Brian Bell

Early life

Bell was born in Iowa City, Iowa to parents Tom Bell, a geography professor at University of Tennessee, and Linda Menasco, an elementary school assistant principal. He was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He first gravitated to music at the age of four when his parents took him to an Elvis Presley concert at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Soon after Bell became obsessed with his father's record collection, playing it constantly. At a young age, Bell was forced by his mother to take piano lessons, refusing to let him take guitar lessons until high school because she "wouldn't believe that he would practice." Eventually, during his freshman year in high school, his parents allowed him to take guitar lessons from Knoxville musician Ben Bolt. Also, during his first year in high school Bell was forced to switch high schools, "I was zoned to go to County School and my mom taught in the city, which meant I could go to a more privileged school. In doing that I was surrounded by snobs. During this time, Brian delivered pizzas at Stefanos in Knoxville, with his friends Blair and Todd Mitchell. I was kind of finding myself at the time, so I decided to go to the school I was zoned for." He started playing in a band with school friends Trey Counce and Tim and Glenn Maloof called Blooshroom which Bell described as "Pink Floyd-meets-The Stooges."

After completing high school at Bearden High School in 1987, Bell decided not to pursue higher education feeling it would be a "waste of money." At the age of 18, Bell moved to Los Angeles, California, and enrolled at G.I.T. In 1991, he became a member of Carnival Art, which released three official albums and an EP with Bell playing bass guitar. Unfortunately, the band had extremely small record sales and were eventually dropped by record label Beggars Banquet. It was around the time Carnival Art was disintegrating Bell became acquainted with the members of Weezer, "They started playing on the scene, and I instantly saw something unique in them. I didn't necessarily want to be in their band. They were for some reason, in with the wrong crowd and playing at the wrong venues. I wanted to help them out any way I could and I wanted to play a show with them." One night in the late summer of 1993, while driving home Bell decided once-and-for-all to quit Carnival Art. When he got home he found on his answering machine a message from Weezer bassist Matt Sharp. Sharp called again the next day, and Rivers Cuomo took the phone and asked him to join the band.

Weezer

Bell then joined Weezer in 1993 during the recording of The Blue Album, replacing Jason Cropper. Since then he has remained a member of Weezer. Besides doing back-up vocals and playing lead guitar and rhythm guitar, Bell takes on many of the multi-instrumental duties during Weezer's live shows. When songs call for the use of a keyboard or harmonica, Bell often plays them.

Although all songwriting credits on Weezer's 2005 album Make Believe are credited to Rivers Cuomo, Bell wrote the intro to "We Are All on Drugs" and the dueling guitars in the solo of "This is Such a Pity." Bell also contributed the song "Thought I Knew" to the band's 2008 self-titled album as well as "It's Easy," an iTunes exclusive demo that serves as a bonus track to that album. This marks the first time Weezer has officially released a song written and sung by Brian Bell although the band demoed and played Brian's "Yellow Camaro" live in 2002. The song eventually made it onto the Space Twins debut LP The End of Imagining.

In 2005, during live appearances with the band Brian sang lead vocals on "Why Bother?", "Smile", "Getchoo" and "Keep Fishin'". In 2008 during the band's Hootenanny Tour he began taking lead vocals on "El Scorcho". He continued singing "El Scorcho" and sang "Suzanne" as well on the band's Troublemaker Tour in 2008.

Space Twins

Throughout the years Bell fronted his own band, Space Twins, who have had various incarnations since 1993. They have released three EPs and an LP, The End of Imagining, in 2003. Yet in 2006, Bell stated that he was "not presently pursuing" projects with The Space Twins.

The Relationship

In 2007 Bell recorded for a side project called The Relationship. The recording took place at Henson Recording Studios and Padre Terrace in Los Angeles and is produced by Weezer engineer Eric J. Sean Lennon mentioned in an interview that he will appear with Bell on The Relationship's debut record. Rivers Cuomo and Bell co-wrote a song together for the project titled "Hand to Hold," but Bell does not think it will be on their debut album. In May 2007 he uploaded "Hand to Hold" on the band's Myspace page. It is a reworking of the Weezer song "Private Message," which was originally in the running for inclusion on Make Believe.

Other projects

Bell and Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson, collaborated on a cover of the Velvet Underground song "Heroin", for the 2006 film Factory Girl.

In November 2006, Lyon Guitars (by Washburn) introduced a limited edition guitar series called "Limited Edition 2006," each of which had been hand-signed by Bell, and were in the same "strat" body style that Brian prefers to play.

Bell has also expressed an interest in the works of William Shakespeare. During the band's downtime in 2003 and 2004, Bell and his ex-girlfriend Peggy Nunez studied Shakespeare and poetry theory at collegiate level. They also appeared in a production of Twelfth Night, in which Bell wrote four songs, all using Shakespeare's words.

Recently, Bell has appeared in one-off performances on guitar with other bands. Playing on March 17, 2006 at The Troubador in LA with Weezer tour-mates Ringside, and performing "Our Lips Are Sealed", with the Go-Go's member, Jane Wiedlin, on June 1, 2006 at the Viper Room. He sat in on guitars and back up vocals for Ringside's winter '06 tour in Russia.

It was recently announced that Bell will make his producing debut on the Ultra Sonic Edukators next album .

In December 2010, Bell made an unintended cameo appearance in the video "CALIFORNIA ON JEWS" on YouTube.

Equipment

As of 2014, Bell's solely uses Gibson Guitars, his current main instrument being a Gibson Explorer in classic white, with a chrome mirror pickguard replacing the stock white one. His main amplifier is a Matchless Independence, a three channel, hand-wired tube amplifier, providing the thick distortion that Weezer is known for.

Movie career

In 2006, Bell made his on-screen debut, playing Lou Reed in the Edie Sedgwick biographical film, Factory Girl. Bandmate Patrick Wilson also appeared as John Cale, another member of the Velvet Underground.

With Weezer

With Space Twins

With The Relationship

With Carnival Art

With Homie