Weezer has toured the globe, sold millions of albums and written some of the greatest pop-rock anthems of the modern rock era. But the one thing the Rivers Cuomo-led band has never done is get a thumbs-up from Simon Cowell. But on Tuesday night (Feb. 28) the band popped in for a guest slot on America’s Got Talent, where they ripped through two songs and got high praise from the notoriously cranky reality TV judge.
The mini-set kicked off with a run through the SZN: Autumn track “What Happens After You?,” with the group performing the charging track in front of a giant wall of TV monitors as the judges politely clapped along. Then, in a surprise shift, the iconic drumroll kick-off to the band’s 2005 hit “Beverly Hills” swelled up and the Detroit Youth Choir charged to the stage, clapping their hands and chanting, “gimme gimme, cuz we the next big thing!/ Can you feel me, I know you hear me/ DYC the next big thing.”
While Cuomo strummed and sang the song’s first verse the choir busted out some high-energy choreo and made the chorus swell with their gospel-y backing vocals as judge Howie Mandel said, “I love this song.” After the stage exploded in confetti streamers, Mandel, Cowell and Heidi Klum gave the combined group a standing ovation.
Cuomo told host Terry Crews that performing withe choir was “super fun,” calling their background vocals “beautiful.” Cowell could not have agreed more, dubbing the performance “absolutely brilliant,” while thanking the band for the “magic” they brought to the stage.
Watch Weezer on AGT below.