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Weezer SZNZ.jpg

Celebrating A Year of Weezer On Jimmy Kimmel: Live

By Andrew Sanford | TV | December 30, 2022 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | December 30, 2022 |


Weezer SZNZ.jpg

I didn’t listen to the radio growing up. I spent my time and money on TV and movies. The first album I ever bought with my own money was the Ghostbusters 2 soundtrack. From then on, I was mostly buying Weird Al(bums). One day, when I was 12, I walked up to the room that my younger brother and I shared. Our TV was on even though no one was in the room. On the TV was a nerdy guy wearing glasses and a suit and singing with Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo. The guy was Rivers Cuomo. The song he was singing was Keep Fishing. The band he was in was called Weezer. I’ve been a fan ever since.

I love Weezer. I listen to them more than any other band. I was giddy when I found out they would release four EPs this year that would build to one giant album. One of their latest albums, OK Human, is a personal favorite of mine, so I was excited to see them keep that track record going. The four EPs, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, are inspired by the seasons (or SZNZ, in this case) they are named after. Living in a world where they have all been released, I’m happy to say I love all four.

With the release of each EP, the band would stop by Jimmy Kimmel: Live to perform a single. We got four televised Weezer performances this year. In my opinion, that is something to celebrate. That’s what I’m here to do! I’m going to go through the four performances from my favorite band and explain why I like each one. It’s like buying myself a present at the end of the year!

These videos also give a possible peek at what Weezer had planned for their canceled Broadway show, and how said cancellation affected them. The show was to run for a week, and debut songs from the EPs. It was shelved due to rising costs and a lack of interest. On Kimmel, each song comes with an elaborate set that we may have seen on the Great White Way. However, only the first two have Rivers in a fun outfit. Could it be that the cancellation of the show caused their live performances? Someone ask Rivers on Twitter!

If you can’t tell already, this is strictly a positive article; If you are someone who doesn’t think Weezer has been good since Pinkerton and hasn’t listened to them for that reason, congratulations. Sincerely! Life is too short to subject yourself to things you know you won’t like. That being said, this won’t be the article for you. We can both agree that Butterfly is an incredible song and move on with our new year.

Now, onto more Weezer!

Spring - A Little Bit Of Love

The first single from Weezer’s spring EP is them at their most poppy, “writing songs for Disney movies” selves. This song has the feel of one of those entries without any studio notes. It’s Rivers writing a song for a movie that doesn’t exist. It’s simple, airy, fun, and a little hokey. There’s an air of Spring happiness to it. It feels like the kind of song Rivers likes to do the most. If he’s happy, I’m happy.

Summer - Records

Summer is the most firey EP in this set, for good reasons. All of the songs have the feel of bounding into summer vacation with unbridled joy and excitement. Records, specifically, captures the dweeby, “high school coolness” that makes Weezer so fun. Rivers (and, therefore, Weezer) is only ever as cool as what he thinks is cool. The hard edge nerdery of blocking people out so you can listen to music, all while sporting a medieval times outfit, is Weezer in a nutshell.

Autumn - What Happens After You

Autumn is my favorite of the EPs. It’s this wonderful mix of my favorite Weezer styles. In What Happens After You, there are hints of Maladroit, Makes Believe, and Raditude. Maladroit is my favorite Weezer album. I think Make Believe is their most under-appreciated. I have a soft spot in my heart for Raditude. I can’t listen to this song without smiling.

Winter - I Want A Dog

I Want A Dog is the closest Weezer has come to their Blue Album/Pinkerton days in a while. The 2014 album Everything Will Be Alright In The End was a kind of “return to form” for the band, but even that hued closer to the Green Album/Maladroit era. Here we find more of the early acoustic sound. The riffs are hard and heavy, but also somber and grungey. It feels meek and powerful at the same time. It is vintage Weezer through the lens of current Weezer, and I absolutely adore it.

What was your favorite SZNZ EP? What’s your favorite new Weezer song? What’s your favorite Weezer song or album of all time?! Sound off, fellow Weeer heads (is that what we call ourselves?)!