One of the greatest bands that ever lived

I feel like I would be untrue to myself if I did not devote at least one blog entry to one of the greatest bands ever...WEEZER.

A little background, if you will...when I was a teenager, I don't remember listening to their first album the day it came out or anything as fan-ish as that. No, my first recollection of really loving Weezer was driving up to Bear Lake. This was also when I remember my most quiet friend, Mitzi, busting out her love of Weezer. I had heard some of their stuff before, but listening to the Blue and the Green albums straight through was an experience in greatness. I wanted to sing along so badly, but I wasn't well-acquainted with the goodness of this band, so I belted it out on the choruses and hummed along with the rest.

Fast forward to a few years ago when I was struggling with some personal issues in my life. My sister, Natalie, moved in with me, and as part of her awesomeness she brought, Weezer's newest album 'Make Believe' came with her. I listened to that, and instantly I fell in love with about every song. Natalie owned most of the Weezer albums, so it became music staple to our ears. I can't give Weezer all the credit, but hearing their music just made life a little happier for me.

Those who shared in my Weezer fanaticism that fateful summer of 2005: Lacy and Lisa. That Fall, we made a road trip out to Denver to see them in concert. There are few times in my life that compare to the sort of giddy I was when Rivers graced the stage and their melodious chords rang out through that venue. The road trip was completely worth it to hear this genius band in person.

Now, I don't want to proclaim myself a Weezer expert by ANY means, but I certainly appreciate the talent they have. Rivers himself (the diva that he is) is so full of genius...but I guess a broken childhood and a Harvard education could be enough to draw on for all the songs Weezer puts out...not to mention any sort of musical prowess each of the band members has. On their newest album, they even switch it up a little and other people actually get to sing! Rivers has a drumming part on one of the songs, too.

My favorite Weezer song(s): 'Say It Ain't So' followed very closely by 'Perfect Situation.' There are so many to choose from, though! Yesterday, I selected Weezer on my iPod and put it on shuffle (my inspiration for this here blog post)...there were 96 songs on there (including the B-sides our family lovingly calls 'The Stolen Files' since we ripped them from who-knows-where...). There are probably a couple repeats on there, but with so much Weezery goodness, how's a girl to choose her favorites?

Lacy also had a cool exercise that I think any Weezer fan should give a whirl...try to sum up the feelings and description of each Weezer album in 3 adjectives. When she did this and told me about it, her descriptions were extremely apt! You can definitely see how the band matures and morphs through time and how external conditions and other factors influence their music at the time. Just in case you don't know what the albums are, here's a list: Weezer--Blue, Pinkerton Weezer--Green, Maladroit, Make Believe (my personal favorite), and Weezer--Red.

One day when I'm grown up and my kids ask me about some of the music I liked when I was younger, I can proudly note that I was a die-hard fan of Weezer and that I got to see them in concert. "Wow," they'll exclaim, "that's SO cool!" (Because seriously, Weezer will live in the rock/alternative annals of time). They will then realize what kind of a cool mom they have.