With a 30-second demo circling the Internet from its next album, Weezer is a strange band. It makes pretty good music, but it is still a strange, strange band.

What makes up a good 90 percent of Weezer’s weirdness is frontman Rivers Cuomo (the other 10 percent was reflected when the band renamed itself ‘Goat Punishment’ so it could play to ‘dedicated fans’) who manages to be a dead ringer for Buddy Holly and one of the most reclusive human beings on the planet.

Here are just a few of the… interesting things Rivers has done throughout his life:

Has a brother named Leaves.

Raised in a Hindu ashram.

Posted his Harvard admissions essay on his MySpace.

Wrote a song dedicated to the U.S. men’s soccer team.

Did not talk to crowds at shows until late 2001, when he became quite the chatterbox.

Admitted to having a ‘fascination’ with Asian girls.

Took a two-year vow of celibacy in 2003 and succeeded.

And that’s just a taste of Rivers’ eccentricities (we won’t get into the life-jacket wearing phase), but it’s also what makes him so endearing. Endearingly crazy.

If you’re wondering, Weezer’s new album (tentatively titled ‘The Red Album’) supposedly sounds like ‘The Blue Album.’ Which means, it should be pretty good. Go on with your craziness, Rivers.

eaconnor@syr.edu

Published on April 13, 2008 at 12:00 pm