Tonight in Albany, The Low Beat on Central Ave will host a night dedicated to the familiar sound of the 90s, Weezer. Members of the neighborhood B3nson Recording Company will come together to form B3nson does Blue: a tribute to Weezer. The cover fee is $5 with the show set to start at 9pm with The Pistol Whips. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Weezer’s Blue Album released on May 10th, 1994. This album helped launch their career with such songs as “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So.” The age of music videos was also still alive then, and with help from director Spike Jones, Weezer became a mainstream success. So get ready to get jiggy with it, crimp your hair, throw on a slap bracelet, and grab your homies for a night of the nineties.
Dan Maddalone, singer and guitarist for Barons in the Attic, was and still is a proud Weezer fanatic. He had time to chat about tonight’s show and all things Weezer related.
Susan Rice: How has Weezer’s music influenced your music? They are classified as “unashamed nerd rockers.” Can you relate to this?
Dan Maddalone: I listened to Weezer a ton during High School. Their album Pinkerton made me feel feelings I didn’t know existed and I always loved their songs and videos. I am a nerd and I feel no shame ever so I guess I can relate to that. Also, everyone covering them this Friday are nerds too, so I’m sure they relate as well. They’ve personally influenced my music by helping me love pop melodies and heavy guitars.
SR: The name of the band you are playing with is named after The Benson Recording Company/Family. Which members belong to which band?
DM: The B3nson Recording Collective is an entity that has existed since 2009. It’s a group of friends that help each other out, make records (60+ so far!), and put on shows. We also do RestFest, which is a big concert that happens every August. This band is comprised of members from bands within the collective. Matt Ferguson from Rival Galaxies, Steve Stanley from Careers and Bear Grass, Adam Zurbregg as curator and former Sgt. Dunbar bassist, Eric Krans from The Parlor, and Tim Koch from Dunbar and the Parlor.
SR: Have you seen Weezer live before?
DM: I saw Weezer live in 2010. It was in Massachusetts somewhere outside of Boston. They crushed it. I know they’ve gotten “lame” as time has gone on, but I suppose that happens to most bands. They’ve lost their “cred” according to everyone and yet it’s funny, as you talk to people and the older they get, the earlier they got shitty. Brian Bell (guitarist for Weezer) once said “you can’t truly be a Weezer fan unless you are disappointed in what the band’s currently doing”. But if you go see them, you will not be disappointed.
SR: There are multiple ways that artists pay tribute to other musicians. Do you plan on playing the album note for note or improving a bit? Are you more celebrating the album itself turning 20 or you are just that big of a Weezer fan?
DM: Anything from listening, to singing karaoke, to playing, or recording a band’s music can pay tribute. We’re attempting note for note, but these songs are quite tough. The dudes shred and we’re just using this as an excuse to crank our guitars real loud and party. 20 years is just a good reason to book a show and hangout at The Low Beat.
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