Palo Alto Online article - May 30, 1997
| Print interview with Brian Bell | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Palo Alto Online |
| Published | May 30, 1997 |
| Author | Jim Harrington |
| Interviewer | Jim Harrington |
| Interviewee | Brian Bell |
| Title | In the shadow of success |
| Sub-title | After scoring big with its debut, Weezer now has difficulty getting its new songs played on radio or MTV. The band hits Shoreline tonight. |
| Format | |
| Associated concert | Weezer concert: 05/30/1997 |
| External link | Archive via Palo Alto Online |
| References | See where this article is referenced on Weezerpedia |
|
In the shadow of success
Sting's line "I want my MTV"--from the Dire Straits' single "Money for Nothing"--was not only a ready-made slogan for the music video channel, but also a succinct verbalization of the hefty role that the television station plays in the music business. The facts are: MTV can make a band, and MTV can break a band. Case in point: Weezer, a band that's fortunes have been clearly linked to that powerful music promoter. With its ground-breaking video for the hit song "Buddy Holly," Weezer rode on MTV's substantial shoulders to superstardom in 1995, selling more than 2 million copies sold of its self-titled debut. On the second go-around, with the disc "Pinkerton," MTV has not been so kind with its video rotation and has pretty much ignored the band. And, after playing the singles from the first album to near overkill, alternative rock radio has basically turned its collective back on "Pinkerton." Sales have been reflective of the situation. "It's kind of a Catch-22," said Weezer guitarist Brian Bell during a recent telephone conversation from Newton, Mass. "MTV will play it if it's a hit on radio. And radio will play it if it is being played on MTV." But the Weezer guys--not content with letting "Pinkerton's" fate rest solely with powerful media moguls--are taking things into their own hands. After playing theater-size venues, such as a well-received Fillmore show in San Francisco late last year, the band is now opening up for the mega-selling No Doubt at large outdoor sheds and indoor arenas. The tour touches down at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View tonight, May 30. "We hope to reach a more broad audience this way opening up for a band as popular as No Doubt," Bell said. Weezer should do well with the large, likely young, ska- and pop-loving crowds. Bell said the band's roughly 40-minute set will be slanted toward popular songs from the first album--meaning: "Buddy Holly," "Say It Ain't So" and "My Name is Jonas"--songs that the crowds will likely know. Bell understands that most of the people in attendance won't be there to see Weezer and therefore won't know some of the band's more obscure songs. "We got to think of it this way; we are playing for No Doubt's crowd," he explained. "We are just going to crank out our hit songs." There haven't been any hit songs from "Pinkerton"--at least not like "Undone--the Sweater Song" from the first album. There are definite reasons that MTV and alternative radio have mostly overlooked the second album. And those reasons are both a blessing and a curse. As a full-length listening experience, "Pinkerton" is arguably a better disc than "Weezer." It's definitely a more cohesive album both sonically and lyrically. The band's fuzzy mix of '60s pop and guitar-oriented rock jumps out of the garage and takes the quartet to places that simply didn't seem possible from the sound of the first album. Lead man Rivers Cuomo delves much deeper lyrically on "Pinkerton," dealing with some very personal themes, while still keeping it catchy. What "Pinkerton" lacks are the type of obvious singles--the kind that immediately jump out at listeners--found on the band's first release. "This new record is way darker--musically and lyrically," Bell stated. "And noisier." Bell--like most people--credits the "Buddy Holly" music video as one of the main reasons that "Weezer" went multi-platinum. The innovative short, directed by Spike Jonze, spliced the band, performing in 1950s garb, into Al's Diner on the TV show "Happy Days." Like Tom Hanks meeting and shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy in "Forrest Gump," the Weezer video came off without a hitch, and the scenes placing the boys with the Fonz and the rest of the "Happy Days" gang seemed real. The video would score major trophies from the MTV Video Music and Billboard Music Video award shows. But the popularity of the video and song--which is Weezer at its corniest--brought up the quandary of whether the band was more than just a novelty with a really cool video. As if in direct reaction, the video for "Pinkerton's" first single, "El Scorcho," is basically just a straightforward performance video--sans gimmicks--well-suited for the more serious and irony-free lyrics. Bell says the band is taking a cautious and realistic approach to the post-"Weezer" productions. Bell is thrilled that "Pinkerton" has gone gold--selling more than 500,000 copies--which only seems poor in comparison to the "Weezer" numbers. He doesn't expect the band's subsequent works to top or even match the first album's sales levels. And they never dreamed would reach such lofty heights in the first place. "I thought, maybe, we'd sell 50,000 records," Bell said. "I was the optimist. The other band members thought just our relatives would buy it." What: Weezer, with No Doubt and Ednaswap, in concert When: 7:30 p.m. tonight, May 30 Where: Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View How much: Tickets are $22.50 (general admission) Information: (408) 998-2277 |