Watershed Hullabaloo Weekend: The View From the Side of the Stage - by Ricki C.

Watershed Hullabaloo Weekend, August 9th, 10th & 11th, 2019

(editor’s note: Ricki C. had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands this summer, couldn’t type, has been out of commission for awhile, and now – unfortunately – the Pencil Storm readership is gonna pay for it. Strap in, folks, it’s gonna be a long one.)

WATERSHED / 1992 or so

A little deep background: I met Watershed in 1990 when I was a roadie for Willie Phoenix & the True Soul Rockers and they were still called The Wire. The Wire would open for the True Soul Rockers one Saturday night a month at a Columbus, Ohio, club called Ruby Tuesday where Willie maintained a monthly residency. To make a long story short: 3 or 4 months into their opening slots – after they had changed their name to Watershed – they somehow wrote an entirely new set of KILLER power-pop originals since the previous month (including “Rise,” my earliest favorite Watershed tune), got their asses moving onstage, and soundly blew the True Soul Rockers off the stage at Ruby’s. (Ironically that Great Leap Forward was probably largely due to Willie’s tutelage as he produced their first six-song e.p.) They also got 86’d as the opening band for that impertinence, of course, but from that point on I caught them live every time I could. From 1990 to 2005 I bet I saw ‘em close to a hundred times. From 2005 when I joined their road crew to now, I’ve seen ‘em a couple hundred more. And I’ve never ONCE been disappointed.

Which brings us to this past weekend: from being on the crew I’ve seen Watershed three nights in a row any number of times, but never in three more widely-varied rock & roll circumstances as The Watershed Hullabaloo.

The Friday night show at Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza – Columbus’ absolutely premier listening room (as opposed to rock & roll dive) – found Colin & Joe seated on secondhand living room furniture that road manager extraordinaire/all-around Watershed tech mastermind Michael “Biggie” McDermott had somehow procured in some kind of time warp from the early 1970’s. Truthfully, I’m not crazy about the idea of rock & rollers performing sitting down, but it fit the concept of “two old friends swapping stories & songs around the campfire” vibe that Watershed was going for the first night of the Hullabaloo.

Opening with “Sensational Things” – a tune I’m DEARLY hoping opens the upcoming Watershed CD – Joe & Colin strummed through maybe a dozen songs, old AND new, peppering the set with the stories behind the songs, or just yarns that filled in the history of the band, and that’s a RICH history, boys & girls. They were then joined by middle-period Watershed powerhouse Mr. Dave Masica for a standing-up set of Watershed rockers, albeit it in a bass-less, acoustic, quiet hollow-body electric kinda frame of mind. A night of “Soft Rock Watershed” as the appearance was billed. They still woulda blown Bread off the stage. (Set-list for this show and the Saturday & Sunday gigs will appear in a future Pencil Storm blog entry.)

Friday night highlights: “Sensational Things,” “Plan B,” “American Muscle,” “Manifesto,” and Joe Peppercorn’s (the only past member of Watershed unable to make an appearance during Hullabaloo Weekend) “Set The World On Fire.”

At heart Watershed has always been a Saturday night rock & roll band. When they played on a Wednesday night after a (now-defunct) Columbus Chill hockey game in the mid-1990’s, they were a Saturday night rock & roll band; when they played third on the bill on a Tuesday night at some long-forgotten rock club during one of their innumerable Southern swings in the early 2000’s, they were a Saturday night rock & roll band; when they opened for Cheap Trick at a huge downtown outdoor festival on a Friday night, they were a Saturday night rock & roll band.

So, when you put Colin, Joe, Herb & Rick Kinsinger in front of a sold-out crowd of Watershed super-fans at Marcy Mays’ Ace of Cups – Columbus’ coolest rock club – on a warm August Saturday night you’d best believe you’re gonna get a fucking KILLER set of rock & roll music. So let’s check off the boxes on the rock & roll checklist:

1) Rockers – You got your “You Need Me,” you got your “Suckerpunch,” you got your “Black Concert T-shirt.” Check.

