Rivers Cuomo (2014)
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992, with whom he has released nine studio albums. In 2011, he released a self-titled Japanese-language album with Scott Murphy under the name Scott & Rivers. Cuomo has also released three compilation albums of home demos: Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo and Alone III: The Pinkerton Years.
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About the Rivers Cuomo Interview
Hi, I am Rivers from weezer.
We recently released our new album “Everything Will Be Alright In The End” which you can listen to here
Or here.
Ask Me Anything.
proof: https://twitter.com/RiversCuomo/status/535582610903166976
UPDATE: Thanks for doing this AMA with me. I'm signing off now. Have a great night.
Rivers Cuomo Nov 20, 2014
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Hey Rivers, just wondering if you ever ended up seeing Green Day live? Also what are your thoughts on this gif?
Sumidiotdude
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Yes I have seen Green Day live.
Rivers Cuomo
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Rivers, what do you think when you look back at yourself in the 90's?
vaderbombs
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We rule.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hi Rivers! When I was 16, I heard Falling For You for the first time, and I thought that guitar solo must be what falling in love felt like. I've been a huge fan ever since. : )
A few questions, answer any or all that you'd like:
-Did you really shave your head and try to be a monk?
-What is the line in Greatest Man after "Hey this is what I like!"? I never could figure it out.
-If you hadn't become a famous musician, what do you think you'd be doing?
BreesusisMagic
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- I didn't shave my head but I asked my mother if I could, and I said I wanted to be a monk, but my parents talked me out of it. And technically I was asking to be a sannyasa, not a Catholic monk
- "Cut my heart with a martyr's spike". I don't sing that line though, Scott and Brian do
Rivers Cuomo
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What ever happened to the girl from "Across the Sea"?
hzlaugher
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Good question. I don't know the answer.
Rivers Cuomo
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How did you come up with the "Watching Grunge leg drop New Jack through a press table?" Were you an ECW fan?
RealLanceStorm
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That's one of the two lines on Pinkerton I didn't write. I took it from an essay of a classmate of mine. Though the person in question didn't want credit.
Rivers Cuomo
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Who is 'Eulogy for a rock band' about?
impcat
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We'll tell you on the day he dies.
Rivers Cuomo
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Do you have any special pre-show ritual you have to do before you go on anywhere? Or any rituals specific to do for a particular city or region?
capybara9
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Scott and I have to play frisbee for at least 10 minutes before every show. It helps warm up our hands, concentrate our minds, and get us in our own little world.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hi Rivers! Weezer is my favorite band and my birthday is Saturday. Can I get a shoutout?
What is your favorite animal?
Beezelj
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- Happy Birthday!
- Pig
- My favorite insect is spider
Rivers Cuomo
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Hi Rivers! Would the band consider a camp instead of a cruise for 2016? :)
wordtress
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How about both?
Rivers Cuomo
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A lot of fans who drifted away from your post-Pinkerton work have now returned to the fold with EWBAITE. Do you feel any pressure from them to live up to the high expectations for the next album?
divingstation
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No. We're grateful to our fans for reminding us of who we are and encouraging us to be ourselves. We're confident we're going to keep making kick ass music that we all love.
Rivers Cuomo
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What's the craziest thing a fan has ever sent you?
thecheat420
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Twice I've gotten fan mail at my house for Brandon Boyd, the singer of Incubus. Two different houses even.
Rivers Cuomo
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What are 2 albums (not weezer) that you think every weezer fan should listen into?
darevalo
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I would recommend Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Ozma's Rock and Roll Part Three
Rivers Cuomo
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Cleopatra is my favorite song on the new album. Who's idea was it to put that sweet-ass extra quarter note in the first measure of the chorus phrases?
Also, you guys have crafted such a fantastic record. Every time I listen to it I hear so much hard work, thoughtfulness and heart coming through the speakers. Very grateful. Thanks for doing this AMA, Rivers!
lanesw
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It just came to me, that's how the melody popped into my head. And I wasn't counting beats.
Rivers Cuomo
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Besides Buddy Holly, who else do you get mistaken for?
welp42
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I remember when I started out I was shooting for the Rick Moranis look. But no one ever thought I was him.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hey Rivers, 2 questions
- Why do you usually tune your guitars a half step down?
