Karl Koch: Difference between revisions
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In March 1992, while Rivers, Matt and Justin Fisher moved into 2226 Amherst Avenue (home of "The Garage" rehearsal space, The Kitchen Tapes demos, and the Say It Aint So music video), Koch, Pat Finn and Takashi Hasegawa moved into The Fuller-Martel Plaza apartment complex on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, next door to the apartment that housed their friends in Wax (as well as future jackass members PJ Clapp (Johnny Knoxville), Handsome Jack, and Loomis). This apartment was known as The Blue Diamond Terrace. There Koch took a second job as a clerk in the nearby Wherehouse music and video store, at the corner of Sunset Blvd and La Brea Avenue. At that job he allowed dangerous gang members to shoplift Rodney O / Joe Cooley and Dr Dre cassingles in order to preserve his own safety, and watched with amusement as opportunistic thieves constantly grabbed karaoke machines and ran out the door with them, causing the store manager to chase after them screaming bloody murder. He also met Catherine O'Hara, Ice Cube, Henry Rollins, and Brad Pitt there, all of whom came in as customers. Brad Pitt bought the Lynyrd Skynyrd box set, claiming his last copy had been stolen at a recent party. Koch did not know who it was until he saw "Bradley Pitt" on Pitt's check, about which he was required to call a bank to get cleared due to store policy, leading to an awkward moment. | In March 1992, while Rivers, Matt and Justin Fisher moved into 2226 Amherst Avenue (home of "The Garage" rehearsal space, The Kitchen Tapes demos, and the Say It Aint So music video), Koch, Pat Finn and Takashi Hasegawa moved into The Fuller-Martel Plaza apartment complex on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, next door to the apartment that housed their friends in Wax (as well as future jackass members PJ Clapp (Johnny Knoxville), Handsome Jack, and Loomis). This apartment was known as The Blue Diamond Terrace. There Koch took a second job as a clerk in the nearby Wherehouse music and video store, at the corner of Sunset Blvd and La Brea Avenue. At that job he allowed dangerous gang members to shoplift Rodney O / Joe Cooley and Dr Dre cassingles in order to preserve his own safety, and watched with amusement as opportunistic thieves constantly grabbed karaoke machines and ran out the door with them, causing the store manager to chase after them screaming bloody murder. He also met Catherine O'Hara, Ice Cube, Henry Rollins, and Brad Pitt there, all of whom came in as customers. Brad Pitt bought the Lynyrd Skynyrd box set, claiming his last copy had been stolen at a recent party. Koch did not know who it was until he saw "Bradley Pitt" on Pitt's check, about which he was required to call a bank to get cleared due to store policy, leading to an awkward moment. | ||
At the Fuller apartment, which lasted from march 1992 till August 1993, Koch lived with Finn and Hasegawa, but they added a 4th | At the Fuller apartment, which lasted from march 1992 till August 1993, Koch lived with Finn and Hasegawa, but they added a 4th roommate in an illegal loft that Koch built into the dining room area. The 4th roommate was Pat Finn's little brother Brendan, then Darrin Pfieffer (later of Goldfinger and CFNY.FM in Toronto), then Finn and Kochs best friend John Drenning, and finally Patrick Wilson with his then girlfriend (future wife) Jennifer Wright. As weezer progressed and eventually locked in a record deal, both Finn and Drenning elected to move out of L.A., Hasegawa got another apartment, and Koch went to New York with weezer to help out with he making of what would later be known as The Blue Album. The Fuller Martel apartment was no more. | ||
After the Blue Album was made Koch moved into an apartment in Van Nuys with Rivers (and later Kevin Ridel) from January - May 1994. They moved in right when the 1994 Northridge Earthquake struck, but strangely their cheap apartment was undamaged and rated safe, and they simply had to endure as the power, water, gas and phone slowly got turned on over their first week in the new place, as well as long lines at the nearby damaged supermarkets. In this time period his role was cemented as guitar and backline tech, van driver, and general assistant for weezer. In May, Rivers completed his semester studying music at LAVC (across the street from the | After the Blue Album was made Koch moved into an apartment in Van Nuys with Rivers (and later Kevin Ridel) from January - May 1994. They moved in right when the 1994 Northridge Earthquake struck, but strangely their cheap apartment was undamaged and rated safe, and they simply had to endure as the power, water, gas and phone slowly got turned on over their first week in the new place, as well as long lines at the nearby damaged supermarkets. In this time period his role was cemented as guitar and backline tech, van driver, and general assistant for weezer. In May, Rivers completed his semester studying music at LAVC (across the street from the apartment), the Blue Album was finally released, and weezer hit the road at last. | ||
