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Weezer Biography

              Weezer was founded in Los Angeles on February 14, 1992 by Rivers Cuomo, Jason Cropper, Matt Sharp, and Pat Wilson. The band began writing music and playing local clubs. Despite not having much success at first, the band pressed forward. After 16 months together, playing shows and recording demos in Los Angeles, DGC records (Geffen) signed Weezer. The band moved to New York to record at the famed Electric Lady studios under producer Ric Ocasek (of Cars fame). During the recording of Weezer, Jason left the band to take care of his future wife, who was pregnant with their first child. Jason was replaced by Brian Bell, a then bassist from a band called Carnival Art.

The Blue Album, released May 10, 1994: features "Buddy Holly", "Undone - The Sweater Song", " Say It Ain't So".

                  "Buddy Holly" won several MTV awards in 94', and Weezer eventually went double-platinum. After several tours around the U.S. and the world, the band settled back in; Rivers went to school at Harvard, Matt and Pat worked on a new band named The Rentals, and Brian resumed work with a former band of his, The Space Twins. In the early winter of 1995 and the summer of 1996, Weezer once again entered the studio, but this time they were to produce the album themselves.

Pinkerton, released September 26, 1996: features "El Scorcho", " The Good Life", and " Pink Triangle".

                  On September 24th 1996, Weezer's much-awaited second LP, 'Pinkerton,' was released. Quite the opposite of Weezer, the guitars were more gruff, the lyrics had a deeper meaning, and the band's talent and style had matured considerably.

           In the band downtime after Pinkerton, Matt Sharp left the bassist position (under good terms) to pursue his band, The Rentals. Filling Matt's place would be Mikey Welsh, of Boston, and formerly of Juliana Hatfield's band. During 1998 Rivers & Mikey played a few shows together in Boston (dubbed "The Rivers Cuomo Band"). The following spring, Rivers and Mikey joined Brian and Pat in Los Angeles and had on/off rehearsal sessions over the next couple of years. Rivers devoted some time to "Homie" which released one song, Brian released a couple of records with his Space Twins, and Pat and Mikey toured with the Special Goodness.

            Fast forward to spring 2000. After playing unannounced shows under secret names, in addition to more frequent rehearsals, Weezer booked dates on that summer's Warped Tour, and subsequently a nationwide club tour. Much to the band's surprise the dates sold out instantly. Juiced by an overwhelming fan response and a wealth of new material Weezer was back. Following another sold-out tour in the fall the band continued writing and practicing new material in Los Angeles into 2001. A Christmas song EP was distributed to fans and radio stations and shortly before the new year Weezer began recording their 3rd effort, dubbed "The Green Album" in Los Angeles, again with producer Ric Ocasek.

The Green Album, released 2001: features "Hash Pipe", "Island In The Sun", and "Photograph".

             Weezer was quickly in the top charts again. The first single, 'Hash Pipe', stormed up the rock radio charts, and the hilarious video is a fan favorite. Weezer tapped director Marcos Siega (Papa Roach's "Last Resort" and "Broken Home," blink -182-'s "What's My Age Again?" and "All The Small Things," Bif Naked's "Moment of Weakness," Chantal Kreviazuk's "Before You,") to shoot the video for 'Hash Pipe'. The video, shot on location in Los Angeles, is part performance-based and part concept-based and features sumo wrestlers doing their thing while Weezer performs on the sidelines. The sumo wrestlers occasionally chime in on the chorus, too. 

            Shortly before recording another video for "Island In The Sun", Mikey Welsh missed a plane ride to the new video shoot. He was no where to be found. For a few short days, a search went out, but then word got by that he had checked into a psychiatric hospital for treatment of an undisclosed ailment, leaving his bandmates to shoot the  video without him.The others had hoped that he would recover and continue to play with them, but unfortuenetely he did not go on with them, and in his place came Scott Shriner.

            Weezer released their 4th album, Maladroit, on April 14th, 2002, which includes the single "Dope Nose"

Maladroit, features "Dope Nose", "Keep Fishin'", "Take Control", "Burndt Jamb", and "Slave"

Ever since then, Weezer is a regular camaraderie! Weezer is up in the charts, and "Keep Fishin'" is their gold! With Scott as the new edition, everything is great again. He is definitely they most influential bass player yet. Weezer has also just recently, on September 24, 2002, released,  their newest EP, "The Lion And The Witch", which features 6 songs recorded live in a club in Japan. Weezer only released a small amount of 25, 000, and people are storming for them!

Lion And The Witch, features live versions of: "Dope Nose", "Island In The Sun", "Falling For You", "Death And Destruction", "El Scorcho", and "Holiday".