- 1 day ago
Rivers Cuomo and Brian Bell of Weezer join Klein and Ally inside our KROQ studios to talk about their newly announced tour, 'Weezer: The Gathering,' their upcoming album and the new song, "Shine Again," out everywhere on April 1.
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00:00It's a great day at KROQ when we're able to welcome back some longtime friends and Ellie as you know
00:05I don't get very excited often, but when Weezer is in the building
00:07I get very excited because I think the blue album was responsible for so many of the decisions poor and
00:12otherwise that I made in my life
00:14Well, you're not necessarily the biggest music guy
00:17No, that I've ever met but Weezer is one of the few bands that not only you'll get excited about
00:21But that you have no problem sitting and watching live and not pacing around well
00:25I've seen them probably the band I've seen the most live so when they're here in the flesh, it's very
00:29exciting and there's exciting new news
00:31I cannot wait to welcome back to KROQ right now. Rivers, Brian from Weezer. Thanks guys for being here
00:36Thanks for having us. Always a pleasure to be here
00:38And when you come here, you don't only bring sandwiches, but sometimes you also bring good news about new albums
00:44and new tours
00:46And I want to say officially move over juggalos. It's time for the gathering of the Weezer
00:51That's right
00:52Can you tell us about this because I've always said you guys are the hardest working band in the history
00:57of music
00:57You've proven that over and over again by releasing a new album every couple of weeks for a while it
01:01felt like
01:01And you were just non-stop. It was a crazy tear and it now took like a year of just
01:07working on this
01:08And now we have a brand new tour to announce on KROQ. That's right. What is it?
01:13The Gathering. Weezer The Gathering
01:16In September?
01:18Yeah, it's going to start first week of September
01:21And it goes on sale April 3rd
01:24And what exactly is The Gathering?
01:27That's the question
01:28It's the Weezer tour
01:31But there's more to it than that because there's symbols involved. You guys all have all sorts of other
01:36Easter eggs. I think that the fans will be a big fan of and then of course if you're in
01:40LA you get special stuff as well
01:41Because leading up to the actual tour, there's more
01:44There's a bit of a suburban cult vibe to this gathering
01:48We're making some videos. We did a photo shoot this week for it and wore some really funky clothes
01:54And it kind of it appears like everything is is you know normal and suburban but there's there's like almost
02:03like a spiritual
02:05Legalized spiritual discovery element to it
02:07Legalized being a very important word
02:09Yes, legalized spiritual discovery element to it
02:13But there's also some events that are local that are leading up to
02:17Yes, that's true
02:18Because you got a trivia night at Barney's Beanery and then you've got a pickleball tournament
02:23That's right
02:24So which one of you or do both of you play pickleball whose idea was this?
02:27Uh, that's a great question. Well, I'm not the pickleball player rivers is but, uh
02:33We'll both be at the beanies
02:35Barnery
02:36Barney's Beanery
02:37You drink enough. It's called yeah, yeah, okay
02:39Yeah, um
02:41Event and uh, we're
02:44Got a surprise for for the people that will be there
02:47And uh as far as pickleball goes I personally won't be at that one, but rivers will I believe
02:53Yeah, we're calling this initiation week
02:56So we have a bunch of events around town
02:58I'll be at pickleball as will
03:01Patrick and Scott
03:02How strong do you think your pickleball game is right now?
03:05I think we're gonna destroy everyone
03:06Oh, wow
03:07Yeah, no mercy
03:08Have you ever gotten a pickleball injury? Those are fairly common when you start out
03:12I have that's why i'm not gonna be there
03:14Yeah, right
03:15Um, yeah, I
03:17I
03:17I used to consider myself somewhat of an athlete when I was younger
03:21Yeah
03:22And so I don't take any uh game like this lightly and I and I go full throttle
03:28Yeah, go hard and
03:29I went a little too
03:31Too full throttle and I didn't have the right shoes on and I tweaked my knee
03:36Mm-hmm
03:36And I had to go to physical therapy for it
03:39Um, it's fine now, but um
03:43Yay
03:43Yes, I guess I could get the right shoes and and all that stuff
03:46But I just decided uh that my pickleball career is over
03:51Rivers, you're far too important for music and and this radio station to deal with a pickleball related injury
03:56Do you take care of yourself?
