Man Raising $10 Million Will Pay Weezer To Disband

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Lucas Jackson / Reuters

At least it’s for a good cause.

James Burns, the 29-year-old Seattle man behind the campaign to break up band Weezer, is asking the world for $10 million. Why? He wants them to break up. Though the band’s success seems to be on the decline since the release of their early albums, Weezer has persisted, releasing eight albums in total, with a ninth – a collection of previously unreleased material – due out Nov. 2. The problem, Burns says, is that the music is awful. “This is an abusive relationship, and it needs to stop now,” Burns writes on the campaign’s Web site. “I am tired of my friends being disappointed year after year. I am tired of endless whimsical cutesy album covers and music videos.”

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Burns plans to offer the $10 million to the band members as a consolation prize of sorts, begging the group to “take our money and disappear.” As of now, a break up (at least by way of a multi-million dollar pay out) seems unlikely as only 1% of Burns’ goal has been pledged, but it hasn’t lessened the humor of his project. “Quite honestly, I’m not expecting to raise the whole 10 million,” he told the New York Times. “I’m not really expecting it to happen. I would be thrilled if it got up to like $10,000.” Even Weezer seems to be laughing. Drummer Patrick Wilson noted that the band would do a “deluxe breakup” if Burns upped his fund to $20 million on his Twitter feed.