2) You got your heartbreaker ballads/slow tunes that set Watershed apart from the one-trick pony bands who only know how to pound, but never how to charm, because Colin & Joe always keep in mind that more hearts get broken on Saturday night than any other time of the week: “Over Too Soon,” “New Depression,” and “Anniversary,” for Chrissakes, one of the great power-pop ballads of all time. Check.

3) You’ve got your brace of brand-new songs, ‘cuz Watershed is never gonna be just a nostalgia act, chums: “Blow It Up Before It Breaks” and the GREAT new “Another Night In The Ruts.” Check. (By the way, the band enlisted Pencil Storm scribe Scott Carr to help out with stage duties to free up Biggie for the killer light display witnessed Saturday night, and Scott & I were trying to figure WHO’s song that was a cover of, before I checked with Colin on Sunday and discovered it is, in fact, another choice new original.) (But Jesus H. Christ, WHY didn’t they bust out “Sensational Things” at Ace of Cups? I’d have LOVED to get a full band Watershed airing of that on Saturday night.) Check.

4) Audience participation. You want audience participation? How about “How Do You Feel” and “Can’t Be Myself”? Check.

5) Flat-out great songs that should have been hits: “Obvious,” “Small Doses,” “Little Mistakes,” “5th Of July,” “The Best Is Yet To Come,” really too many too mention. Check & check.

Prime extra-musical moments of the Saturday night set: Joe throwing a tantrum AND his bass when his tuner kept screwing up; Mark “Pooch” Borror bringing the energy level up several notches in his guest slot on “Can’t Be Myself and “Anniversary.” Rick is a solid player and a stabilizing force in the band, but Pooch brings out some special sense of abandon and flat-out JOY when he’s up there with Watershed; Colin calling the show over seven songs into the set after “Black Concert T-Shirt,” and the band playing another 17 songs or so as an encore, before the “second encore” of “Sad Drive” and “Mercurochrome.” Genius performance move.

Okay, I’m already over my allotted 1000 words and haven’t dealt with Day Three of the Hullabaloo Weekend yet. Sunday was billed as “Watershed & Friends” and those friends included Jim Johnson (Willie Phoenix/League Bowlers), Dan Cochran (League Bowlers/Hilltop Lager), Marcy May (Scrawl/Ace of Cups) and Mike Sammons (Twin Cam.) Innumerable Watershed/League Bowlers/Lonely Bones/Colin solo songs and cover tunes from Willie Phoenix, Georgia Satellites, Cheap Trick & Chuck Berry all got played, the beer flowed freely, and – from my view at the side of the stage – the assembled multitudes had a rockin’ good time. (Again, set-list from Sunday to follow in a later Colin blog about Hullabaloo Weekend.)

Musical highlights of the Sunday show: “Battleship Chains,” “Twister,” “High Roller.”

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I’ve got the best job in the world. – Ricki C. / August 13th, 2019

WATERSHED / 2019

(random closing thought: I was talking to Nick Jezierny - auteur of The Watershed Complete Rankings - after the show on Sunday, and he was saying if he did the list today, a ton of the rankings would be different, and that he should do the whole thing over again. I ABSOLUTELY agreed with him, and told him he should do it, but on the other hand his wife seems like a REALLY nice person and I don’t want to do that to her. Also - to my knowledge - Nick came all the way from Idaho for the Hullabaloo Weekend, so he should get some kind of prize or grant money just for THAT.)

(further random closing thought: for Pencil Storm readers with WAY too much time on their hands, here are some links to Watershed stories I did on my 2012-2013 blog, Growing Old With Rock & Roll…….)

Growing Old With Rock & Roll / Colin & the Stairwell

Growing Old With Rock & Roll / Watershed & Kamakaze’s

Growing Old With Rock & Roll / Watershed & The Somnabulistic Stickman Streaker

GOWR&R / The View from the Side of the Stage, part one

GOWR&R / The View From the Side of the Stage, part two

GOWR&R / My Ten Most Memorable Moments as a Watershed Roadie, part one

GOWR&R / My Ten Most Memorable Moments as a Watershed Roadie, part two

GOWR&R / My Ten Most Memorable Moments as a Watershed Roadie, part three

GOWR&R / “Suckerpunch” Live @ the Columbus Arts Fest, 2013

The Podcast Ryan Adams Doesn't Want You to Hear. Or Does He? - by Colin G.