- Why did you change to standard tuning for the Green album?
da_crust_keoza
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- I started tuning down a half step when I started being a lead singer when I was around 20 because it was easier for me to hit he high notes.
- On Green and Malaldroit I got interested in being more traditional like the other great bands before us. That included trying standard tuning.
Rivers Cuomo
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Do you still enjoy messing with people in your responses to interviews?
eightbic
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No, I don't indulge that instinct of mine anymore.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hi rivers!
I met you on the cruise and you were super shy, as was I.... You are a huge role model to me, and I totally respect your work and your personality. But my question is, what is going through your mind when you meet us? Is it being overwhelmed? Annoyance? Happiness?
Hope to meet you again in Atlanta!
-Mariahimwithpinkerton
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I usually like to hear what you're excited about right now in your life. Whether it's a book, a movie, another band, or some new hobby. Teach me something. Tell me something I don't already know.
Rivers Cuomo
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Dear Rivers, I am a huge fan and absolutely loved EWBAITE.
My question is, looking forward, what is the next step for you personally after the touring and everything for EWBAITE dies down? Is it going back into the studio and focusing on more stuff for weezer? Alone 4? Releasing everything from the vaults and giving fans the whole song catalogue (HOMiE please)?
Thanks so much for doing this AMA, you're my biggest inspiration! =w=
Chico_Fiesta
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Of course we hope to make many more great albums but that is a long way off. The EWBAITE era has just begun.
Rivers Cuomo
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Your Spotify playlists contains most of the artier Beach Boys albums but I did notice an absence of the fascinating Love You. Are you not a fan of the record? I've always acknowledged it as a spiritual predecessor to Pinkerton due to its lyrical directness and beautifully raw aesthetic.
Jamekae
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Did you post that on the Fanclub page? I listened to the song there and was reminded of how incredible it was. I never had that album but I had mix tapes with some of those songs on it. It's unbelievable.
Rivers Cuomo
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What is your favorite hobby when you're not making music?
Nickorice
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Going to Shakespeare plays.
Rivers Cuomo
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Really enjoyed your interview with Mark on the What the Fuck podcast.
Cats or dogs?
odnad
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I can't decide.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hey Rivers: what was the inspirationlike for "I'm King"?
Thank you for the music.
of_halicarnassus
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I can't remember who it was, but somebody pissed me off.
OH, I think I just remembered who it was...
Rivers Cuomo
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How was the songwriting process different on Everything Will Be Alright In The End compared to other albums?
masonrb500
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It's pretty much the same, but I composed some of the more complicated musical passages on piano, which is a new thing for me.
Rivers Cuomo
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Do your kids help decorate your guitars with stickers?
aroa121
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The stickers on my guitars come mostly from fans, and I always need more! So please bring some to the shows if you can--if you have some extras.
Rivers Cuomo
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Boxers, briefs, or superman skivvies?
BreesusisMagic
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Boxer briefs
Rivers Cuomo
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What is your favorite Yngwie Malmsteen song to play?
CAPTAINLOCKS
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Far Beyond the Sun
Rivers Cuomo
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Hey Rivers! Have you read any good books lately that you can recommend?
neurotic_llama
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So many. Nonfiction - Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. Fiction - Crime and Punishment.
Also on a giant Shakespeare kick.Rivers Cuomo
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“The Other Way” has been on the setlist for recent shows which I’m more than happy about because it’s a great deep cut. Can we expect other deep cuts on upcoming tours? You guys have a massive catalogue and I’m sure many fans, including myself, would go to multiple shows on a single tour if we knew there would be different songs played each night. Please give Maladroit some more attention :). Love the new album by the way.
ilikeicecream3
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These recent EWBAITE shows were maybe my favorite shows I've ever played as a musician. Looking forward to throwing more curve balls in the future.
Rivers Cuomo
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What is the craziest and or dumbest think you've done on stage?
B5B0N35
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I don't want to say because I'm really embarrassed and sorry.
Rivers Cuomo
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You've played with so many excellent bands. Who was one of the best?
KilgoreSeaBass
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Stereolab was pretty amazing.
Rivers Cuomo
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Thanks for doing this, Rivers! I've never been more excited for an AMA Before. You have been my favorite musician/celebrity since I was 4 years old, when my dad put on the blue album in the car and told me that he had a new band for me. I even wrote a research paper about weezer last year. I respect and admire your successes and think that your rise to the top of the music industry is unbelievable. Also, we have the same birthday, so that's pretty cool.
