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Rivers Cuomo: Difference between revisions
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Cuomo was greatly interested in soccer from a young age, initially wanting to be a professional soccer player when he grew up.<ref>U.S. Soccer "Studio 90: Rivers Cuomo Interview" ''YouTube''. 24 June 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK8vvrcbTmM</ref> "...because I rarely saw my dad as I was growing up, I romanticized everything about him. One of the things I romanticized was his passion for soccer; I tried to cultivate it in myself. I took my first step trying to kick a soccer ball." Cuomo also played on a boy's soccer team.<ref>Rivers Cuomo "Rivers Cuomo - Lover in the Snow" ''YouTube''. 16 June 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMiLwwjK-0w&t=120s</ref> However, in 1981, Cuomo learned that he had been born with a congenital femoral deficiency in his right leg. Though his legs were of equal length at birth,<ref name="ilizarov">"Ilizarov Procedure" ''[[Riverpedia]]'' https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Ilizarov%20Procedure</ref> by the time of his diagnosis in 1981, Cuomo's right femur had grown 1¼ inches shorter than his left,<ref>[[Beverly's letter|Letter by Beverly Shoenberger]], May 1981</ref> reaching a 2-inch differential at his full height.<ref name="ilizarov" /> Cuomo's interests later pivoted to music. | Cuomo was greatly interested in soccer from a young age, initially wanting to be a professional soccer player when he grew up.<ref>U.S. Soccer "Studio 90: Rivers Cuomo Interview" ''YouTube''. 24 June 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK8vvrcbTmM</ref> "...because I rarely saw my dad as I was growing up, I romanticized everything about him. One of the things I romanticized was his passion for soccer; I tried to cultivate it in myself. I took my first step trying to kick a soccer ball." Cuomo also played on a boy's soccer team.<ref>Rivers Cuomo "Rivers Cuomo - Lover in the Snow" ''YouTube''. 16 June 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMiLwwjK-0w&t=120s</ref> However, in 1981, Cuomo learned that he had been born with a congenital femoral deficiency in his right leg. Though his legs were of equal length at birth,<ref name="ilizarov">"Ilizarov Procedure" ''[[Riverpedia]]'' https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Ilizarov%20Procedure</ref> by the time of his diagnosis in 1981, Cuomo's right femur had grown 1¼ inches shorter than his left,<ref>[[Beverly's letter|Letter by Beverly Shoenberger]], May 1981</ref> reaching a 2-inch differential at his full height.<ref name="ilizarov" /> Cuomo's interests later pivoted to music. | ||
Cuomo was first exposed to American rock band [[Kiss]] at age 7.<ref name="manofsteel">Beaujour, Tom. "Man of Steel" ''Guitar World''. March 1995. [[Guitar World interview with Rivers Cuomo - March 1995|Weezerpedia transcript]]</ref> "This little girl came through the ashram for a visit, and she brought a Kiss record, ''Rock and Roll Over''. She came over to our house, and while we played the Kiss record, we recorded ourselves running around in circles as the tape played. It was like, 'this kicks ass.'"<ref>"Rivers Cuomo" ''This Little Light'' (podcast). 2023 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rivers-cuomo/id1678378239?i=1000612593978</ref><ref>Coffman, Tim. "How KISS changed Rivers Cuomo’s life forever" 12 June 2023. ''Far Out Magazine''. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/how-kiss-changed-rivers-cuomos-life-forever/</ref> Cuomo later joined the Columbia Record Club and bought every Kiss album he could,<ref>Edwards, Gavin. "Rivers' Edge" ''Details''. February 1997. [[Details interview with Rivers Cuomo - February 1997|Weezerpedia transcript]]</ref> eventually bonding over his love of Kiss in the sixth grade with friend [[Justin Fisher]], the son of a friend of his mother's.<ref name="riversedge" /> Cuomo was first inspired to learn guitar after witnessing classmates perform "[[Wikipedia:Metal Health (song)|Metal Health]]" by [[Wikipedia:Quiet Riot|Quiet Riot]] at a school assembly.<ref>Leatham, Thomas. "Rivers Cuomo explains the true story behind how Weezer got their name" ''Far Out''. 6 February 2023. