The Phoenix Network:
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 
Nominate-best-2010

Rivers Cuomo injured in bus crash; Weezer cancels Boston show


WEEZER's scheduled performance tonight at Boston's Agganis Arena is "not happening," according to a LiveNation press release. No further details were immediately available about refunds or a rescheduled date; it appears the band has cancelled all of its December dates. (Update: the show has been officially "postponed," but no replacement date has been announced; refunds are available at point of purchase.)

Weezer frontman RIVERS CUOMO was taken by ambulance to an upstate New York hospital yesterday morning with cracked ribs and "mostly minor but very painful" internal injuries, after his tour bus struck an icy patch, plowed through a guard rail, and skidded off the road into a ditch, while en route to the Boston show. 

Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson Twitter'd some details yesterday: "It was perfect conditions for black ice. Got loose going towards the meridian, driver saves it but bus goes thru guardrail into 6ft ditch."

From the band's MySpace blog:

Today at 7:18 AM EST, about 40 miles West of Albany on I-90, the weezer tour bus carrying Rivers and his family and assistants lost control as it hit a patch of black ice. The driver employed every ounce of skill he had in fighting to keep the bus upright, as the vehicle violently fishtailed over the highway. And while the bus did indeed go off the road, plunging about 8-10 vertical feet into a muddy ravine off to the right of the Thruway thus coming to a very abrupt stop, it did not flip or roll, despite having plowed right over a guardrail, flattening it. Kudos to the driver for somehow keeping things as level as they could be - surely this story would have been far more tragic if not for his actions.

Nonetheless the damage was severe, and everyone on the bus was either terrified or injured or both. The bus contained Rivers, his wife and daughter, their nanny, and Rivers' assistant Sarah. Both Sarah and Rivers' wife were pitched out of their upper level bunks onto the floor 5 feet below. Somehow Rivers' wife was uninjured, but Sarah sustained 2 fractured ribs and a fractured lower vertebrae. The baby daughter was in her crib unit and was fine, as was the nanny who was sleeping near the floor in her bunk at the time. However in the back lounge, Rivers was tossed around violently, waking up as he landed back on his mattress. He recalled not hitting anything, but later we learned that he must have, as he cracked 3 ribs and sustained some mostly minor but very painful internal damage, as well as hurting his lower leg somehow.

The interior of the bus was a chaotic mess with broken glass, smashed glasses and plates, food and clothing items strewn everywhere, as well as the refrigerator flying off the wall and many drawers coming right out of their slots, spewing their contents everywhere. On top of it the sliding interior doors were fused shut and the bus's electronics were ruined, so no one could get into the back lounge where Rivers lay immobile and unable to speak due to the pain in his ribcage. To top it off, the front door was jammed shut with 5 feet of heavy wet mud up pressed against it so there was no way to leave the bus.

Finally, using the jaws of life to remove a rear window bar, the local EMTs and firefighters got a ladder across the ravine to the rear bus window, where they could get to Rivers, eventually getting him and Sarah out on stretchers and into an ambulance. Meanwhile they dug frantically in the mud at the front of the bus, clearing the front door so everyone else could come out. To access the rest of the bus from Rivers' lounge, the fused sliding door was destroyed by the firefighters.

The other buses pulled up within 20 minutes of the accident, and already a long line of firetrucks and EMT vehicles were on the scene. I threw on my shoes and walked up just as the jaws of life were being turned on, catching a glimpse of Rivers lying inside on his back surrounded by EMTs. I couldnt believe what was happening in front of me, as Rivers lay so helpless, shivering in the center of the chaos, and meanwhile the sun was coming up and revealing an utterly beautiful light covering of snow on the surrounding trees. I dont know how to describe the wave of awfulness that gripped me as I watched, but adrenalin took over and the next thing I knew I was in the passenger seat of an ambulance transporting Rivers and Sarah to the hospital in Amsterdam, NY, about 10 miles from there. That adrenalin would sustain me all day, as everyone's did, from family to band to crew - everyone pitched in to help however they could all day as things unfolded.

Fast forward to now - Sarah was discharged, a 3-4 week period of extreme pain awaiting her as she heals from her injuries the only way possible, with time and gritted teeth. Rivers was transported to a larger area hospital where he remains under observation. He is resting about as comfortably as could be expected now, and we were relieved to hear that surgery is unlikely. Hopefully tomorrow the docs will have more info. You don't fool around with internal injury. Whatever happens, we forsee some gritted teeth in his future too.

