When I was told Mike Watt was coming to play in Phoenix I was stoked. The Minutemen (Watt’s pioneering punk trio – I hope I didn’t really have to say that…) were a huge influence on me. (Sadly, The Minutemen came to an abrupt end when singer/guitarist D. Boone died in a car accident leaving Watt in a state of depression for years.) Their landmark record “Double Nickels on the Dime” set a new tone for music of that era. Conversely, when I was told Mike Watt was coming to town I had some apprehension.
What if Watt, now 52, didn’t live up to my expectations as a punk hero to me. Would it be another experience like when I saw Lou Reed at The Marquee Theater in Tempe? or would it be more along the lines of when I saw Paul Westerberg a couple of years ago? (Lou was aweful Paul ruled.)
Before the show I went to the ATM to grab some cash just in case some libations were warranted. As I made my way through the crowd, I saw a guy standing next to the ATM listening to the opening band LITE (awesome instrumental group from Japan – check them out.)
Holy shit – it was Mike Watt. I wanted to tell him how long I’ve been a fan and how my friend Weep would make everyone listen to The Minutemen until we agreed they were the best thing ever. How I saw the movie “We Jam Econo” and felt his pain because we lost our best mate Weep in a car accident and there was a certain sort of synergy in the situations.
But I didn’t say anything like that…
We went outside and exchanged a sentence or two and this is how it went – GRT: “Mike we are psyched to have you back in Phoenix.” MW: “Thanks I appreciate it, it’s been a while.” GRT: “Growing up in Warren, NJ -we all wore out more than one copy of Double Nickels.” MW: (Raising a fist to the air) “D. Boone!“
I just walked away because he could have been yelling “Weepee” just the same…
Mike Watt + The Missingmen were amazing. (Click here for a link for a show review in The Phoenix New Times.)
Photo Notes: The Rhythm Room is a tough place for a photographer. Anyone can bring a camera into the venue (which is very cool) so I have to deal with a lot of catch flash and others with less than perfect photo etiquette. The lights are good at times and terrible at other times for photos – but that’s just all part of the game.
Article by Greg Taylor
Founder of WordPress Development Company, Marketing Press. Vegetarian. Hopelessly addicted to music. Blogger, Collaborator, Phoenix Suns fan. NJ Native living in AZ
Greg has contributed 160 articles to this site.
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