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/rivers-cuomo-how-weezer-got-their-name/</ref><ref group="lower-alpha">The influence of "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot is referenced in the Weezer tracks "[[Heart Songs]]" ("Quiet Riot got me started with the banging of my head") and "[[I Need Some of That]]" (which cribs the drum intro from "Metal Health")</ref> "I just couldn’t believe that kids my age were playing these real instruments and playing this song I loved... it just blew my mind! And so I got my own guitar shortly after that, and I started learning all the metal songs of the day."<ref>Gardner, Josh. "Weezer's Rivers Cuomo talks The White Album, channelling James Hetfield and his enduring love of guitar" ''MusicRadar''. 18 August 2016. https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/weezers-rivers-cuomo-talks-the-white-album-channelling-james-hetfield-and-his-enduring-love-of-guitar-641477</ref> Cuomo received his first guitar on his fourteenth birthday, in 1984.<ref>http://weezerpedia.com/catalogofriffs.html</ref> Cuomo's first band was a Kiss cover band, called [[Fury]], consisting of himself and [[James Kitts|his brother]] on guitar, Justin Fisher on bass, and [[Eric Robertson]] on drums. | [[Image:Rivers Cuomo - Guild Flying Star.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cuomo as a teenager]]Cuomo was first exposed to American rock band [[Kiss]] at age 7.<ref name="manofsteel">Beaujour, Tom. "Man of Steel" ''Guitar World''. March 1995. [[Guitar World interview with Rivers Cuomo - March 1995|Weezerpedia transcript]]</ref> "This little girl came through the ashram for a visit, and she brought a Kiss record, ''Rock and Roll Over''. She came over to our house, and while we played the Kiss record, we recorded ourselves running around in circles as the tape played. It was like, 'this kicks ass.'"<ref>"Rivers Cuomo" ''This Little Light'' (podcast). 2023 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rivers-cuomo/id1678378239?i=1000612593978</ref><ref>Coffman, Tim. "How KISS changed Rivers Cuomo’s life forever" 12 June 2023. ''Far Out Magazine''. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/how-kiss-changed-rivers-cuomos-life-forever/</ref> Cuomo later joined the Columbia Record Club and bought every Kiss album he could,<ref>Edwards, Gavin. "Rivers' Edge" ''Details''. February 1997. [[Details interview with Rivers Cuomo - February 1997|Weezerpedia transcript]]</ref> eventually bonding over his love of Kiss in the sixth grade with friend [[Justin Fisher]], the son of a friend of his mother's.<ref name="riversedge" /> Cuomo was first inspired to learn guitar after witnessing classmates perform "[[Wikipedia:Metal Health (song)|Metal Health]]" by [[Wikipedia:Quiet Riot|Quiet Riot]] at a school assembly.<ref>Leatham, Thomas. "Rivers Cuomo explains the true story behind how Weezer got their name" ''Far Out''. 6 February 2023. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/rivers-cuomo-how-weezer-got-their-name/</ref><ref group="lower-alpha">The influence of "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot is referenced in the Weezer tracks "[[Heart Songs]]" ("Quiet Riot got me started with the banging of my head") and "[[I Need Some of That]]" (which cribs the drum intro from "Metal Health")</ref> "I just couldn’t believe that kids my age were playing these real instruments and playing this song I loved... it just blew my mind! And so I got my own guitar shortly after that, and I started learning all the metal songs of the day."<ref>Gardner, Josh. "Weezer's Rivers Cuomo talks The White Album, channelling James Hetfield and his enduring love of guitar" ''MusicRadar''. 18 August 2016. https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/weezers-rivers-cuomo-talks-the-white-album-channelling-james-hetfield-and-his-enduring-love-of-guitar-641477</ref> Cuomo received his first guitar on his fourteenth birthday, in 1984.<ref>http://weezerpedia.com/catalogofriffs.html</ref> Cuomo's first band was a Kiss cover band, called [[Fury]], consisting of himself and [[James Kitts|his brother]] on guitar, Justin Fisher on bass, and [[Eric Robertson]] on drums. | ||
==Music career== | ==Music career== | ||
===Early career=== | ===Early career=== | ||
