I don't normally cotton to fusion, but I love the new Mike Watt organ trio, the Secondmen. They're sort of a Medeski, Minutemen, and Wood, or maybe Watt's punk version of the Meters. At the Turf Club last night, they played Minutemen's "One Reporter's Opinion" alongside the frenetic new songs. With Minneapolis guitarist Terry Eason (who opened), they ripped through Blue Oyster Cult's "The Red and the Black," a favorite Minutemen cover. Yeah, D. Boon is an inescapable presence in Watt's show. Stickers of the late singer hung on the organ, drums, and bass.

Before the Secondmen were finished they played Television's "Little Johnny Jewel" (I didn't recognize it, but hey, I got geek-fan points for knowing Watt's cover of Daniel Johnston's "Walking the Cow"). Oh, and Watt launched into an ad lib rant about... um, something about not letting anyone else tell you what to be, about being in the state capital ("St. Paul," Watt said. "Governin' town"). Something about love.

"Now go start your own band!" he yelled at the end of it all. And as strains of "A Love Supreme" rose from the PA, he went about signing every last damn one of those stickers and tee shirts that fans were buying. On my poster, he wrote: "Love and bass, Mike Watt."

"This is 20 years for me," I told him. I figure he'd heard that before. Later I was making my way out the exit, and he reached over and shook my hand again. "20 years!" he said. "20 years!"

May 22, 2003                                                                                                        

PLEASE NOTE: VENUE / TIME CHANGE!

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB

Legendary African/Latin Pop band from Senegal delivers dazzling guitar work, soulful vocals and a brilliant, inventive horn arrangements.

Friday, June 20th, 2003 at First Avenue

Performance Previously Scheduled at the Guthrie Theater

Tickets: $20.00 Advance / $25.00 Day of Show

6:00pm Doors / 7:00pm Music

21+ Show

Tickets On Sale Now!

Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 651-989-5151, by visiting the First Avenue Box Office, and at all First Avenue ticket outlets.

Patrons holding Guthrie tickets may return them to the Guthrie Theater Box Office and be issued new tickets with the difference refunded to them or receive a full refund. 

All Guthrie Theater tickets will be honored at First Avenue.

Contact the Guthrie Theater Box Office at 612-377-2224 or toll free at 1-877-447-8243.

Brought to you by Sue McLean and Associates and the Developing Arts & Music Foundation.

Low's Zak Sally called and wouldn't say anything on the record except, "Hey, check out the web site."

Two narcotic new Rhymesayers releases are reviewed in this week's City Pages by some asshole, one CD from Los Nativos, one from Brother Ali. But contrary to the print edition, Los Nativos don't perform at the Dinkytowner (Minneapolis) on Tuesday, May 27.... (continued here)