04:00Uh, yeah, the one injury I had was when my partner hit hit my finger with a paddle and it
04:06was sore for six months
04:07But so yeah, I like if the ball comes between us. I let them have it now
04:11Smart
04:11Yeah
04:12Well, the new album, uh is still untitled
04:15But we have a new song that's going to be coming out soon, uh called shine again
04:19Is this a hint to maybe an optimistic turn to the album?
04:23Is there anything you can tell us or even the title? Can you tell us the title one word of
04:27the title we'll take?
04:29Uh the title of the album. Yeah
04:31Well, we're still figuring it out
04:33Oh, so this is not a trick you're playing on us. You really don't know the title yet
04:36True. I mean, yeah, we're it's we're discussing it now like cover
04:42Uh title color all those things
04:45A lot of discussion. There's still a lot of colors on the table. Allie and I were going through we
04:48already placed our bets
04:49We're doing a purple
04:50Yeah, I know but so many have been taken already and then they get less of a darker blue
04:54Yeah, I'll have to I'll have to tell that coming
04:56And I think also it's like if I may interpret patrick's lyric our drummer wrote this song, but it sounds
05:02like uh
05:02Uh confidence in ourselves again and just trusting ourselves as a four-piece creative unit and
05:09And saying the sun is shining within us and to look there
05:14For inspiration what's amazing right now is that uh, you know go away is is the current single and it
05:21is kind of having this moment right now
05:23Where it is continuing to get bigger and bigger and you've experienced this so many times over the years with
05:28your music
05:29um, does it get lost on you?
05:31Are you still blown away that you've got your kind of hardcore long time weezer fans and then people that
05:36are discovering this as the first weezer song they've ever
05:40kind of embraced
05:42Totally blown away. Yeah, uh
05:45This I think uh
05:48Me and bethany came up with this song in 2010
05:52And then it ended up on a weezer record in 2014
05:56And nothing happened at that time
05:59And then the years go by
06:02We're about to put out a new single shine again and suddenly out of nowhere
06:07this one just starts going crazy
06:09and uh
06:11Never could have predicted it but it's it's awesome
06:16Not only is it great that this one song is has a new life
06:21But it just means like in the future who knows what could happen any song from our
06:25entire career could take off out of nowhere
06:28and none of us
06:31Could none of us
06:33Are the cause of it is just
06:35All the people out there they decide what they want to hear
06:37So you're as surprised as anyone when all when all of a sudden you find out that 10 years after
06:42the fact you go
06:43This this is getting the glory that it didn't necessarily get when the album came out. You're as surprised as
06:48the rest of us
06:50Yeah, utterly shocked like wow
06:51I think any of us would have bet any amount of money if you'd said you know go away is
06:56going to be a big hit and
06:58Although
06:59Although every tour I I have tried
07:03to
07:05uh
07:06influence what we play live and I've always
07:10would
07:11put this one up there again like like check this out
07:14This is a really good song
07:15It's really it's really good
07:17Of course, we'd have to have
07:19you know
07:20a guest singer every night which we've done before
07:23uh
07:23this happened also with uh
07:25I just threw out the love of my dreams a very similar thing
07:29um
07:30so
07:31I've always
07:32liked the song a lot and thought it should be in our rotation for for live shows for a good
07:37while
07:38um
07:39Um, so it's kind of um
07:41a nice feather in my cap to say see I told you so yeah
07:47And I got a lot of those
07:48That's good
07:49Yeah
07:49You got a cap full of feathers?
07:51I got well
07:51No, I have a lot that should be feathers if everyone will do it
07:56Well, tell us the next one so we can start spiking it on k-rock
07:59What's a weezer song that never got the glory it deserved?
