Over a few weeks during the summer and fall, it seemed like scarcely a day went by without a new update from divisive power pop veterans Weezer. Some of these updates were welcome, such as when the group signed to Epitaph and when they reissued the classic Pinkerton as a deluxe two-disc set. Many of the band's decisions, however, had even their most dedicated followers scratching their heads. From corporate sponsorships to ridiculous onstage antics and promotional stunts, there's no question the band had some serious downs this year, leading us to present our list of the Five Stupidest Things Weezer Did in 2010.
Head to the next page to begin the unfortunate countdown. 5. Agreeing to break up for $20 million
Frustrated by their sub-par music and non-stop self promotion, Weezer hater James Burns decided to launch a campaign to raise $10 million to bribe the band to break up. Weezer's response? Drummer Patrick Wilson took to Twitter and joked that the band would do the deluxe breakup treatment for $20 million. It might have been funny, except that Weezer's track record in recent years has been so poor that it probably wouldn't have be hard to find a few million people willing to support the cause. The whole clusterfuck culminated in founder Burns getting death threats from Weezer diehards (yes, apparently Weezer diehards still exist).
4. Death to False Metal
When Weezer announced that they would be releasing a rarities compilation, many fans were overjoyed. After all, Weezer are well known for having a slew of impressive B-sides and demos left over from their early days. Unfortunately, this train wreck of a collection consists mostly of recent outtakes, many of which have been reworked to sound distinctly like "new Weezer." From the cringe-worthy romance of "The Odd Couple" to the syrupy cover of Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart," Death to False Metal is full of the same tacky songwriting and glossy production that has marred their recent albums. 3. Hurley's WTF album cover
In recent years, Weezer's dubious output has suggested that they're more concerned with generating Internet memes than producing anything meaningful or interesting. Case in point: this ridiculous album cover, which looks more like a bad headshot for actor Jorge Garcia (who played Hurley on Lost) than anything that could be classified as "artwork." Making matters worse, Garcia became something like a mascot for Weezer and even appeared on stage with the band to sing a gimmicky rendition of "Perfect Situation" (see below -- to be fair, Garcia sings better than we would have imagined).
2. Rivers Cuomo ditches the guitar
Let's face it, Rivers Cuomo is a pretty awkward dude. This used to be endearing, as his nerdy lyrics are a big part of what makes the Blue Album and Pinkerton such enduring favourites. At recent shows, however, his awkwardness has reached embarrassing new heights. This is thanks to the reprehensible decision to let drummer Patrick Wilson play guitar, leaving Cuomo to go hands-free. See the embedded video below for an example of just how lame this is, as the frontman runs around like a drunken karaoke singer and conspicuously reads the lyrics that are scrawled on his arm.
1. Hurley clothing sponsorship
We're still not entirely sure what the full story is, but rumour has it that Weezer initially decided to name Hurley (the album) after Hurley (the clothing manufacturer) after the company agreed to pay for the album. Then, the band used a picture of Jorge Garcia (who plays Hurley on Lost) on the cover, allegedly as a way to throw fans off of the scent of the corporate sponsorship. While the band later denied that the clothing company had funded the recordings, there's no denying the fact that Weezer rolled out a Hurley-branded clothing line shortly before the album arrived in stores. In 2010, it may have been the year that Weezer went indie, but this clothing deal showed that they remained just as commercial as ever.
Head to the next page to begin the unfortunate countdown. 5. Agreeing to break up for $20 million
Frustrated by their sub-par music and non-stop self promotion, Weezer hater James Burns decided to launch a campaign to raise $10 million to bribe the band to break up. Weezer's response? Drummer Patrick Wilson took to Twitter and joked that the band would do the deluxe breakup treatment for $20 million. It might have been funny, except that Weezer's track record in recent years has been so poor that it probably wouldn't have be hard to find a few million people willing to support the cause. The whole clusterfuck culminated in founder Burns getting death threats from Weezer diehards (yes, apparently Weezer diehards still exist).
4. Death to False Metal
When Weezer announced that they would be releasing a rarities compilation, many fans were overjoyed. After all, Weezer are well known for having a slew of impressive B-sides and demos left over from their early days. Unfortunately, this train wreck of a collection consists mostly of recent outtakes, many of which have been reworked to sound distinctly like "new Weezer." From the cringe-worthy romance of "The Odd Couple" to the syrupy cover of Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart," Death to False Metal is full of the same tacky songwriting and glossy production that has marred their recent albums. 3. Hurley's WTF album cover
In recent years, Weezer's dubious output has suggested that they're more concerned with generating Internet memes than producing anything meaningful or interesting. Case in point: this ridiculous album cover, which looks more like a bad headshot for actor Jorge Garcia (who played Hurley on Lost) than anything that could be classified as "artwork." Making matters worse, Garcia became something like a mascot for Weezer and even appeared on stage with the band to sing a gimmicky rendition of "Perfect Situation" (see below -- to be fair, Garcia sings better than we would have imagined).
2. Rivers Cuomo ditches the guitar
Let's face it, Rivers Cuomo is a pretty awkward dude. This used to be endearing, as his nerdy lyrics are a big part of what makes the Blue Album and Pinkerton such enduring favourites. At recent shows, however, his awkwardness has reached embarrassing new heights. This is thanks to the reprehensible decision to let drummer Patrick Wilson play guitar, leaving Cuomo to go hands-free. See the embedded video below for an example of just how lame this is, as the frontman runs around like a drunken karaoke singer and conspicuously reads the lyrics that are scrawled on his arm.
1. Hurley clothing sponsorship
We're still not entirely sure what the full story is, but rumour has it that Weezer initially decided to name Hurley (the album) after Hurley (the clothing manufacturer) after the company agreed to pay for the album. Then, the band used a picture of Jorge Garcia (who plays Hurley on Lost) on the cover, allegedly as a way to throw fans off of the scent of the corporate sponsorship. While the band later denied that the clothing company had funded the recordings, there's no denying the fact that Weezer rolled out a Hurley-branded clothing line shortly before the album arrived in stores. In 2010, it may have been the year that Weezer went indie, but this clothing deal showed that they remained just as commercial as ever.
