The other night, I had a discussion with a friend about our first concerts. Her first show was an embarassing boy band whose name I shall not reveal, for sake of reputation. My first show was Nirvana, a group that I take a certain pride in seeing, not only because it was my first show, but because it was also their last tour. I remember vividly the dark ambiance of that sweaty auditorium; the strange looking people with piercings and tattoos (I was 11). Most of all, I remember the power of those soundwaves, the weight of the music, and the passion in which it was conveyed; three musicians who truly believed in what they were doing. I was floored.

And then it hit me. That show was twenty years ago, November of 1993 to be exact. Where does the time go?

It seems like it was only a few years back that my life was changed by "grunge" or alternative rock, or whatever you want to call it. Groups like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice in Chains were my first taste of rock'n'roll, at least on any meaningful level, and I was completely captivated by it. Through the years, my tastes have grown and I've developed an affinity for punk, electronic music, hip hop, and more traditional forms of music. Alternative rock has always been my foundation though and lately I've been thinking about this period of time and how it informed who I am today.

Most of all, I find myself amazed that some of my favorite albums are nearly two decades old. Nevermind came out 22 years ago, while Green Day's Dookie and Weezer's Blue Album will be twenty next year. These albums are now considered relics and have that "classic" tag ascribed to records that have stood the test of time. I remember them as fresh, new releases. Which leads me to this thought...

I can't explain the feeling of yesterday. At times, it seems so distant, like I was a whole other person altogether and I'm looking back on someone else's life. Other times, I'm right there. At the concert. In the moment. And it feels like I'm more connected to that time than the present. But it was sooooo long ago!

Time is a funny thing. Before you know it, the world has flown by and you're older, and the music you loved is no longer "cool", "interesting", or even "relevant". I'm only 31 and I'm already starting to feel this way. Consider this. Most of today's early twenty-something's weren't even born when Kurt Cobain committed suicide. He has now become our generations John Lennon; a mystical figure to the young-ins  and a cultural spokesperson for those who were there, living it at that moment. The irony is that you'll never get that moment back, and we are no longer so young. And those young people who ARE living it are either too preoccupied or oblivious to care. Youth truly is wasted on the young.

Rivers Cuomo once said "the world has turned and left me here". Sometimes I'm apt to believe that.

Ah, the double album: home to musical over-reach in the highest order. Whether it's Axl deciding Guns N Roses biggest flaw was that not enough of their songs went over 9 minutes, or The Clash abandoning any primitive notions of punk's accessibility with the triple-album Sandinista, when a band make's an album that goes over the allotted running time, it tends to be a sign that they've gotten ambitious, and sometimes it means they've gotten too ambitious.


If you read the reviews for most double or triple albums, you're going to find countless critics talking about how much better things would've been if they had just left it at one disc. There's always that thought of "well, it was good, but there's so much filler." In a way, that's understandable; double albums are a heavy undertaking for the listener, but when critics go after the double album for its scope they tend be missing the point. Sure, it's easy to look at some of the worse tracks on Use Your Illusion I and II ("Back Off Bitch" and "Shotgun Blues" in particular just come of as dull), but there's something to be said for the scope of the project. Guns N Roses didn't want to just show that they were serious musicians, they wanted to show that they fully deserved the title of "biggest band on the planet." Did they succeed? Not entirely, but they made an intriguing album that, despite its flaws, should be admired having such a broad scope and trying to make something truly epic.



And let's be honest, suppose those overreaching double albums were brought down to single-disc status. Would we really be in pieces? I doubt it. The whole point of criticism is to find some holes to poke in whatever it is your reviewing. Take Weezer's self-titled debut album. There really isn't a single weak track on there, but "Holiday" is a bit less awesome than the rest, so it gets singled out as the "bad" song on the album, even though it's a perfectly fine power-pop number that would've been the best song by far on any Weezer album since Make Believe. Same goes for every classic Beatles albums. At various points I've heard "Within You Without You," "When I'm Sixty Four," and "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" referred to as the black sheep on an otherwise flawless record. Really though, all of those songs have some value, and contribute to the album's feel in one way or another. Critics are always going to find things to not like about albums. Turning double albums into single albums won't change that. Maybe some lengthier efforts do get over-stuffed with second-rate material, but if that's the price I have to pay to see musicians expand their horizons, I'm more than happy to pay it.

The Blue Album is my favorite album of all-time. Let me just get that out of the way to start. Pinkterton was great too. And despite what people say, so was the Green Album. It was after that things started to not make much sense. Maladroit and Make Believe had their moments, and "Pork and Beans" (See Red Album) you can put up against any Blue-era track. Everything else... you can have it. Those are my thoughts on Weezer's discography, probably the most discussed discography in recent pop history. You will probably disagree with me and say that Pinkerton was the finer of the two releases, or make reference to the fact that modern day-emo started with that disc. You'll most certainly think the Green Album sucked. Weezer fans are opinionated. We're a funny lot.

One thing we tend to agree on is that Weezer still kills it live. They haven't lost a step since the mid-nineties, and put on one helluva show. Buffalo Place seems to agree and have chosen Weezer as one of this year's bands to "rock the harbor". Action Jackson at 6pm. It's been a decade since I last saw the band and that's a decade too long. I couldn't be happier.

Alright, this is going to be a pretty "perfunctory" post. It really ought sorta sell itself: whether you were an ironic loser in the early 00s, or an actual loser in the early 90s, you LOVE the Blue Album.  It was good, and even if you're more of a Pinkerton kid, or even a Green Album Apologist, you still know "s/t" eclipses anything else Weezer did after their lamentable circa-2000 reunion, and by a wide margin. Tonight, Buffalo's resident 90s band, Kurt & the Loders, will be covering the Blue Album in its entirety at DBGB's (253 Allen St., 10pm) along with two additional sets of 90s covers.

"Actual Weezer" is playing at the Buffalo Harbor on July 13th, by the way. But, unless you're into being disappointed by your idols, we can be relatively sure that this Loders' show'll be a better bet.

How do you go from releasing two of the landmark alt rock albums of the 90's, one of which may have helped start the emo genre, to become a parody of yourself?  Well, you can start by doing stuff like this.  Or this.  Just a few minutes ago, Buffalo Place announced another show as part of their ticketed Rocks the Harbor Series.  On Friday, July 13th, Weezer will be playing to what should be a packed crowd down on the water.  Now, I grew up loving the Blue Album and Pinkerton, and outside of an occasional single, esspecially "Dope Nose", I have felt Weezer to be unlistenable for years.  Maybe I am in the minority for this, but the band needs to stop.  Now just because I do not care for the band, this does not mean I am not happy Buffalo Place booked another band that will draw a crowd so lets not confuse the two.  Anyways, if you happen to be a fan, tickets will go on sale this Friday, June 8th, at 10:00am for $35 or $40 if you wish to purchase the day of.