08:04Oh god
08:05Oh my gosh, you got me there
08:05Uh, I mean, I always think everybody get dangerous is so powerful and the riff is so good
08:12um
08:13Man, there's so many good songs hold me from uh make believe
08:18All right, we're gonna start playing them on k-rock
08:20We won't ask anyone for permission
08:21I think it'd be cool to hear songs off of pinkerton on k-rock
08:23Yeah
08:23It didn't work the first time around in 96
08:27Great album
08:28I love pinkerton
08:29Through and through I think
08:30That was like the
08:32As we recently
08:33Actually I just re-listened to that album
08:34Well last time I got to watch uh weezer live they were playing the blue album in its entirety
08:37Yeah
08:38It was such a great way to kind of experience it right
08:40The songs in the order with with which they were originally meant to be heard and then uh
08:43Pinkerton similarly listened to it maybe back to that time when you would just listen to stuff from first track
08:48to last track
08:48So it would make great sense weezer the gathering is a celebration
08:52It's the new tour which has been announced
08:54We didn't even mention our good friends silver sun pickups are on this lineup
08:56All right
08:57The shins are doing it with them as well
08:58Uh poster is so cool looks like it was drawn by a child
09:02I have to ask you
09:02Was this drawn by a child or did one of you do the art for the uh
09:06The big gathering tour announcement
09:08It was done by this child that came to our photo shoot
09:10Oh yeah
09:12What's his name?
09:13Nicholas
09:13Nicholas
09:15So it was really drawn by a child
09:16Yes
09:17How old?
09:18I don't know
09:19Eight maybe
09:20It's child labor laws right there
09:21Now you got a problem
09:22His parents were there so they approved
09:24Been accepted
09:24Yeah
09:25That's nice because I think people look at stuff now
09:28And they go it must be AI generated
09:29Draw like a kid
09:30Oh I'm sure
09:31Authentic child draw the poster
09:33I think it's great
09:33Yeah
09:34It's beautiful
09:35Uh the events happening all week include as Allie said
09:38Barney's beanery trivia for fans
09:40Pickleball tournament with the band that's March 30th
09:42And then additional surprises will be happening around la
09:46As we get ready for the tour
09:47And we should mention the big dates you care about
09:49The kickoff obviously September 8th in Sacramento
09:51I got a drive for that one
09:52But then it all wraps up back here in Los Angeles
09:56On October 24th at crypto.com
09:58Which is going to be an amazing show
10:00And we'll give all the information about pre-sales
10:02But Tuesday March 31st you pre-sale
10:04And get yourself general on sale as April 3rd
10:07To get yourself tickets to the new Weezer tour just announced
10:09Rivers you still meditate two hours a day?
10:12Yep
10:13And when you're on tour does that change where it's one hour
10:17Like do you do an hour before the show or after the show?
10:21I try to do it all before the show
10:26Because usually after the show I'm so tired
10:28Like to sit for an hour before bed
10:32It's like oh that's a lot to ask
10:34Yeah I mean I've tried my share of meditating
10:36And I find I just fall asleep
10:38Yeah
10:38But I imagine that was
10:40That is a danger
10:40Yeah exactly
10:41Well you're mentally weak
10:42Rivers is mentally strong
10:44There's a major difference
10:44Well I mean yeah
10:45You understand that's why
10:47But I mean doing that
10:48Doing an hour of meditation
10:49You know but getting it done before a big show
10:53Does that make you a little Brian
10:55You're like yeah come on
10:56Can you do something that's a little bit bad for you
10:58Smoke a cigarette
10:59Do some Netflix as a pre-show ritual?
11:01Well pre-show rituals are very important as a performer
11:06Because your body is triggered to respond like oh I'm about ready to perform
11:14That's why we do vocal
11:16That's why I do vocal warm-ups
11:19Not only just to warm up my voice
11:21But to sort of ignite my body into that mode
11:26A show mode
11:27Like it remembers what it's supposed to do
11:30And it's really helpful
11:32And it relaxes you
11:33And I think key to performance is being relaxed
11:35And not being overcome by anxiety and things like this
11:45No we've never been a band that like
11:48Does cliche rock star things like drugs
11:53And smoke cigarettes
11:54I might say be careful playing pickleball
11:55Yeah that's rock and roll baby
11:57That's rock and roll
11:59As you know we wrap up every chat on K-Rock
12:01With not one but two epic questions
12:03Weezer's with us right now to celebrate
12:05A new tour announcement
12:06A new album in the future
12:08That we're not here to talk about in specifics
12:10But get ready for that of course
12:11And new music that we're playing on K-Rock
12:13Including a song that we'll be playing on April 1st
12:15It is not an April Fool's joke
12:16It is a new Weezer single that we can have
12:19That we look forward to called Shine Again
12:21Right now though
12:22Two epic questions
12:23Allie question number one
12:24If you could write a song for any video game franchise
12:27What would it be?
