Editing Weezer (section)

===Formation and first years (1986–1994)===
Lead vocalist and guitarist [[Rivers Cuomo]] moved to Los Angeles from [[Mansfield, Connecticut]], in 1989 with his high school metal band, Avant Garde, later renamed Zoom. After the group disbanded, Cuomo met drummer [[Patrick Wilson (drummer)|Patrick Wilson]], a native of [[Buffalo, New York]], and moved in with him and Wilson's friend [[Matt Sharp]].<ref name=":0" /> Cuomo moved away from metal and explored alternative rock influences such as [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] and [[Sonic Youth]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wood|first=Mikael|date=March 25, 2024|title=Weezer's Blue Album at 30: The inside story of the debut that launched L.A.'s nerdiest band|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-03-25/weezer-blue-album-oral-history-30th-anniversary-rivers-cuomo|access-date=March 27, 2024|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US}}</ref> He and Wilson formed a band, Fuzz, and enlisted [[Scottie Chapman]] on bass. Chapman quit after a few early shows; the band reformed as Sixty Wrong Sausages, with Cuomo's friend Pat Finn on bass and [[Jason Cropper]] on guitar, but soon disbanded.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|last=Hiatt|first=Brian|date=August 28, 2019|title=The Strange Birth and Near Death of Weezer|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/weezer-blue-album-25th-anniversary-877089/|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|language=en-US|access-date=August 29, 2019}}</ref>

Cuomo moved to [[Santa Monica, California]], and recorded dozens of demos, including the future Weezer songs "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" and "[[Undone – The Sweater Song]]". Sharp was enthusiastic about the demos, and became the group's bassist and de facto manager.<ref name=":0" />

Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp, and Cropper formed Weezer on February 14, 1992. Their first show was on March 19, 1992, closing for [[Keanu Reeves]]' band [[Dogstar (band)|Dogstar]].<ref name=":0" /> They took their name from a nickname Cuomo's father gave him,<ref name=":0" /> which was based on a character called "[[Bobby Hutchins|Wheezer]]" from the ''[[Our Gang]]'' short films.<ref>{{cite web|last1=O'Brien|first1=Conan|title=How Rivers Cuomo Met His Weezer Bandmates|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUBmG_BrweY|website=YouTube|date=October 12, 2022|access-date=May 7, 2024}}</ref> Cuomo gave Sharp one year to get the band a record deal before Cuomo accepted a scholarship at the [[University of California, Berkeley]].<ref name=":0" /> In November, Weezer recorded a demo, ''[[The Kitchen Tape]]'', including a version of the future Weezer single "[[Say It Ain't So]]".<ref name=":0" /> The demo was heard by Todd Sullivan, an [[A&r|A&R]] man at [[Geffen Records]], who signed Weezer in June 1993.<ref name=":0" />