{"id":1261,"date":"2016-11-11T03:25:14","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T08:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nickzaino.com\/departmentoftangents\/?p=1261"},"modified":"2016-11-14T13:48:38","modified_gmt":"2016-11-14T18:48:38","slug":"1261","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickzaino.com\/departmentoftangents\/2016\/11\/11\/1261\/","title":{"rendered":"New Release Roundup: Mike Watt live, Pavo Pavo debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

MUSIC <\/strong>
\n1. Mike Watt<\/a> \u2013 “Ring Spiel” Tour \u201895<\/em><\/strong>
\nI have very fond memories of ball-hog or tugboat?<\/em>, Mike Watt\u2019s first solo album, the tour for which is chronicled in his new live release, “Ring Spiel” Tour \u201995<\/em>. I was a college kid at the University at Buffalo that year writing for the campus magazine, and I drew the assignment to review Watt\u2019s show. I had reviewed the new album, and it was an eye-opener for me. It was packed with names from all the new bands that were exciting me at the time \u2013 Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder, J Mascis. I\u2019d mostly missed out on punk in high school, and heard Watt solo before I\u2019d heard the Minutemen. Standing on the brink of a new world or music, I was eager and not well-educated when I asked the woman at the box office if I might interview Watt. She didn\u2019t think he\u2019d mind if I asked him myself, so I wound up hanging out with the band until he came in from the band (jam Econo \u2013 check). He was extremely gracious. He proudly showed off a bullethole the white Econoline van had suffered on a drive through San Pedro, and seemed genuinely touched that the venue left Heineken in the fridge. Shortly thereafter, I learned how a gregarious, down-to-Earth guy could absolutely tear up a stage. The man played bass with his teeth, fer chrissakes. It was musically adventurous, loud, and wonderful in every possible way. <\/p>\n

Ring Spiel captures that moment again for me, and I\u2019m hoping (despite Watt\u2019s warning against nostalgia in \u201cAgainst the 70s\u201d) it might find some new ears and mean something new and wonderful to them, too. Recorded at The Metro in Chicago on May 6, 1995, roughly six weeks after ball-hog was released, the album captures a blistering, furious set from Watt and his all-star cast. Eddie Vedder on guitar\/vocals, Dave Grohl on drums\/guitar, Pat Smear on slide guitar\/vocals, William Goldsmith on drums. And of course, Watt on the thudstaff. The set list draws mostly from ball-hog<\/em>, with a couple of fIREHOSE songs (\u201cMakin\u2019 the Freeway\u201d and \u201cPowerful Hankerin\u2019\u201d), a couple of covers (Blue Oyster Cult\u2019s \u201cThe Red and the Black,\u201d Madonna\u2019s \u201cSecret Garden,\u201d Daniel Johnston\u2019s \u201cWalking the Cow\u201d), an early version of Pearl Jam\u2019s \u201cHabit\u201d (which would be released on No Code<\/em> the following year), and the Minutemen tune \u201cPolitical Song for Michael Jackson to Sing.\u201d Watt\u2019s arrangements are always soulful and clever, and the ball-hog<\/em> material shows off his stylistic diversity. \u201cE-ticket Ride\u201d sounds like James Brown gone punk (dig that holding off the snare on \u201cfour\u201d). \u201cAgainst the \u201870s\u201d and \u201cPiss-Bottle Man\u201d are relentless rock. Watt\u2019s use of dynamics was often more savvy than his peers, as well. Listen to that lilting bass and vocals give way to that burst of drums and epic riff on \u201cDrove Up from Pedro.\u201d Or how Watt whispers over the deep, deep groove of \u201cCoincidence is Either Hit or Miss.\u201d I went back and listened to Madonna\u2019s original \u201cSecret Garden\u201d from her 1992 album Erotica<\/em> and was shocked how ready-made for Watt is was, with its bass-heavy groove and spoken word. Credit to Watt for finding it. And also to Smear for his slam-poet delivery, broken up occasionally with what sounds like an homage to Bill Murray screaming \u201cThe lobsters are loose.\u201d Playful and intense is a hard duality to capture, but Watt embodies it, as a human being (from my limited experience) and a musician. You\u2019ll see that if you go see him play now, too. And if you\u2019re just starting here, I envy the experience ahead of you. <\/p>\n