There are super fans, and then there was Mykel and Carli Allan, the globally recognized sisters behind Weezer’s 1994 track, “Mykel & Carli,” founders of the official Weezer Fan Club, and shining examples of what supporting the arts for the love of music, friendship, and the joy that takes place when the two intertwine. One could argue that Weezer might not have become what they are today without the Allans.
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Because, as any musician can attest, having people who believe in you wholeheartedly can be the difference between pushing through discomfort and throwing in the towel. Fortunately for the Los Angeles rock band, the Allans were ardent supporters until their final tragic moments on the night of July 8, 1997.
The Sisters Behind Weezer’s “Mykel & Carli”
Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Matt Sharp, and Jason Cropper established Weezer on Valentine’s Day 1992 in Los Angeles, California. While cutting their teeth in venues around the West Coast cultural hub, the band made acquaintances with two sisters, Mykel and Carli Allan, who became fast fans (and friends) of the group. Weezer enlisted the help of the Allans to send lyrics and other promotional materials to fans, which naturally evolved into the creation of the official Weezer Fan Club.
The Allans were a constant, bolstering presence in Weezer’s early days. After the release of their eponymous debut in 1994, the sisters’ work became even more crucial in developing strong relationships between the rock band and their fans. The sisters arranged special fan club meetings, placed fans on concert guest lists if they didn’t get their tickets in time, and plenty of other efforts that made the Weezer Fan Club one of the strongest and most cohesive fan bases of the time. Eventually, Mykel and Carli became as globally recognized and beloved to Weezer fans as the band itself.
To show their appreciation for the sisters’ hard work in boosting their career, Weezer wrote a tribute to them, which they aptly named “Mykel & Carli.” The song was a B-side to “Undone (The Sweater Song)” on the Australian and U.K. releases of the latter track, which also features ad-libbed dialogue of the siblings.
The Allans Were Ardent Supporters Until The End
On July 8, 1997, Mykel, Carli, and their younger sister, Trysta Allan, met a tragic end. The sisters were traveling across the country to follow Weezer on their 1997 Pinkerton tour when they decided to make an overnight drive from Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Whether due to treacherous terrain, nighttime drowsiness, or a fatal combination of the two, the Allans were in a car wreck that took all three of their lives.
Weezer noticed something was amiss when the women didn’t appear at the next tour stop. By the time they were traveling to the next city, someone had informed them of the sisters’ tragic deaths.
In memory of the Allans and in an attempt to help their surviving relatives pay for their funeral expenses, Weezer used the last day of their Pinkerton tour to host a benefit show for their earliest and most devoted fans. Speaking to MTV just before the show, frontman Rivers Cuomo said, “I’m happy that we have this opportunity to do something. To show them how much we love them and other bands they worked with. They were really the strong force holding the whole community together.”
Photo by Lindsay Brice/Getty Images
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