Our pals at the Rock n Roll Book Club podcast recently did an episode featuring the book Waiting to Derail - Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, Alt-Country's Brilliant Wreck by Thomas O'Keefe and Joe Oestreich. You might have read Jeremy Porter's interview with the authors right here. Anyway..

Shortly after, Ryan Adams himself unfriended the show, apparently displeased with the coverage of him and the book. This has been a pattern with Ryan and Waiting to Derail. Author Thomas O'Keefe recently did a reading from the book at a record store and LESS THAN TEN MINUTES LATER Ryan unfriended/unfollowed the store. That's a pretty quick trigger for a mega -star who claims he will never read the book. It takes me longer than that to respond to text from my son saying he needs a ride home from the pool. 

I recently read Waiting to Derail and really enjoyed it. Sure, Ryan had some bad days that weren't flattering, but what 22 year old doesn't?  Honestly, I came away from the book with increased respect for Ryan Adams. Secretly, I suspect he feels the same. I mean, who wouldn't want to be be painted as a temperamental genius who liked to party and occasionally blew up a show? That's pretty rock n roll.  Speaking of rock and roll, Ryan's moves are calculated for maximum rock n roll impact. The dude is crafty. Nothing just happens. EX: Why break up the band when the tour is over when you can do it onstage in Kansas City three days earlier? That is way cooler. And it gets you some free press, too.

My theory: If Ryan didn't want you to read this book, or listen to this podcast, he would simply ignore the whole thing. But Ryan knows the book does make him look cool, but he also knows that to acknowledge it would be decidedly uncool. 

Soooo.. bad mouth the book whenever you can. Tweet out "Don't read this book!" "Don't listen to this Podcast!" That's like putting a "This record has explicit lyrics." sticker or having your parents tell you they don't approve of you going to that KISS concert. Don't tell me what to do. Flaming Youth will burn this mutha down. That's rock n roll. - Colin G. 

Click here for the Podcast Ryan doesn't want you to hear. 

Click here for the book Ryan doesn't want you to read. 

Click here for the excellent Ryan Adams album titled... Rock and Roll. 

Watershed at Ace of Cups 8/15/15 - a Review by Pete Vogel

watershed \’wot-er-shed \  3 : a crucial dividing point or line

My watershed moment came on 8/15/15, watching Watershed perform to a sold-out crowd at Ace of Cups near campus.  I’d seen the band a half dozen times in the past, but it was usually at some polite outdoor event such as Comfest or the Independents' Day Festival.  This was the first time I’d watch the band at an indoor venue, filled to the rafters with rabid Watershed fans. 

Needless to say, this experience was far different than the others.  

For starters, you never really “know” a band until you see them with in their element, playing at a local venue, surrounded by their biggest fans. Watershed plays only one or two shows a year in town, so this was an extremely hot ticket. The bar was packed full of rabid fans, and this show was a different type of initiation for me, a personal watershed of Watershed.  

I arrived at 9 pm and waited in line outside the bar, along with a steady stream of young and middle-aged fans that had grown up with the band.  Their love and enthusiasm for Watershed was unabated; many in line were without tickets and stood outside hoping in earnest to get inside.  The show had sold out hours before and the long line was an indication that this was a very hot ticket indeed.

Fans came from as far away as Idaho to attend this gig.  I stood in line next to a brother and sister who’d been attending shows for fifteen years.  The sister proclaimed: “I’d travel to North Carolina just to see them play!!!”

The band took the stage around 9:45 pm and blasted their first power chord to a raucous cheer.  The front-men, Colin and Joe, exchanged lyrics between themselves and the audience, and it wasn’t long until the whole crowd was shouting lyrics at the top of their lungs in unison with the band.  Needless to say, a chill ran down my spine: this was what a rock and roll show looked and felt like.

