Update: In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Rivers Cuomo reveals that he hasn’t actually seen the sketch.
Weezer can clearly take a joke.
Members of the alternative rock band were thrilled over a recent Saturday Night Live sketch about a group of neighbors discussing the band’s merits over a casual holiday dinner party. In the skit, things get pretty ugly after SNL‘s Leslie Jones suggests to host Matt Damon that the band hasn’t released any good music in over 20 years.
Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo was clearly flattered by sketch. “THEY HAD A WHOLE ASS SKIT ABOUT WEEZER AND ME ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE AND IM ACTUALLY CRYING AAAGGGGHHHHHHH,” the musician tweeted Sunday morning (Dec. 16).
Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson was also a fan, tweeting, “Go Matt Damon!”
The argument begins when Weezer’s recent cover of Toto’s “Africa” begins playing in the background during the engagement. “I think they’re doing some cool things right now,” Damon’s character says of Weezer, adding that the group has announced the release date for their upcoming Black Album.
Jones, who plays the role of a new addition to the neighborhood, quickly chimes in noting that Weezer hasn’t released good music in over 20 years. “I’m just a little confused because real Weezer fans know they haven’t had a good album since Pinkerton in ’96,” she says.
The chaos ensues with Jones insisting that everything after the Blue album and Pinkerton is “corny” and Damon arguing that “Pork and Beans” is better than “Buddy Holly.”
Not only did the band embrace the bit, they posted some fan art inspired by it as well as what looks like some new “Ride or Die” merch.
Ride or die, hardcore fans 4lyfe! Courtesy Alvaro Garcia. #karlscorner #fanclubrelaunchingsoon @nbcsnl pic.twitter.com/xwDKNhTFQY
— weezer (@Weezer) December 16, 2018
Can we all just agree that Weezer is the best band of all time?
ride or die –??– https://t.co/o04Bw0LVWH pic.twitter.com/OJwfxQB5Z8
— weezer (@Weezer) December 17, 2018
See the full sketch below.