Penn State Collegian article - February 8, 2002

Rock-ous tunes
Weezer plays its own way
By Caralyn Greenemail, Collegian staff writer
Weezer
Opening act: Saves the Day and Ozma
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Date: Tuesday
Place: The Bryce Jordan Center
Tickets: Priced at $29, tickets were still available at press time.
Rock music used to mean sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
It still can.
Weezer, the current embodiment of rock, embraces the stereotype, but at the same time, totally challenges it. They've been known to ride scooters, play Dungeons and Dragons and sing about emotions other than the aspiration to get laid. Yet, in their cardigans, they rock. On Tuesday, Weezer will be bringing their personal and raucous rock style to The Bryce Jordan Center.
Frontman Rivers Cuomo, famous for his Buddy Holly glasses, serves as lyricist, vocalist and guitarist. Fender-guitar-enthusiast Brian Bell lays down guitar tracks and background vocals, while recent birthday-boy Pat Wilson backs the boys on drums. Bassist Scott Shriner, hailing from the AC/DC school of hard rock, is the newcomer, replacing former bassist Mikey Welsch, who replaced original bassist Matt Sharp.
The Hyper-Extended Midget Tour will mark Weezer's first State College visit.
"The promoter of the show thought that (The Bryce Jordan Center) would be a perfect match," said Bernie Punt, director of sales and marketing for the center. "The timing was right," he added, mentioning that students seem to be embracing concerts this semester. Punt expects a crowd of 6,000 for the Weezer concert, many of whom will be Penn State students.
"I've heard they really jam out, so I want to see what they can do," said Mike Hast (junior-mechanical engineering), who is familiar with Weezer's singles.
Some students are anticipating a high energy, quality concert; some may just want to see those guys from that sumo wrestler video, otherwise known as "Hash Pipe," but others want to hear their favorite band live. "I don't care what they play," said Andy Veres (freshman-liberal arts). "As long as Weezer shows up and plays music, I'll be happy." Veres' genuine passion is for the music that will make up Weezer's upcoming fourth album, the fan-titled Maladroit.
The boys of Weezer have been laboring away, creating an impressive collection of demos and completed songs that they are hoping to officially release this spring. They have made all of the tracks available on www.weezer.com for free, though. The downloads have rotated by straight-from-the-studio updates, and all previous versions of the songs are relocated to fan sites.
Veres, who checks the site more often than he calls his parents, said he loves hearing the process of creating an album, and asserted, "Weezer has been the best band in the world for their fans - Weezer is on the eve of an album that's going to kick more ass than anything," he added.
Veres couldn't pin down just one reason why he adores Weezer so much, but Sara Raysinger (sophomore-art education) did. "Weezer's a real band," she said. "There's a lot of pop stuff out there, but they don't come up with their own stuff like Weezer." Raysinger appreciates Weezer's "random" and "sarcastic" lyrics, and enjoys tracking down b-sides and rarities.
Not all Weezer fans are die-hard addicts though. Alex Wiker (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) is one of those casual fans. "I've seen their videos, a lot of my friends like them and I love the "Sweater Song," from back in the day," Wiker said. However, Wiker has not bought a ticket for the show, saying that $29 is too much for a concert.
The "Weezerheads," as Punt calls them are the ones responsible for the sold-out floor tickets at the Weezer show. "There's a lot of excitement down there. They want to be as close as they can to the stage and performers," Punt said.
Although the floor is sold out, tickets are still available for other sections.
No matter where they sit, all fans in attendance will witness a dynamic rock show, an enduring rock band and distinctive rock style.
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