Given Weezer's recent dedication to going As Viral As Possible at all times, it's kind of a wonder that they haven't already hit NPR's Tiny Desk—one of the few chances for artists entrenched in the Content Economy to get a bunch of press for doing music stuff. But hey, they resolved that today with a wonderfully loose 16-minute set that included new singles, old hits, and even an underheard rarity called "Longtime Sunshine." They open with that cut, before transitioning into The Black Album's "Living in LA" and the Pinkerton jam "Across the Sea."
It's a nice smattering of stuff from across their whole career, but what's most notable is how free-flowing the whole thing feels. Part of what's kept me from digging as deep into Weezer's recent material is how intensely produced it all feels. The emotions these songs express aren't so neat and tidy, so it's fitting to hear them in a way that's a little woolier, without the scalpel-like precision of the studio cuts. Also, in case Rivers Cuomo's weirdness is what you're after he ends the set by saying "We're Weezer from planet Earth! Have a nice life!" It's all nice and uncomplicated, which you usually can't say about them these days. Watch it here.
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