Cuomo and Fisher performed in several bands throughout the 80s, covering songs by bands such as Metallica, [[Yngwie Malmsteen]]<ref>Kandell, Steve. "Rivers Cuomo." ''Blender''. January/February 2006. ([[Blender interview with Rivers Cuomo - Jan/Feb 2006|Transcript/scans]])</ref>, and [[Fates Warning]]<ref name="riversedge" />, with Cuomo even taking guitar lessons from Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos.<ref name="manofsteel" /> In 1985, the pair formed the [[Wikipedia:Glam metal|glam metal]] band [[Avant Garde]], recruiting classmate [[Bryn Mutch]] on drums and brothers [[Kevin Ridel|Kevin]] and [[Eric Ridel]] on lead vocals and guitar, respectively. The band recorded three demo tapes between 1987 and 1989. In 1987, Cuomo attended a five-week music program at the [[Wikipedia:Berklee College of Music|Berklee College of Music]] in Boston, where he met Texas native [[Michael Stanton]], who later moved to Connecticut to replace Eric Ridel.<ref name="riversedge" /> In 1989, the band relocated to Los Angeles and changed their name to "Zoom," recording another demo tape in early [[1990]]. Zoom played their final show in March of that year before their ultimate dissolution. | [[Image:Avant garde.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Avant Garde]]Cuomo and Fisher performed in several bands throughout the 80s, covering songs by bands such as Metallica, [[Yngwie Malmsteen]]<ref>Kandell, Steve. "Rivers Cuomo." ''Blender''. January/February 2006. ([[Blender interview with Rivers Cuomo - Jan/Feb 2006|Transcript/scans]])</ref>, and [[Fates Warning]]<ref name="riversedge" />, with Cuomo even taking guitar lessons from Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos.<ref name="manofsteel" /> In 1985, the pair formed the [[Wikipedia:Glam metal|glam metal]] band [[Avant Garde]], recruiting classmate [[Bryn Mutch]] on drums and brothers [[Kevin Ridel|Kevin]] and [[Eric Ridel]] on lead vocals and guitar, respectively. The band recorded three demo tapes between 1987 and 1989. In 1987, Cuomo attended a five-week music program at the [[Wikipedia:Berklee College of Music|Berklee College of Music]] in Boston, where he met Texas native [[Michael Stanton]], who later moved to Connecticut to replace Eric Ridel.<ref name="riversedge" /> In 1989, the band relocated to Los Angeles and changed their name to "Zoom," recording another demo tape in early [[1990]]. Zoom played their final show in March of that year before their ultimate dissolution. | ||
After the members of Zoom were evicted from their appartment, Cuomo moved in with a girlfriend and got a job working for Tower Records in Anaheim, California in [[1990]] before transferring to the company's Sunset Strip that summer.<ref>"Tower Records" ''[[Riverpedia]]'' 4 September 2020. https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Tower%20Records</ref> While working for Tower Records, Cuomo first met [[Pat Finn|Patrick Finn]], who encouraged Cuomo to write and sing his own songs and exposed him to bands that would later greatly influence his songwriting, like [[Nirvana]], [[the Beach Boys]], and the [[Pixies]].<ref name="30thoral>Wood, Mikael. "Weezer’s Blue Album at 30: The inside story of the debut that launched L.A.’s nerdiest band" ''Los Angeles Times''. 25 March 2024. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-03-25/weezer-blue-album-oral-history-30th-anniversary-rivers-cuomo</ref> Finn introduced Cuomo to future [[Weezer]] bandmates [[Patrick Wilson]], [[Jason Cropper]], and [[Matt Sharp]], in addition to [[Karl Koch]]. | After the members of Zoom were evicted from their appartment, Cuomo moved in with a girlfriend and got a job working for Tower Records in Anaheim, California in [[1990]] before transferring to the company's Sunset Strip that summer.<ref>"Tower Records" ''[[Riverpedia]]'' 4 September 2020. https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Tower%20Records</ref> While working for Tower Records, Cuomo first met [[Pat Finn|Patrick Finn]], who encouraged Cuomo to write and sing his own songs and exposed him to bands that would later greatly influence his songwriting, like [[Nirvana]], [[the Beach Boys]], and the [[Pixies]].<ref name="30thoral">Wood, Mikael. "Weezer’s Blue Album at 30: The inside story of the debut that launched L.A.’s nerdiest band" ''Los Angeles Times''. 25 March 2024. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-03-25/weezer-blue-album-oral-history-30th-anniversary-rivers-cuomo</ref> Finn introduced Cuomo to future [[Weezer]] bandmates [[Patrick Wilson]], [[Jason Cropper]], and [[Matt Sharp]], in addition to [[Karl Koch]]. | ||