Now for my questions!
-Which song and band have been the biggest influences on you as a musician? I know you were inspired by nirvana, but is there any unexpected band or song that has inspired you?
- did you ever find the girl you're singing about in "across the sea?" If you did, what happened with her?
-how did you and your father make up? In older songs like "say it ain't so" it seems that you harbor so much resentment for him, but in more recent songs like "foolish father" it seems like you've forgiven him. How did you guys reconnect?
-will you be coming to DC for a show? I couldn't make it to Philadelphia but am dying to see you live for a 5th time in a more intimate venue!
chicenbock
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- The musician that I've most consistently connected to through my entire life is J.S. Bach
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- First I started seeing him when we were on tour in Europe in the 90s, and then he moved from Germany to Southern California and I started seeing him more often.
Rivers Cuomo
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What was your favorite song to record?
Such_Great_Heights_
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In my life? Maybe the Futurescope Trilogy because it's the most emotional.
In my life? Maybe the Futurescope Trilogy because it is the most emotional.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hi Rivers!
What was the first song you wrote for ewbaite?clomax
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Weezer Cruise 2012 so I think it was... I would have to go back and check my notes but I think it was Ain't Got Nobody or Cleopatra.
Weezer Cruise 2012 so I think it was... I would have to go back and check my notes but I think it was Ain't Got Nobody or Cleopatra.
Weezer Cruise 2012 so I think it was... I would have to go back and check my notes but I think it was Ain't Got Nobody or Cleopatra.
Rivers Cuomo
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What has been the most difficult obstacle in your career? How did you overcome it?
JoeCool888
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Self doubt. Which was overcome only by the intensity of my desire to be a musician and share my music with the world.
Rivers Cuomo
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What's your favorite movie?
ModerateRock
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I'm not a big movie guy.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hey Rivers, big fan! I have two questions.
- Will Weezer ever release a fully made Songs From The Black Hole?
- Are you going to release the b-sides from EWBAITE? If so when?
I also had to throw this in somewhere! =w=
TitusPullus
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- We are releasing an exclusive 7" single with a new song to the weezer fan club next year. Join at weezer.com
Rivers Cuomo
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Question: is EWBAITE the story of your relationship with your fans?
cautino
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EWBAITE has many levels and many stories, one of which is our relationship with the fans.
Rivers Cuomo
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Ive seen you with an Alienware laptop in some videos. What kind of games do you play on it?
JustonianD
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I don't have an Alienware laptop, I have a Razer Blade. I don't play games but I had to a 512GB hard drive because I like to keep working on my demos in aAbleton when I'm on the road. My laptop is synced to my desktop computer via dropbox.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hi Rivers! :) What are your favorite places to tour?
moldycakemix
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Anywhere where there's a high percentage of hardcore fans and fan clubbers
Rivers Cuomo
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Hi Rivers! Have you ever thought to turn EWBAITE or SFTBH into a live Broadway musical like Green Day did with American Iidot?
clomax
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Honestly I'm 100% satisfied creatively artistically physically mentally and emotionally, playing these EWBAITE shows. They have been the greatest musical experience of my life. I haven't had any need to think of future steps at the moment.
Rivers Cuomo
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Did you feel any extra pressure at the Bowery Ballroom show with Ric Ocasek watching in the crowd? p.s. that show was amazing.
jaxdan
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We always feel a little extra pressure when Ric is around, whether it's at a show or in the studio. That's one of the reasons it's so helpful to work with him; he inspires us to bring our A game.
Rivers Cuomo
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How do I buy the Pinkerton Diaries now? The website you were selling it on has been down for over a month.
Leghairgreysock
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Rivers Cuomo
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Hey Rivers, now that its been a few weeks since the release of EWBAITE, do you listen back to some of the songs and think "wow I should've added this or removed this here"? Are there any songs that you feel should've had more improvement?
Onlyadirector
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No, we really took our time making this album and had plenty of chances to go back and tweak things until it was just right.
Rivers Cuomo
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Hey Rivers! Is there more detail with the concept album than just what is in the story of the songs?
clomax
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Yeah, theres a lot more detail. You can see pieces of the story in the webisodes on YouTube. #weezerwednesday And maybe other pieces will be coming out in other ways in the future.
Rivers Cuomo
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