‘Everything Will Be Alright’ When Weezer Plays Belasco Nov. 7

Fred Hernandez

American rock band Weezer will be performing in the city that began their ascent into rock stardom back in 1992, at the Belasco Theater this November. Weezer came out of the rubble after ‘90s grunge bands, like Nirvana, dominated the airwaves. They brought hook-heavy, melodic guitar pop to the forefront of the music industry. They may not look like your typical rock band as they are more often than not seen wearing cardigans and vests instead of leather jackets and ripped jeans, but they are unmistakable in their sound. Members include Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals/lead guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Bryan Bell (rhythm guitar/backing vocals/keyboards) and Scott Shriner (bass/backing vocals).

At their first gig they actually opened for Keanu Reeves’ band, Dogstar. They were later signed to Geffen Records in June 1993. Their debut album, “The Blue Album,” introduced the world to Weezer’s brand of geeky pop with timeless singles like “Buddy Holly,” “Say It Ain’t So” and “Undone (The Sweater Song).” The band’s label relied only on word-of-mouth advertising in the beginning. A local Seattle radio station picked up the “Undone” song and put it on heavy rotation. The label quickly decided that it would the first single off of the album. Their video for it, directed by Spike Jonze, became a MTV classic and featured the band playing on a sound stage with dogs swarming the set.

Their quirky videos hastily contributed to their rise to fame. The album would go on to be certified triple platinum in the U.S. and still is Weezer’s highest selling album. In 1996 “Pinkerton” was released and was panned by critics due to its abrasive sound. The band took a break to regroup and deal with their instant success. The band got back together in 2000 and released their third album, “The Green Album,” in 2001. “Hash Pipe” and “Island in the Sun” were the breakout tracks on that album.

For their fourth album, Cuomo and the boys decided to ask the fans which of their demos they should put on the album. The experiment was a failure due to lack of constructive criticism. Weezer’s A&R rep took over the song selection. “Maladroit” was released in 2002, which was liked by fans but a commercial flop nonetheless. Their next album, “Make Believe,” was released in 2005 and saw single “Beverly Hills” reach the number one spot on the Billboard rock chart.

Weezer has released three more albums since, the most recent being “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” through Republic Records. Released Oct. 7, it debuted at number five on the Billboard 200. Weezer is currently touring to promote the album, and are more than happy to be playing for their city at the Belasco Theater come Nov. 7, exactly a month after the album’s release.

Weezer will be playing at the Belasco Theater Theater on Nov.  7. Tickets are available for purchase here.