In early [[1991]], Cuomo and Wilson formed the band [[Fuzz]] with bassist [[Scottie Chapman]]. Fuzz featured a more Grunge-influenced sound, reflective of the music Cuomo was interested in at the time.<ref>Hiatt, Brian. "The Strange Birth and Near Death of Weezer" ''Rolling Stone''. 28 August 2019. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/weezer-blue-album-25th-anniversary-877089/</ref><ref name="rechist1">[[Recording History - Page 1|Weezer Recording History - Page 1]]</ref> The project was short-lived; after a single 8-track demo and two shows, the band fizzled out as Cuomo and Wilson shifted focus toward a new project, [[60 Wrong Sausages]], formed alongside Finn and Cropper. Throughout the fall of 1991, the band recorded a demo, held several rehearsals, and performed one show before dissolving. | In early [[1991]], Cuomo and Wilson formed the band [[Fuzz]] with bassist [[Scottie Chapman]]. Fuzz featured a more Grunge-influenced sound, reflective of the music Cuomo was interested in at the time.<ref name="rollingstone25">Hiatt, Brian. "The Strange Birth and Near Death of Weezer" ''Rolling Stone''. 28 August 2019. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/weezer-blue-album-25th-anniversary-877089/</ref><ref name="rechist1">[[Recording History - Page 1|Weezer Recording History - Page 1]]</ref> The project was short-lived; after a single 8-track demo and two shows, the band fizzled out as Cuomo and Wilson shifted focus toward a new project, [[60 Wrong Sausages]], formed alongside Finn and Cropper. Throughout the fall of 1991, the band recorded a demo, held several rehearsals, and performed one show before dissolving. | ||
===Weezer=== | ===Weezer=== | ||
[[Image:Very early weezer.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Weezer's earliest incarnation. From L—R: [[Jason Cropper]], [[Patrick Wilson]], Rivers Cuomo, [[Matt Sharp]]]]Following the dissolution of 60 Wrong Sausages, Cuomo and Wilson expressed a shared interest in moving toward the type of songs that bands like [[Nirvana]] and the [[Pixies]] were recording. "There was so much anxiety about authenticity at the time," said Cuomo, "and we’d all just made this radical transformation from being metalheads to being alternative. You didn’t want anyone to find out what you looked like 12 months ago."<ref name="30thoral" /> The two resolved to [[The 50 Song Project|attempt to write fifty songs]] between the two of them before pursuing a new band project.<ref name="rechist2">[[Recording History - Page 2|Weezer Recording History - Page 2]]</ref> "We wanted to write a bunch of tunes before we even played together," said Cuomo,<ref name="manofsteel" /> "so that we could have an idea of where we were heading before we started wasting our time and money paying for a rehearsal studio. I didn't want to get back into a band until I felt like I had a bunch of songs that were good and that had cohesive style. So I just wrote songs and didn't play at all for a long time." Though the two did not make it to fifty songs, future Weezer tracks such as "[[Undone - The Sweater Song]]," "[[My Name Is Jonas]]," and "[[The World Has Turned and Left Me Here]]" were written during this period.<ref name="rechist2" /> In January of 1992, Wilson shared a tape of the duo's material with [[Matt Sharp]] while the latter was living in Berkeley.<ref name="riversedge" /> Sharp was so impressed that he insisted on being Cuomo's bass player, resolving to move back to Los Angeles. "Rivers was able to articulate something that up to that point had been elusive for me," said Sharp, "I thought, ‘I’m doing this, no matter what has to be done to make it happen.'"<ref name="rollingstone25" /> Cuomo was greatly validated by Sharp's confidence. "It confirmed all my greatest hopes for myself." said Cuomo, "Knowing he felt so strongly about the songs was all the confidence I needed."<ref name="rollingstone25" /> | |||
Cuomo, Wilson, Cropper, and Sharp formed the band that would later be dubbed [[Weezer]] in February of [[1992]], rehearsing for three days at T.K. Productions & Rehearsal Studios in west Los Angeles. The band performed their first concert the following month, at [[Weezer concert: 03/19/1992|Raji's on Hollywood Boulevard]], performing in support of headliner [[Dogstar]] (a band notable for featuring actor [[Wikipedia:Keanu Reeves|Keanu Reeves]] on bass).<ref>[[Historic event: 03/19/1992]]</ref> Hours before the show, Cuomo dubbed the band "Weezer," a childhood nickname given to him by his father after the character "Wheezer" ([[Wikipedia:Bobby Hutchins|Bobby Hutchins]]) from ''[[Wikipedia:Our Gang|The Little Rascals]]''.<ref>"My dad's nicknames for people and things" ''[[Riverpedia]]'' https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/My%20dad%27s%20nicknames%20for%20people%20and%20things</ref><ref>Leatham, Thomas "Rivers Cuomo explains the true story behind how Weezer got their name" ''Far Out''. 6 February 2023. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/rivers-cuomo-how-weezer-got-their-name/</ref> | |||
===Signing to Geffen and The Blue Album=== | ===Signing to Geffen and The Blue Album=== | ||