Karl's Corner - 04/25/2001

...I finally have a confirmed list of shows for the Europe Tour #1 (June 15-July 8th). I realize that the US tour (April 28 - June 14?) is starting this weekend and I still dont have the final list of confirmed dates up, but I myself am still waiting on them. Any day now...

...Japan Tour: more fan reports!

• i went to their gig on 21st of April in osaka! it was brilliant!!! Rivers spoke some japanese all the time. last summer they played at club quatrro in osaka before summer sonic. he asked us "GENKI?" (this means "how are you?") everybody answered "GENKIIIIIIIII!" I asked him later, "Rivers GENKI?" and then he answered me "GENKI" ...sooo cuuuuute!

this time i said to weezer "weezer KAKKOII!!" (this means "weezer is so cool!") it was not good timing. (last time was very really perfect timing) Pat started to play, but Rivers answered me! he laughed and said "KAKKOII" ...soooooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuute!!! everyone in weezer don't understand what "KAKOOII" means except Rivers. but i'm happy!

i like "ISLAND IN THE SUN!" it's good song. of course the other songs good also! i went to the club stomp after gig. i asked him "will you play in reading festival?" they'll play in london in July.right? (Rivers said "in June". when i listened to his answer, he's too busy to remember his plan...GANBARE Rivers!) and i'm going to london in August so i want to see them in london. Rivers said they coming back to Osaka in Sptember. i'm not in osaka in September... please please play in london. i like music festival,but i want to watch them their gig! and i want to go to back stage!("ATUKAMASII?")

i had an amazing time last summer. i went to summer sonic in osaka. when it was sun set time, Brian started play IN THE GARAGE. japanese summer is humid & really hot! so i hate it. but it was getting cold and beautiful sky + IN THE GARAGE. i never forget this situation!

i was in front of Mikey (summer sonic) and Brian came to Mikey, but his guitar cord was little bit short to get to Mikey. he went back to his place. the band members don't remember a lot of things, but we don't forget. i'm going to suport them forever,please make great songs + great show!
--yoshiko takada

• I went to see Weezer's shows on 17th and 23rd both @ Nagoya Diamond hall. This is a report from 23rd show. People say, audience of Nagoya are always very quiet...I should say TOO QUIET! But what I saw there was "Going-nuts, can't-wait-to-see-weezer fans"! They were really going nuts before the show start, one guy kept shouting "WEEZEEEER!!". Finally They came on stage and started playing "I DO"... On this tour, they played some new songs from Green album like "Hash pipe" and "photograph", but it seems not so many Japanese fans know new songs yet (I thought everybody would sing-along those songs too). But the audience enjoyed the new songs thogh. I saw Mikey saying before show starts, he said "I forgot to bring "Darth Vader mask!!". Looks like he got another toy in Japan. Rivers looked much happier than the 17th show, he spoke some Japanese words like "Genki?(how are you)","Sugoi(wow)","Oyasuminasai(good night)" etc. After the show I had chance to get autographs of all the members on Pikerton CD jacket. It is my treasure and will be forever!
--Rie Saito, Shizuoka pref.

• weezer had a show slated for april 10th in nagoya. So weezer was going to be in japan during the same time i was traveling with my family. so as fate would have it, i made arrangements to attend one show. as you can imagine i was consumed with anticipation for both trips. however, no sooner did i arrive in japan when i found out that show was cancelled. i was devastated. i didn't go to japan just to see weezer, but it would have been a nice ending to a wonderful life experience. furthermore, the new show was scheduled for the 17th and i was leaving on the 12th. Did i push fate too far? maybe. instead of leaving, i felt i must see the show. what can i say? it sweetly rocked and rhymed...hard, but not too loud.

the show was basically similar to the american one with less stage props. rivers had a new haircut and guitar strap. everyone seemed like they were having fun. i know i did. this was the best show i had ever been to. in addition, it was the first and probably last show which enabled me to stand in the front from start to finish. hey, i'm just a wee girl, and american shows are just too rough. other noteworthy mentions: the crowd was very respectful and full of elvish energy. "simple pages" was smooth and sweeter than honey. magic was afoot in nagoya that evening. for me it was much of what i imagined it to be, my heart was full, my mind at peace, and my vocal chords stung.
--lynn

• I watched the show tonight near MIKEY in front of everyone, It was best position. I presented my photos to BRIAN. he watched that soon, I'm so happy. and he and MIKEY wrote their autographs on my christmas song CD for me, and take pictures with me. I'm very happy. But I can't do with RIVERS. --(??????)

