As I reported last week, Weezer came up with some different ideas regarding live shows. The band set out on a handful of dates promoted by radio stations in select cities.

The idea was to have all sorts of different people come out and join the band in choosing and playing songs. Particpants could bring their electric guitars, acoustics, or whatever other instruments they wanted.

The results of the Portland, OR Hootenany stop were documented by radio station 94.7. Check out some video here…

Weezer: Hootenany Portland, OR

It seems while other bands are taking a novel approach to releasing albums, Weezer are taking a novel approach to touring. The band will be launching a full scale tour this fall, but this summer fans can expect something altogether different.

“Now, via a post on their website and the handy video you’ll see, Rivers and co. have laid out a few more details of the “Hootenanny” on us, and even offered up a little guitar lesson.

“The first date is today in Phoenix, with the city’s own The Edge 103.9 (”Adam All Morning, Alternative Rock All Day”) handling the contest. Winners are implored to “bring an instrument (or at least your voice and hands)”– and any instrument will do, it seems– to the private locale and prepare those power chords. The performance will be recorded for future airing on the radio station.

The song selection for each gig will more than likely change with every new date, but here’s Phoenix’s spate: “Pork and Beans”, “Island in the Sun”, a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”, “Say It Ain’t So”, “El Scorcho”, and, of course, “Beverly Hills.”

This seems like a cool idea for fans of the band, I can especially see younger, newer fans being really into this. If you win, you can bring your strat, tele, les paul, or whatever instrument you want. I’m just curious to see how this will turn out. Should be very intereting, good ol’ Weezer…

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So its pretty much been decided by critics and fans alike, the new Weezer album will suck. Well, at least the 1/3 of it that has been released via iTunes and leaked so far. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo has another trick up his sleeve. He’s writing a new song, only he’s not just writing it, he is asking you to write it with him.

The Weezer singer has taken to YouTube where he has asked people to help participate in contributing riffs, lyrics and structure to a song. This has been going for quite a while now, but he is still writing/working on it. The title has also been selected for the song, it is “80’s Radio,” not really surprising that Rivers went with that title, is it?

He is currently on “Step #10″ writing lyrics to the bridge of the song. Rivers says “Don’t try to be a William Shakespeare,” this is funny. Maybe people shouldn’t try to be a William Shakespeare…It would be nice however, if a recent Weezer song would come out containing at least some decent lyrics, besides random crap about being a rock star and/or famous person. This song actually sounds better than anything that I’ve heard from the forthcoming “Red Album” but it still sucks.

Open Letter/Note to Weezer:

Bury the hatchet and get Matt Sharp back in the band, start playing cool Fender Jaguars again and rehearsing in a house, (like in the “Say It Ain’t So” music video) and get Ric Ocasek of The Cars as a producer again and THEN record a new album and tour. Otherwise, just break up already! Jeez…

Help Rivers Write a Song @ YouTube.com

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Some new Weezer tracks have surfaced from the bands upcoming “Red Album” with the funny cover. The track “Pork and Beans” has been getting pretty heavy modern/mainstream rock airplay on stations such as KROQ. Many fans hoped this would be a return to the bands Blue Album/Pinkerton sound due to the fuzzed out Fender sound the track had.

Most of these newly surfaced songs however aren’t really even on the same level as “Pork & Beans”. It seems like band leader Rivers Cuomo has been trying to recapture the sound the band had in 1994 for…well…14 years, but to no avail. Working with Rick Rubin doesn’t help matters either, as Rick Rubin is to music as Michael Bay is to film.

Also, its relatively annoying that every Weezer single is the past oh 5 or 6 years seems to reference fame/and or wealth, its really kind of lame. Anyway, don’t take my word for it, judge for yourself…

New Weezer Songs @ Stereogum.com