Vocalist and guitarist believes that his sound was not what the Nirvana leader was looking for in other artists, but Courtney Love seems to like it
Although it came from Los Angeles and not Seattle, the Weezer came from an alternative scene that is not very different from the one that gave life to Nirvanabetween the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s. Even so, Rivers Cuomo believe that Kurt Cobain wouldn’t like his band so much — even though he himself loved the trio completed by Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic.
The admiration is so great that Weezer once performed an entire show composed only of Nirvana songs, under the name Goat Punishmenta project with which he also paid homage Oasis and other artists. In an interview with NME (via Guitar.com), however, Cuomo thinks Cobain liked a very different kind of music than he does.
Weezer frontman said:
It seemed like the music he was going for was rougher around the edges, more punk and less commercial.”
We will never know Kurt’s opinion of Weezer, since he left us in 1994. However, it is possible to get an idea from a second opinion.
Courtney Lovewidow of the Nirvana frontman — and singer and guitarist of Hole — once posted on his X/Twitter profile a video of Rivers and his colleagues doing a cover of “Lithium”from her husband’s group, during a performance at Rock in Rio 2019.
In addition to the excerpt with the description, the artist also published a heart emoji, which appears to be a sign of approval.
Asked about Courtney’s reaction, Rivers was grateful but didn’t change his mind: he still doesn’t think Kurt would be a Weezer fan, unlike his wife. The Los Angeles-born, New York-based singer and guitarist said:
Courtney is a real icon for our generation, she’s like our big sister. You really want someone like her to approve of what you’re doing and Kurt didn’t live long enough to hear us – he died a month before our album. Blue Album leave (in April 1994). But I don’t think he would approve of us. But the fact that Courtney approves is amazing.”
The Nirvana that never was
Nirvana and Weezer are different not only musically, but also visually. While Kurt Cobain’s trio was the main commercial representative of the grunge movement and brought back a more raw and punk aesthetic, Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell, Matt Sharp and Patrick Wilson looked like they came straight out of some company’s IT department, especially in the cover photo of the Blue Album (1994).
Although the group was more concerned with sound than visuals, Cuomo admits that he was upset by the initial comments from the media and fans, as he wanted the band to be seen as the “new Nirvana”. The musician confessed this in an interview with Louderwhere he said:
When we did the Blue AlbumI saw myself in a completely different light. I thought we were going to be the next Nirvana, that we were going to be taken very seriously as an angst-ridden rock band. And I was completely shocked, surprised and disappointed when we put the record out and found out that the press was, ‘This is a bunch of geeks. Revenge of the nerds! ‘”
In the same interview, the Weezer frontman was asked if he has concerns about how he is perceived. He admitted that he does:
Yeah, it seems like I’m not as skilled at managing my reputation as some other artists are. I know some people think I’m a weirdo. But I think once people get to know me, most of them like me and find me easy to relate to.”
Cuomo expressed frustration about this.
Being a high-level musician, people don’t really know you, they just get first impressions or distant impressions and a lot of times that’s been quite negative about me. That matters to me.”
Nerds or not, the fact is that Weezer achieved success with their first album, which sold 3.5 million copies in the United States alone.
Collaborated: André Luiz Fernandes.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
