Editing Weezer (section)

===The "Red Album" (2006–2008)===
{{Main|Weezer (Red Album)}}
[[File:Weezer (Oct 2008) 040.jpg|thumb|Weezer performing in [[Arizona]] in October 2008]]

After the success of ''[[Make Believe (Weezer album)|Make Believe]],'' the band decided to take a break. Cuomo returned to [[Harvard University|Harvard]] where he ended up graduating [[cum laude]] and as a [[Phi Beta Kappa]] in 2006.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Rivers Cuomo's Harvard Graduation|newspaper=Spin|date=June 9, 2006|url=https://www.spin.com/2006/06/rivers-cuomos-harvard-graduation/}}</ref> Cuomo also married Kyoko Ito on June 18, 2006, a woman he had known since March 1997. The wedding was attended by the current members of the band as well as [[Matt Sharp]] and [[Jason Cropper]]. During this break, [[Patrick Wilson (drummer)|Patrick Wilson]] and [[Brian Bell]] appeared in the 2006 film ''[[Factory Girl (2006 film)|Factory Girl]]'' playing [[John Cale]] and [[Lou Reed]] respectively and contributing a cover of the [[The Velvet Underground|Velvet Underground]] song "[[Heroin (The Velvet Underground song)|Heroin]]" for the film.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Weezer Covers Velvet Underground For Biopic Soundtrack|newspaper=Spin|date=January 25, 2006|url=https://www.spin.com/2006/01/weezer-covers-velvet-underground-biopic-soundtrack/}}</ref> Also during this time, Bell started a new project, [[The Relationship]].

''[[Weezer (Red Album)|Weezer]]'' (also known as the Red Album) was released in June 2008. [[Rick Rubin]] produced the album<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Paul|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46465-rivers-cuomo-dishes-on-new-weezer-lp-ialonei-demos|title=Rivers Cuomo Dishes on New Weezer LP, Alone Demos|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|access-date=January 11, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218235104/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46465-rivers-cuomo-dishes-on-new-weezer-lp-ialonei-demos|archive-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref> and [[Rich Costey]] mixed it. The record was described as "experimental", and according to Cuomo, who claimed it at the time to be Weezer's "boldest and bravest and showiest album",<ref>Scaggs, Austin. "Q & A: Rivers Cuomo." Rolling Stone June 26, 2008: 26.</ref> included longer and non-traditional songs, [[Roland TR-808|TR-808 drum machines]], synthesizers, [[Southern rap]], [[baroque music|baroque]] [[counterpoint]], and band members other than Cuomo writing, singing, and switching instruments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/48163-interview-rivers-cuomo|title=Pitchfork Feature: Interview: Rivers Cuomo|publisher=Pitchforkmedia.com|date=January 28, 2008|access-date=September 26, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131064154/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/48163-interview-rivers-cuomo|archive-date=January 31, 2008}}</ref> Pat Wilson said the album cost about a million dollars to make, contrasting it with the {{USD|150,000|long=no}} budget of the Blue Album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://twit.tv/mbw82|title=The TWiT Netcast Network with Leo Laporte|publisher=Twit.tv|date=March 26, 2008|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> The album was produced by [[Rick Rubin]] and [[Jacknife Lee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11568-weezer-the-red-album|title=Weezer: Weezer (The Red Album)|last=Hogan|first=Marc|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=June 2, 2008|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> The album debuted at No. 4 on the [[Billboard 200]] while receiving generally positive reviews.<ref name="Weezer"/>

Its lead single, "[[Pork and Beans (song)|Pork and Beans]]",<ref name="Spin.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.spin.com/2008/04/new-weezer-album-out-june-24/|title=New Weezer Album Out June 24|author=Goodman, William|newspaper=Spin|date=April 21, 2008|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> topped the ''Billboard'' [[Modern Rock Tracks]] charts for 11 weeks while also peaking at No. 64 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Katie|last=Hasty|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045471/leona-lewis-holds-onto-hot-100-no-1|title=Leona Lewis Holds Onto Hot 100 No. 1|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=May 8, 2008|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Weezer"/> Its music video won a [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video]].<ref name="Grammy2009" /> The second single, "[[Troublemaker (Weezer song)|Troublemaker]]", debuted at No. 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 2. In October 2008, the group announced that the third single would be "[[The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)]]" which was met with critical praise.

On May 30, 2008, the [[Toledo Free Press]] revealed in an interview with Shriner that Weezer would be unveiling the "Hootenanny Tour", in which fans would be invited to bring their own instruments to play along with the band. Said Shriner: "They can bring whatever they want... oboes, keyboards, drums, violins, and play the songs with us as opposed to us performing for them."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toledofreepress.com/?id=7947|title=Toledoan still 'freaks out' over being in Weezer|publisher=Toledofreepress.com|access-date=September 26, 2010}}</ref>

The band performed five dates in Japan at the beginning of September and then embarked on what was dubbed the "Troublemaker" tour, consisting of 21 dates around North America, including two in Canada. [[Angels and Airwaves]] and [[Tokyo Police Club]] joined the band as support at each show, and Brian Bell's other band [[The Relationship]] also performed at a handful of dates. Shortly before the encore at each show, the band would bring on fans with various instruments and perform "[[Island in the Sun (Weezer)|Island in the Sun]]" and "[[Beverly Hills (Weezer song)|Beverly Hills]]" with the band. At a show in Austin, after Tokyo Police Club had played its set, Cuomo was wheeled out in a box and mimed to a recording of rare Weezer demo, "My Brain", dressed in pajamas and with puppets on his hands, before being wheeled off again. This bizarre event later surfaced as the climax to a promo video for Cuomo's second demo album, ''[[Alone 2]]''.