• I'm comin' back from WEEZER's concert in Tokyo. Well Today's show was successful! Audience welcomed WEEZER with loud cheers. Rivers said? some Japanese words as he did in Osaka and Nagoya, and He sang Japanese song twice!(not bands play, just sing by himself) I think Today's show was much better than last Tokyo one(at Blitz) They played poweful. Audience grew livelier. (but many crowd surfer went past above my head,and someone kicked my head and eye..oh no..)

Durling the show, Pat throw many things to the audience. Like water bottle, orange,....and so on.

when the show ended, Mikey throw his bass guitar!! And it hit the amp!! Beer can which was on the amp fell down, and the amp (small one which is on the big one)fell down too. Mikey's expression was so nice & cute like.."Oh my god!!!" he covered his face with his hands when he saw the amp with surprise.

After the show. Some kids were waiting for WEEZER at the exit. Brian showed up first, (He got in the car) He was kind to the fans. some could get his autograph and take pics. about 5 minute after Brian left, Mikey showed up. He was surrounded by fans when he was waitin' for taxi. Kindly, he gave his autograph and take many pics with many fans.
Tommorow is the last show in Japan... I'm really sad..
--Marie from Tokyo

• I just came back from the show at Zepp in Tokyo. Let me just tell you that the show tonight was REALLY AMAZING!! I've also attended the show at Blitz, but I personally think it was much better tonight. It seemed like the guys were enjoying it more than the last time which made me pretty happy. The audience were already so excited even before they came out and everyone sang along the whole time! (except for the new songs I guess?) I was really amazed by Rivers's Japanese, I guess he has improved his Japanese a lot over the years.. After the show, I went out for drinking with some of the weezer fans I met online and It was really cool to meet them and talk about weezer hard core stuff.I can't wait to see them again tomorrow, I know it will rock just like tonight.
* ami *

• My name is Kyoko and i live in Osaka JAPAN. I went to weezer live concert at Osaka on 21st n 22nd!! it was sooo cooool!!! everyone was so excited even before starting show! rivers spoke japanese very well so i feel so happy and it's so cute! when i shouted towards weezer "welcome back to OSAKA!!" and "we love weezer!!", rivers said "thank you" so i feel quite happy! today, i'll go to their last show in japan. i feel so sad, coz they will leave japan soon. so please say to them that please come back japan as soon as possible!
--kyoko o(^-^)o

• My name is Jimi Lee, a girl lives in Osaka. I went to the show at ZEPP Osaka on 20th and 21st. It was great at both of shows, but the 21st was more special. I could enjoy Brian's side close to the stage. I am big fan of him!!! His guitar playing was so cool!! Rivers was powerful, and the other members were enjoying playing. It seemed they had a lot of fun!!

After the 21st show, I handed the ceramic weezer doll that I made by myself to the tour staff. I want to know did they get or not...??? I hope that they already got it, and they like it.
" mata nochi hodo " ( See you soon!! )
--Jimi LEE, Osaka

• When I attended Weezer concert in Japan, I found some persons who were moshing and body surfing on top of EVEN GIRLS!! They didn't apologize to the girls, so I got very angry with them. I have attended some shows in US, there was few guys who was violent. But even if they exist, they were just forming one group. They didn't dive to unrelated people. I think Japanese fans watched various shows in US on TV and regarded the activities as ordinary.
--Ryo Nakano