Sure, it was Weezer’s “Undone (The Sweater Song)“ that piqued our ears nearly 25 years ago, but it was their buoyant nerd anthem “Buddy Holly” that birthed a new generation of alternative pop-rock. And while we can all agree that the band’s latest output is nothing if not spotty (Everything Will Be Alright In the End owns, though), Rivers Cuomo and company have spent the better part of this century embracing their past. Their live shows are almost always heavy on Blue Album and Pinkerton cuts, and, on its current trek, the band is recreating its iconic “Buddy Holly” video, which was made to look like it appeared on an episode of bygone sitcom Happy Days.
After the same intro from the video—“Okay, kids, Arnold’s is proud to present Kenosha, Wisconsin’s own Weezer!”—the lights rise on a stage decked out like Arnold’s Diner, where pennants declare each member’s name and Cuomo dons a ‘50s-inspired, Richie Cunningham-esque get-up. See some fan-shot footage of it all above.
All that’s missing? The hammy antics of former bassist Matt Sharp (“That’s not so good, Al”) and, of course, that sweet, sweet Fonzie dance.
Here’s the original Spike Jonze video that inspired the whole thing: