Mike Watt lands in NYC for his book release party a Le Poison rouge t

5/04/12 22:40 I just finished Mike Watt’s book On and off bass recently published by Three Rooms Press. I was surprised the book is a photography and memoir. I was more surprised by the scarcity of pages and content. Mike’s web page consists of thousands of pages of his journal capturing his life through the past twenty years. The editors pulled snippets which read like haiku’s interwoven with Watt’s beautiful pictures of wildlife. In some of the interviews I read and I tried to hear his interview at his book release party this past Wednesday at Le Poison rouge on Bleeker I learned Watt wakes up early a few days out of the week and takes his kayak and watertight camera out into the waters of San Pedro bay. There are a lot of pelicans in the book, and Watt said they are the only birds that do not sing. His writing expresses vulnerability through poems. The journal entries depict his love of music and the band as well as thoughts of his departed father and memories of d Boon. Coltrane is mentioned which is no surprise when it comes to Watt who finished each show by shouting, Coltrane! Coltrame! One entry is brief expresses his love for Coltrane, visiting Colrane’s grave on Watt’s 40th birthday and imaging Coltrane laying in the ground, looking up…Watt laid on the plot…The show contrasted the sanctuary of the nature. Hellride East consists of J Mascis, and Murph from Dinosaur Jr. and played mostly Stooges covers. Special guests included Thurston Moore/Sonic Youth and there were others but I wish I knew who they were. Please send me an email and I will add to the blog. Mike signed my book and I reminded him of our emails, I’d to get him to see Coltrane’s house, so he slapped his head…Dix Hills…right…Dix Hills…I hope we can work something out. After the show my friend and I walked down the block and I saw two punk kids, with bent knees, sitting in a darkened store front reading Watt’s book…the torch has been passed.

Mike Watt at Maxwell's

So a couple of weeks ago I’m checking into the best radio show on Long Island Finn’s Revolution Tuesday Nights on WUSB. His guest was the legend Mike Watt from Minutemen and firehouse fame who released a new album, Hyphenated Man on his own record label, Clenched Fist. Do your ears and soul a favor - order a copy. The progressive, complex and erratic album is in your face – bold! Each song flows like a rock stuck deep in the grooves of a tire - smacking the pavement on a lone Nevada highway. The songs follow you. You know it’s there and it sounds like it belongs, that’s Watt – he belongs in our ears. On the radio, Watt was the wise master who spilled wisdom to the listeners, only possible by Finn’s knowledge of punk history. During the interview, there was a contest to give out copies of the new album and then another for tickets to see Watt and The Missingmen at Mercury Lounge. I won a copy of the CD and received the copy and the tix for the show the night before seeing them at the hollowed Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ. Eric and I rode in and passed under the tunnel and popped out in Jersey, took the first exit and took in the sites of the small city as we searched for parking. That took longer than driving through NY City! Anyway, we made it inside and saw the opening band. Ah, who was that? They were tight.
Inside the black walls, Mike Watt made his way to the stage - slowly with a limp through the crowd, wearing a yellow windbreaker. Once he hit the stage the cheers rose. The room smiled with Mike and the band played hyphenated man for the entirety – 30 songs and some Minutemen covers on the encore. Watt, standing stage right - in the back – shadows - had a black brace on his knee, but he bobbed and weaved – stood strong like an anchor - through the whole set and even bent over – played - behind the wicked basher drummer, Raul Morales. The amazing/screech guitarist, Tom Watson rocked into a sweaty frenzy.
So after you buy the album, you need to go see Mike Watt and The Missing Men. Here are five of my favorites off hyphenated-man.

Classic song: Hallowed-Man
Classic song: Cherry-Head-Lover-Man “The Lesson never lessens”
Classic song Mouse-Headed-Man
Classic song: Hill Man (get ready to kick up yar elbows you nitwits)
Classic song: Wheel-Bound Man

John Coltrane!