We are sorry to say that the rest of the December Raditude Tour has been cancelled - when we can reschedule the dates we will, of course. I have no ticket or refund or whatever info at this time, but stay tuned to this site and the ticketing websites for more info. For now its a waiting game for all of us. Thanks for your kind thoughts and good wishes, we need them!

Weezer is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, they have released six full length albums, two EPs, and a DVD. Their latest album,...

925 Commonwealth Ave, Boston

Boston University's athletic complex also fills a long-absent need for a mid-size arena in Boston. Thanks to the Agganis, we didn't have to drive to...

  • Share:
  • Share this entry with Facebook
  • Share this entry with Digg
  • Share this entry with Delicious
  • Email this article to a friend
  • Print this article

Leave a Comment

Login | Not a member yet? Click here to Join
Follow the Phoenix
  • newsletter
  • twitter
  • facebook
  • youtube
  • rss
All Blogs
Related Articles

1002_spose_list
Boston Phoenix
Spose, radio star
Published 2/5/2010 by SAM PFEIFLE
Apparently, smoking it all can be beneficial

LOCAL012910_Fairhaven_list
Boston Phoenix
Bring on the major leagues
Published 1/29/2010 by CHRIS CONTI
Fairhaven are officially on the hunt

more by Carly Carioli
Walking Edge: The iPhone app that killed Coakley | January 21, 2010
Glenn Beck on Senator Scott Brown: "This one could end with a dead intern." | January 20, 2010
Why Martha Coakley's loss wasn't about health care -- and what Barney Frank can do about it | January 20, 2010
New Facebook fan page: 1000 people Flip the Bird at the Voters of Massachusetts | January 19, 2010
Massachusetts polls are closed: Democrats bracing for a Coakley loss | January 19, 2010

 See all articles by: Carly Carioli

ADVERTISEMENT
Latest Video
OTD Categories
Out
VIDEO: Arctic Monkeys at the House of Blues
Rare Frequencies
Rare Frequencies: Trouble and treble
Playlists
Lady Lee's Lion's Den Playlist
MP3 of the Week
HOMEWORK: Assignment #2: D-Tension
Hot Tix
Ticket On-Sale Alert: Muse, Mariah Carey, Black Eyed...
Latest Comments
The Touching Tale Of Labor And Scott Brown - Blocking nominations is a time honored tradition that both parties partake in, most recently by Barry...

By Fake Name on 02-06-2010 in Talking Politics

MP3 of the Week: Vikesh Kapoor, "Newspress Scare" - stream the 7" here: vikeshkapoor.bandcamp.com/.../newspress-scare-7-2 tickets to the show here:...

By hootenanny on 02-05-2010 in On The Download

Dear Rush Limbaugh: Please Drop Dead. Love, Twitter - Shows the kind of exemplary trash that festers under the banner of the Democrat party. Wishing ANYONE...

By pirogue on 02-05-2010 in Phlog

The Touching Tale Of Labor And Scott Brown - Want a real conversation about the Massachusetts gubernatorial race? Watch Basic Black live TONIGHT ...

By saltzmas on 02-04-2010 in Talking Politics

Thugs and goons: Howie Carr explains--updated! - Oh, he got it from the comments! Nice job, Howie. So, according to Mr. Carr, it is the New York Times...

By Farnkoff on 02-04-2010 in Dont Quote Me

Latest Comments from On The Download
Most Viewed
MP3: Casey Dienel goes Gaga on White Hinterland's new Kairos
MP3 of the Week: Conservative Man, "The Heist"
Together at last: Amanda Palmer and Kay Hanley duet at Lizard Lounge [video]
Photos and Video: Julian Casablancas at the Paradise Rock Club, and live on WFNX
Ticket On-Sale Alert: The Thermals, Trey Anastasio, Spoon, Jay-Z, Xiu Xiu, and more
Andrew Fenlon speaks! Former Eli Reed trombonist on what you didn't see in his American Idol performance
Gen. Larry Platt's "Pants on the Ground" spawns instant remixes, Facebook group, YouTube covers
Most Viewed from On The Download
Search Blogs
 
Links
Bradley’s Almanac - Lower Allston blogging and bootlegging since 2001
Band in Boston -
Basstown -
Wayne&Wax -
Aurgasm -
Onward Charles -
Compound 440r -
Anti-Gravity Bunny -
Clicky Clicky -
Soul Clap -
Lemmingtrail -
WMBR -
WFNX -
Beginning To See the Light -
Jump the Turnstyle -
Heads Up Boston -
Loaded Gun -
Enough Cowbell -
Vanyaland -
On The Download Archives
Sunday, February 07, 2010  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
thePhoenix.com
Phoenix Media/Communications Group
Copyright © 2010 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group