12:31James Bond
12:32Ooh
12:34That's been like
12:35Since I was a kid
12:36I think Live and Let Die
12:38Was one of the first movies I ever saw
12:41And it's one reason I think I became a musician
12:43Because my dad was like
12:44You know
12:45The theme song of Bond
12:46Is such an important piece of music
12:50For culture
12:51And you know
12:53If it's not going to be the Bond movie
12:56Because I don't know if they'll make any more
12:57The Bond video games could be the one
13:00You got an answer to this?
13:01If not
13:02I'll give you epic question number two
13:03I don't know video games
13:04Epic question number two guys
13:06You gave an anthem for the city of Beverly Hills
13:09Clearly
13:09One of the finest Weezer songs
13:11And it is maybe the greatest song ever written about Beverly Hills
13:14But Beverly Hills doesn't really need any more glory
13:15Have you thought about writing another song
13:17About a different, less glorious part of Southern California
13:20Like Rancho Cucamonga
13:21Or Pacoima
13:22Or Sherman Oaks
13:24I've written a song about Hawthorne
13:26Because I mentioned that that's where the Beach Boys were born
13:29And there's an airport there to get you the hell out of Hawthorne
13:32Oh
13:32Yeah
13:34Well maybe a future Weezer
13:36Some love for another lesser known part of Southern California
13:40I think it's deserving
13:41Guys thank you as always for stopping by to hang with us here
13:44We're very excited to see you back on tour again
13:46All the dates
13:47I'm sure tickets as well
13:48That we will have coming up
13:49But let's remember
13:50If you want to be a part of this
13:52You want to go to Barney's Beanery
13:53It's trivia night
13:54Is this going to be Weezer trivia
13:55Or all trivia?
13:57It's Weezer trivia
13:58And I asked some of the questions
14:01And I got the advanced questions
14:05And I couldn't answer one of them
14:06Oh really?
14:07Really?
14:07Oh no
14:08Who wrote the question?
14:09Did you write in Rivers?
14:10No
14:10Do you know the answers either?
14:12I think your fans are going to smoke you guys
14:14I really do
14:14Yeah I'm worried now
14:15Yeah that's why they put the pickleball in
14:17So they have a chance to win some
14:19We'll just play to your strength with the pickleball
14:21Yeah I mean they're deep
14:22They're really deep
14:24Is there a practice one that you can remember
14:26To see if me a real fan could get the answer right?
14:29Okay
14:29I think one was
14:31What was the record
14:36Rivers' dad played drums on?
14:39False
14:39Like dad?
14:39False
14:40Say false
14:41Drums on a record?
14:43Did it not?
14:45I don't remember that
14:46So I think false is the right answer
14:47I said Wayne Shorter
14:49But evidently there's a record
14:50Oh I thought you meant a Weezer record
14:51No
14:51Yeah okay I know that
14:52I know that
14:53Okay see he knows what his
14:54He knows his own father's
14:55I don't have no chance
14:56Wow that's going to be tough
14:58Even Rivers had a hard time with that question
15:00Yeah that's tough
15:01That's like when you get a practice SAT question
15:03You're like this question's so hard
15:05It's going to be great
15:05You guys always find ways to do fun things with your fans
15:08Obviously the music is the backbone of it all
15:10But you've always found more ways to make it more than just that
15:13So as a fan we appreciate it
15:14I know that I speak on behalf of the listeners
15:16When we say we appreciate it
15:17As a musician we appreciate you playing our music
15:19Hey absolutely
15:20You keep making the songs
15:21And we're going to start playing some old ones now
15:24The ones that never had the glory
15:25That they should have gotten as well
15:26And the new album
15:27When you're ready to talk about it
15:28Please come back to talk to us on KROQ
15:30Will do
15:30Yeah as always
15:31Thanks
15:31Rivers, Brian Weezer on KROQ
15:34KROQ
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