“Ooh-wee-ooh, I look just like Buddy Holly/Oh, oh, and you’re Mary Tyler Moore.”
So goes the chorus to “Buddy Holly,” the iconic song from the alt-pop band Weezer. The song appeared on the band’s self-titled debut album, better known as the “Blue Album.” Weezer fans hold that 1994 album, with its collection of hook-laden songs, close to their heart. New generations of listeners are also discovering the album and embracing songs like “Undone — The Sweater Song” and “Say It Ain’t So.”
If you are a Weezer fan or want to hear what makes this album so special, head to the Shea Theater Arts Center in Turners Falls on Friday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m. when the band Recent History will perform Weezer’s “Blue Album” in its entirety. Garage pop band Saliba will open the show.
Recent History is an alternative dance rock band out of Northampton that features Glen Fant on vocals and guitar, Ryan Guillen on guitar, Rocco Desgres on bass and Kate Dowd on drums. They are known for covering songs from the 1990s and have previously tackled most of the soundtrack from the movie “Singles.” But the “Blue Album” is the first time that the band has played an entire album.
“We do a lot of ’90s covers, sort of like party band stuff,” Fant said in a recent interview. “So, we had to play three hours of music, and we found ourselves doing a lot of the songs from the ‘Blue Album.’ And then Kate and Ryan were joking around one day and said, ‘Hey, we should play the whole album.’”
And that’s just what they did. Last Halloween, the band played its first performance of the “Blue Album” at the Marigold Theater in Easthampton.
“People like it so much that we thought we’d continue,” Fant said.
The show at the Shea Theater will be their sixth time performing the album.
Fant became a fan of the album when it was first released. He was a teenager at the time and said it deeply resonated with him.
“It was like front-to-back bangers all around,” he said of the Weezer debut. “That album hit people of my generation really hard.”
The “Blue Album” was an oddity when it was released, as grunge ruled at the time. The lyrics had an almost silly quality to them and their music was poppier than anything else dominating the airwaves. Spike Jonze’s video for “Buddy Holly,” which inserted the band into footage from the television show “Happy Days,” was a huge MTV hit that boosted the band’s popularity and cemented their image as rock geeks.
Weezer has continued to release albums over the years and remains a popular concert draw. The band’s appeal isn’t limited to older fans or even those interested in the current wave of ‘90s nostalgia. Young people discovered the band, in part, through their heavy exposure on TikTok, which even led to the “Buddy Holly” video becoming a meme.
“We played a show in New Haven at the Press Room, and there was a really energetic group of young people there having fun,” said Fant, noting that his son Harley is also a fan of the band.
“My son is turning 13. He and his friends all love the songs from the ‘Blue Album,’ but they also enjoy the newer music, too,” he said. “For them, it’s not as tied to their identity as it was for people like me.”
Harley Fant is following in his father’s footsteps. He plays guitar and has a band called Sparc, which will perform at Flo Fest in Florence on Saturday, Sept. 19. Harley has jumped on stage and played a few songs with Recent History during the Weezer shows, and will join the band for a song at the Shea Theater. He has also joined Recent History at venues like the Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, so playing at the Shea won’t be his first time in front of a large crowd.
“He has come up and performed some songs with us, and you know, he’s so cool on stage,” Glen Fant said. “I still get, like, worked up, have to rely on my notes and stuff. Not him.”
Glen Fant tries to support Harley’s interest in music the way his dad did for him.
“My dad didn’t play in a band, but he was musical, and he had guitars and stuff like that,” Glen Fant said. “But he always supported us. My brothers and I would play music together and had a band when we were Harley’s age.”
An appearance from Harley isn’t the only thing making this show special. It looks like it may be Recent History’s last time playing all of the “Blue Album.”
“It’s likely going to be the last time we do it, as we are getting a little bored,” Glen Fant said.
In addition to playing the “Blue Album” from front to back, Recent History will follow that set with more Weezer tunes and a selection of ’90s hits. If that’s not enough ‘90s music for you, the band has partnered with The Rendezvous, located around the corner from the Shea at 78 Third St., for both a before and after party where more ‘90s sounds will be heard.
If this really is the last “Blue Album” show, what’s next?
“It is probably going to be something by The Smashing Pumpkins,” Glen Fant said. “If I had to choose right now, it would be ‘Siamese Dream,’ another album from that era that really resonates with me.”
But for now, the focus is on the “Blue Album.”
“I’m really excited to come and rock Turners Falls, and play at the Shea Theater,” Glen Fant said. “It is such a great community-supported venue, and I love that sense of community along with the rock ‘n’ roll.”
Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at sheatheater.org. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Fiery Hope offering open session at Greenfield Public Library
The Fiery Hope chorus, formerly known as Amandla, will launch its 39th season this fall and is looking for some new members. The chorus performs in a variety of places throughout the community from concert halls to homeless shelters.
To better spread the word on what the chorus is all about and present the opportunity for those wanting to join, Director Eveline MacDougall is hosting an open session at the Greenfield Public Library on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Community Room and is free and open to the public.
“We welcome interested singers from all backgrounds and encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to audition,” MacDougall said.
She noted that ideal membership traits include “basic musical skills and an eager desire to learn. We seek cooperative individuals, teens and up, who can commit to Tuesday evening rehearsals September through May.”
While Fiery Hope members are asked to contribute a sliding-scale fee to participate, this year MacDougall is waiving the fee for anyone under the age of 30.
“We are trying to diversify our age range,” she said.
More information is available on Fiery Hope’s website, fieryhope.org, or by emailing MacDougall at eveline@amandlachourus.org.
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.