Betsy: Difference between revisions
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The van was bought on [[March 30]], [[1994]],<ref name="KKS132023">[[Karl Koch|Koch, Karl]] (as Karlophone). (September 13, 2023). Discord message. Archived from the original on Weezerpedia at [[Weezerpedia Discord Q&A with Karl Koch - September 2023]].</ref> and was supposed to bring the band to a gig at the Brave New World in San Francisco the next day. However, the van broke down and caused the gig to be cancelled.<ref>[[Historic event: 04/01/1994]]</ref> The vehicle was originally named "The Enforcer", which was quickly changed to "Betsy" after the band tried driving up The Grapevine on I-5 (towards San Francisco) and stalled out due to a previously unknown broken fuel pump. An attempt to floor the van to get out of the suddenly extremely dangerous situation resulted in the universal joint shattering, which let the driveshaft fall to the roadway, rendering the vehicle unable to move forward. Only by carefully gliding backwards diagonally across 3 lanes of busy interstate traffic to the shoulder, and not pitching the van over the steep cliff face of said shoulder, did the band and van survive.<ref name="DaJ95">[[Details article - January 1995]]</ref> | The van was bought on [[March 30]], [[1994]],<ref name="KKS132023">[[Karl Koch|Koch, Karl]] (as Karlophone). (September 13, 2023). Discord message. Archived from the original on Weezerpedia at [[Weezerpedia Discord Q&A with Karl Koch - September 2023]].</ref> and was supposed to bring the band to a gig at the Brave New World in San Francisco the next day. However, the van broke down and caused the gig to be cancelled.<ref>[[Historic event: 04/01/1994]]</ref> The vehicle was originally named "The Enforcer", which was quickly changed to "Betsy" after the band tried driving up The Grapevine on I-5 (towards San Francisco) and stalled out due to a previously unknown broken fuel pump. An attempt to floor the van to get out of the suddenly extremely dangerous situation resulted in the universal joint shattering, which let the driveshaft fall to the roadway, rendering the vehicle unable to move forward. Only by carefully gliding backwards diagonally across 3 lanes of busy interstate traffic to the shoulder, and not pitching the van over the steep cliff face of said shoulder, did the band and van survive.<ref name="DaJ95">[[Details article - January 1995]]</ref> | ||
It was first properly used at [[Weezer concert: 04/27/1994|a gig at the Gaslight]] on [[April 27]].<ref>[[Historic event: 04/27/1994]] by [[Karl Koch]]</ref> It carried Weezer from town to town throughout America and even into Canada throughout 1994. | It was first properly used at [[Weezer concert: 04/27/1994|a gig at the Gaslight]] on [[April 27]].<ref>[[Historic event: 04/27/1994]] by [[Karl Koch]]</ref> It carried Weezer from town to town throughout America and even into Canada throughout 1994. | ||
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Betsy would be replaced with a tour bus in fall 1994, when Weezer toured with [[Live]] for the [[Split Tour]].<ref>[[MOO Magazine article - November 1994]]</ref> The van would still live on in spirit, immortalized in the artwork for the [[2019]] single "[[It's Been So Long]]".<ref name="ALSI2019" /> | Betsy would be replaced with a tour bus in fall 1994, when Weezer toured with [[Live]] for the [[Split Tour]].<ref>[[MOO Magazine article - November 1994]]</ref> The van would still live on in spirit, immortalized in the artwork for the [[2019]] single "[[It's Been So Long]]".<ref name="ALSI2019" /> | ||
Betsy was put in storage for several years, and was finally sold (for $1) to [[Pat Finn]] in 1998, who used it to move from NYC to Portland OR. After several years of use the van was lent to a friend who left all the windows open in a rain storm, permanently rendering the cloth and foam covered interior a toxic environment. It was then sold to a local Portland band who eventually crashed and/or abandoned it somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. | |||
===Betsy II=== | ===Betsy II=== | ||