Weezer bassist having a blast
Band playing at SOEC on Saturday
Scott Shriner’s most memorable moment with Weezer wasn’t 17 million records sold, Grammy nominations, inclusion in Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all-time, or an impressive string of hit singles.
It was seeing his name on an album for the first time.
“I started late, I joined the band in 2001,” he said of the group that gained global attention in 1994 with its self-titled debut, since renamed The Blue Album.
“Maladroit was the first album I played on and when that came out, it was the first album I had ever recorded in my life. It was a professional message and I really didn’t believe it until I got my numbered copy — number 4 of 4,” he said in a phone interview, promoting Saturday’s show at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Even with 17 years of service, he’s not a founding member. He was there when they scored their biggest hit — Beverley Hills, released in 2005 — and in 2017 when their 10th studio album — also titled “Weezer,” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. (They lost to Cage the Elephant.)
“We really love what we do and we love each other. We have an amazing fan base and it’s a blast being in Weezer,” Shriner said of the band’s longevity.
Weezer has seen music formats change over the years but their popularity remains consistent with their most recent album climbing to No. 4 on the Billboard charts.
“The Internet allows us to research what songs are more popular in different parts of the world,” Shriner said. “Spotify has a location search letting us know what’s popular in a specific area. Kids today can basically get up in the morning and find any music they want to find. It wasn’t always that way.”
Now 51, Shriner is often nostalgic for the glory days of record stores.
“Vinyl is making a comeback. I always enjoyed having artwork and paper, things that open up. You could see what the band looked like at that point in their career. Before you didn’t really know what they looked like. There’s so many pictures out there now. Someone can go on the Internet and find a picture of their favourite band brushing their teeth.”
The present line-up of Weezer features Shriner along with three of the four originals — Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson and Brian Bell.
“We put out an album last year, The White Album, and were really excited with it. We’ve released a newer single, Feels Like Summer, it’s pretty fun and we’ll have another new album out soon. In the meantime, we love playing in front of excited fans each night,” Shriner said.
Weezer, with special guests The Trews and Flatliners play Saturday at the SOEC at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $77.50 and $55.50 plus service charges. Shuttle bus service is available. For tickets visit SOEC box office, 10 a.m.5 p.m., log on to ValleyFirstTix.com or phone 1-877-763-2849.