Weezer Sing ‘Beverly Hills’ at Writers Strike Outside Paramount Studios

Weezer joined the WGA picket line Wednesday afternoon outside of Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. Members Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell, and Scott Shriner performed acoustic renditions of “Beverly Hills” and “Buddy Holly” in support of striking Hollywood writers.

The band is set to hit the road this summer for Indie Rock Roadtrip, their headlining 30-date tour with Modest Mouse, Future Islands, Spoon, Momma, Joyce Manor, and White Reaper. The trek kicks off on June 4 in Huntsville, Alabama and wraps on Sept. 3 in San Diego, California.

WGA members went on strike May 1  after failing to negotiate a deal with Hollywood studios — the first time since 2007, before streaming giants like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max existed. Two major sticking points have contributed to the two sides’ inability to come to an agreement: Residual payments and the use of artificial intelligence. The latter has garnered considerable media attention as the WGA wants to regulate the use of AI, fearing AI could create screenplay drafts with studios hiring writers at day rates to punch up those scripts. The AMPTP rejected proposals to ban the use of AI to generate films and show scripts, offering instead to hold “annual meetings to discuss advancements in technology.” 

Last week, Imagine Dragons also stood in solidarity with striking writers. Frontman Dan Reynolds and guitarist Daniel Wayne Sermon played their Grammy-winning song “Radioactive” and “Whatever It Takes” at the picket line outside the Netflix building in Los Angeles.