Campus Circle article - April 29, 2002

Digital interview with Rivers Cuomo
Publication	Campus Circle
Published	April 29, 2002
Interviewer	Rhea Cortado
Interviewee	Rivers Cuomo
Title	Rivers Never Run Dry
Sub-title	Weezer Frontman Rivers Cuomo on Fame, Ritalin and Weezer on Tour Forever
Format	Digital
External link	Archived on Internet Archive
References	See where this article is referenced on Weezerpedia

Rivers Never Run Dry Author: Rhea Cortado (Campus Circle) Published: April 29, 2002 Weezer Frontman Rivers Cuomo on Fame, Ritalin and Weezer on Tour Forever Rivers Cuomo's answers are short but with succinctness that escapes being rude. Photos of his stoic facial expressions creep into mind during the silence over the phone. "I'm not really shy. I just don't want to talk. Better things to do." The few snippets Cuomo does offer usually become contradictions to previous statements. "A lot of times I'll portray myself as something different from what I am anyway, so there's just tons of misinformation out there and it all kind of balances out." Weezer's triple platinum, self-titled "Blue" debut album was followed by the commercial failure and cult following of Pinkerton. Cuomo shows apathy towards the Pinkerton following that made Weezer's return with the self-titled "Green" album a success. "As soon as someone makes a record like Pinkerton or even better, I'm sure [Pinkerton fans would] abandon us in a second." With album five already in the works and slated for a February 2003 release——less than a year from the release of album four (Maladroit)——Cuomo is powerless to loyal fan approval. "[Popularity] is something I really want, but I would just keep marching. I feel pretty unstoppable... I don't need popularity anymore like I did when Pinkerton failed. I got tough from being alone for a while. I learned how to be self-sufficient emotionally." Weezer's popularity doesn't look to be fading anytime soon as they easily pick up new fans, especially adolescents. "I prefer young fans. Their tastes are purer, they are excited to rock out, they like catchy tunes, and music doesn't have to take on too much social significance for them. It's just music and that's how I hear things too. I really relate to twelve year olds in that sense." One day shy of last year's May 15 release of the poppy "Green" album, Weezer's fourth album Maladroit hits stores May 14. The first single "Dope Nose" has been receiving radio airplay for months since Cuomo sent demo songs to radio stations and posted mp3's on weezer.com independent of their record label, Interscope. For about a year, Weezer has been handling their record production, management and public relations. "Interscope's kind of totally out of the process now——which is fine with us... They make CDs, and ship ‘em to stores. That's something I don't want to do." Though arguably a pioneer of the pop-geek-rock genre, Cuomo would like the opportunity to play with the likes of System of a Down and Metallica. Unfortunately, the genres have trouble mixing together. Handpicked by Cuomo to open for Weezer in the fall of 2001, the metal band Cold left the tour because of negative response from the fans. "I'm kind of scared now because my favorite kind of music is metal and I'd love to tour those bands, but it got pretty violent before [Cold] quit the tour. The audience hated them... like throwing projectile missiles at the band." Ozma, a more Weezer-fan-friendly band, opened with Saves the Day on the 2002 East Coast tour, among other shows. "I think Ozma is going to be legendary at some point. I think they're doing really well by themselves. I don't even know if they want to sign to a major label, but I would hope that they'd become huge rock stars at some point." Though Cuomo digs Ozma's keyboard sound, it's unlikely that his pianist skills will be exercised on his own records. "Pianos are kind of gay on rock albums. We're striving for a much harder kind of rock, and I think keyboards take away from that." Despite having been together a relatively brief ten years, Weezer already has two tribute albums. Cuomo claims he has never listened to them, but comments on being an influence on other bands. "Nine out of ten times, I don't like it. I feel like people just take one superficial aspect of what we're about and copy it. They'll just take the lyrical persona or something but they won't take any of the hard rock. It just becomes all wussified." During the days of Pinkerton, Cuomo became reclusive, but now that he is back in the public eye, he still prefers to communicate from a distance. He feels that the personal relationship between the performer and fan should be limited to "rocking out" and symbiotically enjoying music. "I think in 2000 it started to feel really stupid because every night I'd meet everybody and I'd end up having the same conversations every night over and over. I realized I was expending a tremendous amount of energy and not really developing any kind of meaningful relationship with anyone. It seemed like a huge waste. At about the same time, I started really getting into the Internet and realized that there you could talk to the same people every night and their relationships can develop into something meaningful. So that's what I do now." The interaction between Cuomo's female AIM and message board buddies will most likely remain in cyberspace. "Yeah I would [like to meet them], but I'd be scared too. I'd be nervous." Outlook isn't bright for hardcore fans pining to meet Cuomo, and it will be a long wait for Weezer's moniker Goat Punishment to Los Angeles venues like the Viper Room or Knitting Factory. Now that Cuomo has regained his rock stardom he admits, "I way prefer to play huge arenas. Small clubs are a bummer, because it's not epic." Fame has not disappointed Cuomo, as he lives the dream of a rock star. "Being famous rules. I don't think I really thought about being famous too much. I thought about being on stage and having thousands of people screaming for me. I think everyone has those kind of fantasies." Like most rock stars, Cuomo frequently plays after drinking because it helps him "get more into the music." Aside from alcohol, "I've experimented with just about everything, but in a very scientific manner, and I take notes as to how the particular drug effects the songwriting process and the end result. For example, 'Hash Pipe' I wrote under the influence of three shots of tequila and Ritalin. [But] I almost always find that the best songs come about in a chemically sober state, but perhaps in an emotionally toxic state." Weezer's future plans are simple: touring for "pretty much three weeks on, three weeks off for the rest of our lives." During the three weeks off, the band records from a pool of hundreds of backlogged and new songs. Weezer is experimenting with songs written by guitarist Brian Bell, bassist Scott Shriner and drummer Pat Wilson——a new development, since Cuomo was the primary writer on previous albums. With Weezer's evolution being driven by the desire to rock, the misunderstood genius of Rivers Cuomo and the band's future record releasing endurance, fans can expect a decadent party of innovative tunes and metal-influenced riffs. But Cuomo's reincarnation of the dark rimmed nerd glasses and geek rock clothing doesn't go unappreciated. "For the most part I think it looks cool. I see our fans and I think ‘yeah, they got pretty good style,' especially the girls."