Koch worked in these roles from 1994-2000, with a hiatus in 1998-99 when he did his best to continue the Weezer Fanclub, which had lost its founders, Mykel and Carli Allen, in a terrible car accident in July 1997. In early 2001, after the summer of 2000 where he learned to be a webmaster for the rapidly growing weezer.net/weezer.com, he became a full time webmaster plus road photographer and videographer, and all around archivist. His roles as guitar and backline tech were relegated to new staff. Since then, as weezer has gone | Koch worked in these roles from 1994-2000, with a hiatus in 1998-99 when he did his best to continue the Weezer Fanclub, which had lost its founders, Mykel and Carli Allen, in a terrible car accident in July 1997. In early 2001, after the summer of 2000 where he learned to be a webmaster for the rapidly growing weezer.net/weezer.com, he became a full time webmaster plus road photographer and videographer, and all around archivist. His roles as guitar and backline tech were relegated to new staff. Since then, as weezer has gone through peoplds of touring, recording and hiatuses, Koch has continued in these roles and others, such as the creation of the Weezer DVD, some music videos, and contributing to a myriad of other weezer projects over the years. | ||
In 2002 He released his first music album as Karlophone, and followed up with another album in 2007. As of 2011, he continues managing a consistent work load with weezer projects, records more music for a 3rd karlophone album when he can, and still intends on getting back to fine art painting when he has time. | In 2002 He released his first music album as Karlophone, and followed up with another album in 2007. As of 2011, he continues managing a consistent work load with weezer projects, records more music for a 3rd karlophone album when he can, and still intends on getting back to fine art painting when he has time. | ||
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Koch recalls the band's primary interests revolving around the sub-pop grunge sound and the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]' funk sound. "I remember being in college...and we were like, 'Oh [[Mudhoney]]', but [[Nirvana]] was just another sub-pop band...who the hell knew what Nirvana was? Obviously, when ''[[Nevermind]]'' came out everyone took notice... It was kind of this realization that ''this is the sound''. These guys [[The Pixies]] and Nirvana have it right." | Koch recalls the band's primary interests revolving around the sub-pop grunge sound and the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]' funk sound. "I remember being in college...and we were like, 'Oh [[Mudhoney]]', but [[Nirvana]] was just another sub-pop band...who the hell knew what Nirvana was? Obviously, when ''[[Nevermind]]'' came out everyone took notice... It was kind of this realization that ''this is the sound''. These guys [[The Pixies]] and Nirvana have it right." | ||
He recalls that the night Weezer was signed was "chaos. I just remember this insane party. Todd, our guy, came over. It was just nuts. But that paled in comparison to the going away party." Koch was able to fly out to New York City with [[Weezer]] under the [[Geffen Records|Geffen]] contract. In New York City, Koch documented the entire process of recording in video. Much of this material is viewable on the [[Video Capture Device|VCD]]. Early on, he served as the band's driver, transporting the boys around California for early shows in his large van, [[Betsy]]. He was also a defacto roadie. | He recalls that the night Weezer was signed was "chaos". I just remember this insane party. Todd, our guy, came over. It was just nuts. But that paled in comparison to the going away party." Koch was able to fly out to New York City with [[Weezer]] under the [[Geffen Records|Geffen]] contract. In New York City, Koch documented the entire process of recording in video. Much of this material is viewable on the [[Video Capture Device|VCD]]. Early on, he served as the band's driver, transporting the boys around California for early shows in his large van, [[Betsy]]. He was also a defacto roadie. | ||
Koch is considered by many to be the number one authority on all things Weezer. In addition to running Weezer's website, Koch posts daily updates in his own news feature called [[Karl's Corner]]. His production credits include the band's DVD, [[Video Capture Device]] and videos for "[[Pink Triangle]]", "[[Photograph]]", "[[Slob]]", the music video for [[The Special Goodness]]' "[[Life Goes By]]" of which Weezer's [[Patrick Wilson|Pat Wilson]] is a member, the videos for "[[Blast Off!]]" and "[[Lover In The Snow]]" from ''[[Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]'', and the video for "[[My Brain Is Working Overtime]]" from ''[[Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]'' by Weezer frontman [[Rivers Cuomo]]. Koch offers a unique and less biased opinion than the members of Weezer. He occasionally posts on the [[Albumsix]] forums under the name [[Karlophone]]. | Koch is considered by many to be the number one authority on all things Weezer. In addition to running Weezer's website, Koch posts daily updates in his own news feature called [[Karl's Corner]]. His production credits include the band's DVD, [[Video Capture Device]] and videos for "[[Pink Triangle]]", "[[Photograph]]", "[[Slob]]", the music video for [[The Special Goodness]]' "[[Life Goes By]]" of which Weezer's [[Patrick Wilson|Pat Wilson]] is a member, the videos for "[[Blast Off!]]" and "[[Lover In The Snow]]" from ''[[Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]'', and the video for "[[My Brain Is Working Overtime]]" from ''[[Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]'' by Weezer frontman [[Rivers Cuomo]]. Koch offers a unique and less biased opinion than the members of Weezer. He occasionally posts on the [[Albumsix]] forums under the name [[Karlophone]]. | ||