The Weezer recording history: Page 11
note: page 11 updated 3/06
By this point, for whatever reason(s), not much was happening in rehersals, and they werent happening with much frequency. Management, concerned at spiralling costs of production without a known product (very little music was leaked out of the rehersals, leading people in various offices to worry that there was no music to justify the expenses) suggested that the band simply take a break until things started to move again. Pat, already excited to work on the Special Goodness, welcomed this. Brian used his time to write Space Twins songs and play shows with both his Space Twins and another L.A band, Mephisto, while Mikey was a bit confused as to what to do, having dropped everything to join the band a year earlier.
Mikey had been writing bass lines during the months of spring 1999, originally offering these to Rivers for new song ideas, but Rivers didnt make use of them. When it became clear that rehersals were to be suspended indefinately, Mikey offered them to his then-friend and ex-bandmate Juliana Hatfield, and they ended up recording her new cd together in Boston in summer 1999. This album was released on Island Records as "Juliana's Pony" in 2000.
Rivers Demos at TK Productions, early 1999:
1. Socialite
2. Crazy One
3. Riff In G#
4. Sunshine
5. E - A Riff
6. Stars Shine Bright (Goodnight)
7. Saturday Night Another City Dream
8. It Feels Good (Finger Burns) (error in master recording)
9. How Many Places
Rivers demos at unknown locations, spring - winter 1999:
Pat helps out his old friend Pat Finn, by playing drums on Finn's new demos for his band "Organic Mechanic". they did about 6 songs together, some on several different occasions. Since that time, Pat Finn has assembled a full band and has recorded a full album, to be independently released in spring 2001. The demos that Wilson played on will likely stay under wraps.
After endless delays, some caused by Matt as he kept remixing and modifying songs throughout 1998, and some caused by his label Maverick, who kept holding things up by requesting that Matt change things that Matt refused to change, Maverick released "7MM" to a small enthusiastic audience, that failed to grow due to Maverick's mysterious sudden lack of promotional muscle. An unfortunate anti-climactic result to Matt's 3 years of work, but a fine album nonetheless!
I don't have info as to Matt's remixing and various small re-recording sessions throughout 1998 and early 1999, I only know he did a ton of them, mostly in LA.
...all recorded by Pat, direct to laptop computer in a spare bedroom at his house in Portland
note that 4 of these songs ended up on a special 20-25 CD run of cd-r's that were sent out to various venues, in the process of booking the fall 1999 SG tour. Those cd-r's have the 10 songs from the japanese release, plus 4 of the above songs tacked on.
?/?/99: Portland OR: 17 Nautical Miles : audience bootleg of the very first show, last 2 songs of set are missing from the recording
unknown date, location, and set list, except for:
Brian had a small run of CD's pressed up for this demo. (25?)
all the versions on this are quite different from earlier demos and 7"s
note: some cd's of this have only 5 songs, i dont know which song is absent on those.
these are cd demos, "space twins" and a contact # are printed on the discs
If you know of other audio or video bootlegs, contact karl
10-26-99 - Rutgers U., NJ : post show backstage interview with the band, aired on college station WMCX on 11/4/99.
10/29/99 - Boston, Mass.-The Middle East : video bootleg
11/2/99 Pittsburgh - Club Laga : includes the "weezer karaoke" encore. some mp3s exist.
11/4/99 Dayton, Ohio : full audience bootleg 11/13/99 - Fayetteville, AR - Clunk Hall : At least two people videotaped the show.
11/18/99 Houston - Rudyard's Pub : whole show, audience recording (done to minidisc, nice recording) (tracklist unavailable)
11/20/99 Dallas - Club Clearview : whole show, audience recording (done to minidisc, nice recording) (tracklist unavailable)
11/25/99 San Francisco - Club Cocodrie: Space Twins + Special Goodness together!
Audio Tape, audience boot(?), quality level unknown
Space Twins setlist:
Osaka Aquabus
Louder Than Lies
Rings of Saturn
Burn in Black
Rust Colored Sun
Goddess of Love
Final Voyage
The Special Goodness setlist:
It's Only Natural
What You're On
Fatigue
Pardon Me
Conquistadors
B.S.
What You Can Forget
Reasons To Worry
Let's Go Down
I'm With You Sista
RIFF
Went Down Swinging
Life Goes By
I'm Not Too Proud
It's All Here In This Book
Note that the shows from Austin TX (11/19/99) through Seattle WA (11/27/99) were documented extensively by members and staff of the opening band, Eureka Farm. They videotaped and audiotaped many SG sets, but their tapes are now in private hands.
if anyone knows of other recordings of any of these shows, tape or video, please let karl know.