In a tweet, Rivers Cuomo, singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the American alternative rock band Weezer, said his band is the ‘cockroach of the music world.’ Considering their seven albums, dozens of famous singles, and the fact that they’re on their fifteenth year in the business, one would have to agree that they have found the key to success in a very unforgiving industry. Here’s a quick review of three of their videos.
Buddy Holly (1994)
Rating: 4/5
The band released ‘Buddy Holly’ as the second single off their debut album. Directed by then-unknown Spike Jonze, the video showed the band in clips of the well-loved 70s sitcom Happy Days. Audiences had been amazed months before by how Forrest Gump had been spliced into actual footage with JFK and John Lennon, and seeing this new band kick it with The Fonz (Henry Winkler) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) made it a favorite on MTV for months.
Pork and Beans (2008)
Rating: 4.5/5
Watch the video for ‘Pork and Beans’ and you’ll find a who’s who of YouTube celebrities at the time. From the Soulja Boy dance to an appearance by Mark Allen Hicks (the afro ninja), the video is Weezer at their finest. After a couple of so-so albums, the video showed they still had what it took to connect with their old fans, and gained new ones by tapping into the mentality of the viral marketing age. They didn’t even have to use ‘real’ celebrities; audiences watched the video over and over to see their favorite Internet icons in a great video of a great song. ‘I ain’t got a thing to prove to you,’ sings the band, and it’s true.
(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To (2009)
Rating: 4/5
Aside from the fact that it’s set in what looks like the American Midwest, the band’s video seems like your standard fare at first, where a boy and all his friends vie for the attention of a pretty girl (Odette Yustman, looking Megan Fox-y). Each of the band members gets into accidents trying to impress her, with Rivers Cuomo eventually telling her to get lost after winning her over. Bros before hos, and everything’s all right, even 15 years after their debut.
Weezer stands the test of time by knowing what people are interested in and using it to their advantage without losing track of who they are. The end results are songs and videos that resonate with audiences. No one knows what we’ll be doing in our spare time five years from now, but I’ve a strange feeling that whatever it is, this band will still be there, crawling like a stubborn cockroach and refusing to die against all musical odds.
