Karl's Corner - 10/14/2005

...MB '05 Tour: Day 117: Foozer/Wee Fighters 19: East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena (Meadowlands)
Rain, traffic, confusion! But the rock cannot wait for those stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel or on the NJ Turnpike. Though we wish it could, as it was a stormy Friday and a lot of people couldn't get to the show on time.
Before we drove out to Jersey for the show, we went to the Mtv studios at Times Square, where the band was interviewed by Jim Shearer for next week's Mtv2 T-Minus Rock episodes. This show is a hour long show that plays (mostly) new rock videos, which are interspersed with interview clips with a band. It went really well! (and thanks for the 'karl props', Jim + weezer!) So all next week on Mtv2 (from 10/17 thru 10/21), you can watch weezer interviews during T Minus Rock. They also did a short interview for Video Mods and something for the Vh1 countdown show. Killing many birds with one stone and all that. The later interviews included the nice exchange: "What was the inspiration for the song "Beverly Hills"?" Pat: "I think it was a place called Beverly Hills".
Then we got back in the vans and cruised thru the incessant rain, under the lane restricted Lincoln Tunnel and out to East Rutherford, land of crazy crisscrossing parkways. Today's show was at the home of the New Jersey Nets and the Devils, Continental Airlines Arena, which everybody still calls Meadowlands anyway. Today was the latest in a long series of soaking rainy days here, and with the inevitable Friday afternoon rush hour, and enforced early set times for the Continental Airlines Arena, it was no suprise that the place was still in the process of filling up by the time Weezer started their set. Many people reported terrible traffic on the way to the show as they raced from jobs and school to catch the Foozer experience in time, only to find long slow lines to get in due to the tight security. Hot Hot Heat did a great job as usual, in the face of a crowd that was just gathering together as they played.
Once everybody was in the hizzy, the tallies showed that well over 15,000 people were in attendance, definitely a Foozer record so far! Wow, that's a lot of people.
Tonight was a total rock assault. Weezer's set was such a tight ship that it actually felt a bit shorter than planned tonight! 19 songs flew by like the rain outside, or some such goofy metaphor. It took some time for the crowd to come alive though. Perhaps people were tired and spaced from a long work/school week + the rough weather and traffic to get there, or perhaps theres strict no crowdsurfing/no moshing rules in effect. The barricade was particularly insane, wrapping around the whole floor practically. In any event, the overall effect was a more subdued crowd. Stoked, but not ballistic, as they say. But by halfway thru the set the arena was full at last, and there were finally signs of life. By the end they were roaring like a lion.
Thanks to 'Undone' helper who actually didnt 'help' at all, but still provided some comic relief by admitting to the arena that she didnt know the first thing about playing guitar. Oof! Well, it certainly made her day to be up there with the weez, and Rivers made a valiant effort to teach her a quick lesson. Hopefully she'll be taking some guitar lessons with her free guitar!
Big props to Spike Jonze and Jason Schwartzmannnn who came by the dressing rooms and visited after the Weezer set. Theyre on a little tour of their own right now, with Jason out promoting his new film "Shopgirl". So great to see those guys again!
As they tend to do, the Foo Fighters rocked! They had a vey special guest tonight, as Roger Taylor, the drummer of megaband Queen guested with the guysas they covered Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down"! Is it still a cover when you have an original bandmember playing it with you?
And finally - peoplee, please drive safe, dont dare drive if youve been drinking even a little, and dont speed even if your late getting to the show or going home. I saw the most brutal accident on the I-95 in Connecticut late at night after tonights show, a definite fatality, the guy just lying twisted and bloody in the rain soaked road, next to what was once some sort of SUV. A terrible image to take in, and that poor dude's just gone now. Theres simply no need to go 70-80+ mph in heavy traffic, especially not when its monsooning out. Stay safe!
Large size picture link: .
The (updated 10/07/05).
(Note: are bootlegs - do not buy them if you see them! *updated 10/14*)
...Mtv Brazil weezer interview here. (if you dont see the little picture of Rivers and Brian, use the search box for "weezer" and it will come up).
...There is a excellent article/interview with Rivers in the November issue of Shambhala Sun magazine. You can read an excerpt here.
NEW: This picture was not part of the original post. It was provided exclusively for Weezerpedia by Karl Koch.
[click on the photo for a larger size version]
Category:Karl's Corner - October 2005
2005/10/14