Watershed moved seamlessly from one song to the next, barely taking their foot off the gas; the crowd joined them tirelessly.  They emphasize dual-guitar, power-rock chords with hook-heavy choruses that must be belted at the top of your lungs:“Now I’m feelin’ so good/ Feelin’ so fine / And this is totally obvious!”  Every song had an exclamation point; every chorus an indelible hook; every lyric a rhythm that throbbed in your throat.  Colin leaped in the air as he thrashed power chords; Joe plucked his bass as he churned out vocals; original drummer Herb Schupp attacked the kit as if he had never left the band; and rhythm guitarist Rick Kinsinger graciously took a backseat to the original trio that first started playing back in the late ‘80s.

“Radio playing my favorite song / I get all the boys and girls to sing along”

Some bands politely ask for your attention - Watershed punches you in the stomach.  Some bands can mildly touch a nerve - Watershed is a defibrillator to the soul.  Some bands quietly grab you over time - Watershed is a two-by-four across the head. 

Watershed has stayed relevant for nearly four decades because they figured out the formula.  They’ve been able to endure because they know rock and roll isn’t just about them - it’s about the relationship between themselves and the audience.  In an age of twitter feeds, YouTube clips and corporate karaoke contests, Watershed pays homage to the traditional paradigm of music’s real magic: to win, you must lose yourself in a song.

The band pulls its influences from a variety of sources - notably Cheap Trick and The Velvet Underground - but they put a twist on their tunes that is purely Watershed.  The way Colin and Joe exchange lines is reminiscent of Daltrey and Townshend, but they do it in their own time signature.  The way they bash out power chords reminds me of The Sex Pistols and The Kinks, but they do it the Watershed way.  The way they belt out choruses in unison reminds me of Green Day or The Clash, but it’s typical Watershed.  It’s refreshing to see a band that has taken its own path while - at the same time - paying homage to their heroes. Watershed has figured that out and - judging by the crowd’s reaction - so have we.

There isn’t a bigger fan of music than Colin Gawel.  A coffee shop owner by day and rock star by night, he keeps a watchful eye on both the local and national scene.  Whether he’s pushing to get Cheap Trick into the Hall of Fame or dedicating his efforts on a Willie Phoenix retrospective, Colin’s got his pulse on the scene.  He doesn’t covet this to himself either; his blog “Pencilstorm” is a forum for anyone to share opinions about music, sports, politics, or life in general.  (Case in point: this post!) 

Joe Oestreich is a successful teacher and author in his own right, and recently published his second book.  (editor's note: That book - "Line Of Scrimmage" - is available for order right now at Amazon.)  His first, a memoir about the band - Hitless Wonder: A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll - is a great read for anybody who’s curious about life in the music business.  It’s a compilation of funny stories and a reflection on the paradoxes of being a working musician.  Both Colin and Joe are paradoxes in many ways; they are so much more than middle-aged rockers who can’t seem to relinquish their dreams.  They are pioneers and visionaries who have a unique story to share about life in the music business.  They still play music for the sheer love of it.  They pay continual homage to their hometown and haven’t forgotten their roots, either personal or musical.  They’re about “bum notes and pounds of sweat” and highs & lows in the music industry.  They are smart and successful in their own right.  Even though they never enjoyed the monetary success of a Cheap Trick or a Velvet Underground, they’ve made a very distinct mark in the music scene and are a proud legacy in their hometown of Columbus.  

My Watershed moment came last night.  For me, to watch a musician sing words and have a room full of people sing back to you is a success in it’s own right: a success that few of us can enjoy.  To have a fellow musician such as Erica Blinn leave her gig and come down to watch her mentor play is no small feat, either.  Major league…minor league…whatever:  they’re in a league of their own.  And it’s fitting that track number 11 on their Fifth of July record is titled: “The Best is Yet to Come.”  

Rock on, Watershed.  

below: A clip of the show by none other than Pencilstorm contributor and acclaimed guitarist himself, Scott Carr  

WATERSHED - "SUCKERPUNCH" Ace of Cups, Columbus, OH 8-15-15