Weezer Get Funky With Next Album

For a man who'll be turning 31 next weekend, Rivers Cuomo is a lot like a polite little boy.

He's soft-spoken, reserved and he sits with a slight hunch, his hands clasped together. I had the chance to talk to him the day after their last performance of the Hooptie Tour — the same day Weezer were leaving to start a European tour. Although he looks the same as he ever did, he and his band have changed considerably since the release of Pinkerton in 1996.

This is partially due to the rugged-looking Mikey Welsh replacing Matt Sharp as the bass player.

"I think now I'm more of a leader," Rivers says quietly. "Less passive-aggressive, confused, frustrated and bitter. I think things operate a lot more efficiently and smoothly and everyone's a lot more happy now."

Their newfound happiness really showed during their brief set at Ontario Place's Island Club on June 8. Part of the reason they were all smiles is that they had the opportunity to play some newer songs, for which they just recorded demos to last week. Weezer fans need not worry about having to wait another five years for a new CD. Rivers anticipate to record another album within the next year.

"The newer songs are so much more better," Rivers emphasizes. "And of course all the fans want to hear the old songs. But we can only keep that up for so long before our excitement for the new stuff takes over. That's why yesterday during the whole set I was apologizing through the whole thing. Like, 'Sorry we've got to play some new songs.'"

Don't expect anything along the lines of what's on The Green Album, however, as Rivers and co. are done with the droning punk vibe and are moving on to the land of "funky riffs on the guitar."

"I think we did it the best that that style can be done," says the geek rock master. "There's only so many of those songs that you can play before you wanna start shredding on the guitar again."