Think you can keep up with Mike Watt? Go ahead — give it a shot. Photos by .
Itap rare that you get a chance to spend some time with a living legend, but Monday night at the , and his latest trio the Missingmen gave an impressive mix of middle-aged, old school punks and young hipsters the chance to do just that. The audience reveled in the opportunity to see the group perform seminal tunes that have divided and directed our musical stream of thought, in much the same way Watt himself has been a directional force in music for the last three decades or so.
Wattap influence on alternative music is no small thing. Chances are you know about him even if you don’t. His innovative, Coltrane-driven gonzo-funk bass style is a formative part of alternative music — largely because he’s been personally involved in so many bands over the years. The list of musicians that count him as one of their primary influences is about as long as is that career itself, which started with the legendary SST band in the early ‘80s.
His musical path continued through a long stint with through the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and into a constantly morphing solo career up to the present. He’s contributed both studio and touring talents to bands as varied as the reunited Stooges and American Idol singer Kelly Clarkson.
The weight of his accomplishments was palpable in the nervous giddiness of the audience Monday night, though from the trio’s performance you could tell neither Watt nor his cohorts felt the slightest bit intimidated by it.
Onstage with Watt were guitarist Tom Watson, longtime veteran from the ‘80s West Coast punk scene and bands like Toxic Shock and Slovenly, and drummer Raul Morales, a constant presence in Wattap hometown San Pedro music scene. Together, the trio played a set that lasted just over an hour, and emanated nothing if not serene comfort in its complex funk.
They featured covers of both Wattap personal past with Minutemen, such as “Toadies,” (one of a few that featured Watson on vocals) and “Anxious Mo-Fo,” as well as seminal punk hits like the Stooges’ “Funhouse” and Wire’s “Ex Lion Tamer,” before wrapping up with the anthemic punk of “We Are Time.” The latter featured an impassioned Watt screaming “We are! We are! We are!” repeatedly, in a sweaty, near-breathless frenzy as it came to a close.
As animated a set as that was, the trio returned after a short break to close with a version of Television’s “Little Johnny Jewel” that threatened to eclipse the whole thing.
A legend himself, and playing with a few brilliantly aging punk rockers, Watt showed a true reverence to his punk rock roots, and shined a light of perspective on them that a precious few can likely attest to, let alone really appreciate. If this is what punk rock for the later-middle-age crowd promises, I say bring it on.
I just hope we can all keep up with Mike.
Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s giglist at
Sarah Slater is a freelance , DJ, event planner, and curator of , a women-centered experimental music festival happening in Denver this summer.
“Funhouse,” Stooges cover. Video by Ken Beegle.
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