If you’re younger than 31, “The Simpsons” has been doing musician cameos since before you were born.
According to Billboard, the first was way back in Season 1, which began airing in 1989, when the late Ron Taylor — who played the man-eating plant in an off-Broadway production of “Little Shop of Horrors” and starred in a Tony-nominated musical revue, “It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues” — voiced saxophonist “Bleeding Gums” Murphy.
The longest-running American sitcom will do it again Sunday, when it features Weezer. And it’s no oridnary appearance.
The band, which this week released a new song and music video, “Hero,” which pays tribute to frontline workers battling the covid-19 crisis, will debut a new song, “Blue Dream,” in the appearance, according to Spin.
The episode is titled “The Hateful Eight Year-Olds” and will feature Weezer playing a cover band on a cruise.
Hi, we're the band Weezer, you kids might recognize us and our music (old and new) on Sunday's episode of @TheSimpsons so tune in 8/7c on @AnimationOnFOX. pic.twitter.com/nuLy8wyjyE
— weezer (@Weezer) May 7, 2020
The song is to be part of the band’s upcoming 14th album, Van Weezer, which doesn’t yet have a release date, according to the website.
While “The Simpsons” has had a slew of non-musician guests over the years, it seems to have a particular affinity for recording artists. The show has welcomed some of the biggest names in music history, including Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Sting, James Taylor, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Mick Jagger… The list goes on.
The cameos continued on the big screen in 2007, when Green Day appeared in “The Simpsons Movie.” An angry mob sinks the barge on which the band is playing over singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s environmental advocacy.
The new episode airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on Fox.
