Everything Will Be Alright in the End

Tonight, I was 13, sitting in my sisters' room, skipping the first three tracks of the Blue Album until I hear the opening line of Buddy Holly, which is the first Weezer song I recognized from the radio.

Tonight, I was walking up to a Best Buy register. Pinkerton was in my hands, and it was the second CD I will ever purchase with my own money.

Tonight, I was 15. I walked into the Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana, and my sister warned me that the show was going to get loud. My brother-in-law Todd bought me my first Weezer t-shirt. It's red and there's a punk rock chick character on the front. She's wearing her own Weezer t-shirt, and she's throwing up rock hands.

Tonight, I was sitting in the backseat of my parents' car. We were cruising on the Eastbound 60, and I was singing along softly to Butterfly.

Tonight, it was my first year at UCI. A group of friends and I drove down to La Jolla to see Weezer. It was the first time I ever saw the band Ozma, and it was a night that changed my life forever.

Tonight, I was listening to the Green Album outtakes that Todd burned for me. I fell in love with Burndt Jam and Brightening Day.

Tonight, I was at the Gibson Amphitheater in 2010 for Weezer's Memories Tour. I scream along to every song on the Blue Album, except for Say It Ain't So. Monastically, I just stand and watch during that song.

Tonight, I was listening to Everything Will Be Alright in the End. It was streaming on iTunes before its release, and I listen to it 4 times non-stop. It's the first album since Pinkerton that I listen to from beginning to end.

Tonight, I walked up to a Best Buy register. I'm holding EWBAITE in my hands. It's the first physical CD I've purchased in over 3 years.

Tonight, I sang onstage with Weezer at the Observatory Theater in Santa Ana (formerly the Galaxy). I was feet away from Rivers Cuomo. I met some awesome people. I got to share the moment with Todd. I could barely contain myself as I recanted the night's events to my wife Rachel. I looked up the Weezer Fan Club and how to join. I stayed up until the wee hours of the night to write this.

Tonight, I was a kid again.

Thank you, Weezer, from the bottom of my kid heart.

I can't wait for it to be tonight again...

Weezer...

8 days ago I saw Weezer's first of two nights at the Gibson Amphitheater.  It was an absolutely amazing show.  I hadn't seen Weezer for 9 years (the last time I saw them was in 2001 down at UC San Diego).  I remember them being very, very boring.  Not this time around, though.  Rivers was non-stop energy.  For their greatest hits set, all four members were up front with Josh Freese drumming... so eggin' food.  And their blue album set was just like being able to worship at the altars of all things I enjoy in an album.  I was transported to 1994, and I didn't want to leave at the end of the night...

Here are some pics from the show:

 Best Coast was great.  Solid set, no frills, just good rockin'...

Rock for the masses

 The crowd in the palm of her hand

 Right before Weezer hit the stage

 Light show, rock show, please no, don't go

 Rivers a couple yards from me.  I shoulda ran up for a high five...

 Making his way back to the stage.  Give the man a hand

 Webmaster and Weezer guru Karl treated everyone to a killer slide show in between sets.  Here's an early Weezer flyer.  Karl explained that Club Dump went on to notoriety as the Viper Room.

Kiss Medallions but for Weezer as made by Mykel and Carli back in the day