song download on iTunes for 2005, finishing just behind "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani. Also in early 2006, Make Believe's third single, "Perfect Situation", spent four weeks in a row at the #1 spot on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, a personal record for Weezer. The Perfect Situation video starred Elisha Cuthbert and was directed by Marc Webb. "This is Such a Pity" was the band's fourth single from the album, but no music video was made for its release
In the summer of 2006, MTV news speculated on the breakup of the band, based on statements made by Rivers Cuomo in an MTV interview. However, statements by Cuomo in his blog pointed out that he was misquoted and the band is still together.
Weezer announced the possible release of a live DVD with footage from the 2005 Japan tour. It will consist of a 2-day, 7-camera shoot of the shows in Japan, plus material that will be drawn from various behind-the-scenes footage.
In late 2006, Brian Bell began work on a new project called The Relationship which fans can follow on the band's Myspace page. Fans can currently follow the news of the band at Rivers Cuomo's Myspace page and the official Weezer website.
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