The 4-1-1 on 3-1-1 - by Nick Jezierny

There are times when I’m more excited about the opening act(s) than the headliner, and this was definitely one of those times. The bill: 311 with special guests Soul Asylum and Local H at the Revolution Concert House in Garden City, Idaho.

I own most of the Soul Asylum catalog and saw their short, blistering set on the Summerland Tour a few years back. It was fantastic and the version of “April Fool” was memorable. I was excited to see them again. I might be the only person to have three Local H CDs. I had seen them back in 1996 open for Stone Temple Pilots in Dayton, and that set was pretty cool.

I knew exactly two 311 songs, but the lure of the two opening bands and a $25 Groupon offer made me pull the trigger. I prepped by asking Alexa to shuffle songs from 311 for a few days. I was pleasantly surprised with what I heard and thought I would enjoy all three bands.

I had no idea what I was getting into until I arrived at the show.

The merch line was wrapped around most of the venue when I arrived. I had never seen so many people rushing to buy t-shirts and who knows what else. I later learned 311 did a special Idaho shirt that people apparently had to have. Most in the crowd already were donning 311 gear.

I described the vibe overall as a little sketchy and part MMA. A friend described the audience as “douchy” and I did check my back pocket on a few occasions to make sure I wasn’t pickpocketed. I’d have taken the over on three fights breaking out if given the choice.

Once 311 took the stage, the crowd sang along to every word for most of the songs. I found this odd that songs I never heard of were memorized by so many people carrying beers or White Claws in one hand and shots of Fireball in the other. The 311 party was on. (For the record, I had four $8 IPAs).

Meanwhile, I was dumbfounded at the boy-bandish moves I was seeing on stage. I just didn’t get what was so awesome that was making the crowd insane. People had been packed up against the stage before Local H took the stage at 7:30 p.m. I had no idea that 311 had such a strong following, and after witnessing an hour or so of the show, I still have no idea why.

The odd part came nine songs In when the band played its cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong.” The crowd went eerily silent for the first time – just strange. Did they not know the song or just not like it? I think it’s a decent version.

Then came the bass solo. After a minute or so of that rubbish, I decided to call it a night. I checked the setlist the next morning and they played 10 more songs, which is commendable. I’m just glad I didn’t have to witness it. - Nick Jezierny

Favorite Albums of the Decade - by Nick Jezierny

I am not qualified to publish a list of the decade’s best albums. I did not purchase – or listen to – enough albums to be comfortable to say what’s the best. I also realize that Wikipedia’s yearly lists of album releases are hardly complete. Many of the CD’s I did buy are not listed.

So what I offer today is a list of 10 of my favorite albums from the decade. They are listed chronologically by release date.

2010

Accept / “Blood of the Nations”

Accept has been a guilty pleasure of mine since high school when a friend made me a mixed tape that included “Fast As A Shark.” From there, I became an Accept completist, gathering their first seven releases. They were a soundtrack to my long- distance runs during my years of competing in cross-country and track.

I got to see Accept live a handful of times, including my first club show back in 1986, when Accept headlined the Hartford Agora with support acts Helix and Keel.

So when I say “Blood of the Nations” is the band’s best work, I think I am qualified to make that bold statement. “Teutonic Terror” is the signature tune, but there’s not a bad track on this disc. Vocalist Mark Tornillo makes it easy to forget Udo Dirkschneider, and Accept always has been about driving guitars and heaviness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=req-oDf2ZRc

Zac Brown Band / “Pass The Jar”

I wasn’t too familiar with Zac Brown when I first saw – yes, saw – a concert DVD that was filmed during the recording of this record. I was at a friend’s vacation home in the mountains of McCall, Idaho. That was my introduction to this recording, and this video routinely played as we partied at a cabin affectionately known as Morning Wood.

This was a a benefit concert that features Zac and his band with a many special guests (Kid Rock, Aslyn Mitchell, Shawn Mullins to name a few). I had always perceived Zac Brown as a country artist, but this concert moves him from the country genre to more of a rock band with a country tinge.

I got to see Zac Brown perform live here in Boise, and it’s a heck of a show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QchAohQLfYI

2011

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones / “The Magic of Youth”

Over the years, the Bosstones have become one of my favorite bands. Our wedding photo album is titled “Pictures to Prove It,” a song I first heard on CD-101 in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio back in 1994. My Instagram photo is one of me and Dicky Barrett, the lead singer of the band, taken at the Warped Tour stop in Nampa, Idaho, back in 2002.

I own every Bosstones release and can say with a straight face and confidence that their newer material is as good or better than its prime in the mid- to late-90’s. I had a hard time choosing between this CD and the most recent “While We’re At It.”

The “Magic of Youth” showcases the band at its best, from the driving opening track “The Daylights” and continuing through all 37 minutes. The title track also stands out on a disc that encompasses what you’d expect from the Bosstones: ska guitar and horns, punk attitude and great lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGh3cclk2ck

2012

Watershed / “Brick and Mortar”

If Watershed had an album that didn’t sound like Watershed, this is it. From the ridiculously clever “American Muscle” to kicking Jerry Garcia in the balls in “Manifesto (What I Like to Do),” you get more than typical Watershed pop gems.

I wore this CD out back in 2012 (as well as all Watershed material) after reading “Hitless Wonder.” After nearly eight years, this record stands the test of time. Seeing the band live for the first time the next year in Raleigh was what sealed the deal in making Watershed my favorite band.

“Broken” is my favorite track, but there’s a lot in versatility packed into these 32 minutes. “Don’t Be Honest” is another winner, as are most songs on this album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXG9zbIkrnI

The Gaslight Anthem “Handwritten”

I’d heard of The Gaslight Anthem, but I hadn’t really heard them until Pandora kept playing their songs on my Watershed radio station. I’m grateful that happened.

I found this disc in the used bin at The Record Exchange, and it’s spectacular. I probably should have been in on these guys a few years earlier, but I have a history of being late to the party on bands (see The Replacements, Watershed).

The opener “45” sets the tone and this record is filled with good stuff, including the title track, “Too Much Blood,” “Here Comes My Man” and “Desire.” This is a top-to-bottom great listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oST77VRHXt0

2016

Two Cow Garage / “Brand New Flag”

I was relatively unfamiliar with Two Cow Garage until around the time this album was released. I heard “Ain’t No Shame” on a playlist that Joe Oestreich put together for a “Hitless Wonder” interview, but that was it untiI I met drummer David Murphy through his girlfriend, a longtime friend.

When TCG came to Boise, I had a pre-show dinner with David and a couple of the guys and saw their show at The Olympic, one of my favorite venues here. I purchased this CD that night and was blown away. It’s chock full of songs with attitude, melodies and stories. Plus, I really seem to gravitate to bands where different members sing (see Kiss, Watershed).

While the single “Let the Boys Be Girls” is catchy and memorable, the highlight is “This Little Light,” a story about a scary incident at a gas station in Houston that is a powerful piece of songwriting that is award worthy. “Beauty in the Futility” is another gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vJCny5leTI

2017

Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers / “Native Heart”

One of my favorite acts dating back to his days leading The Refreshments. Roger puts on a solid show (I’ve seen him eight or nine times), mixing songs from his major-label days to his numerous releases with the Peacemakers, who formed in 1999 after The Refreshments opted out of their record deal to go it alone. Here’s a little history.

“Native Heart” is a 10-song, 38-minute listen of Clyne’s brand of rock. The opening song “Flowerin’” is an uppity tone setter that puts you in a good mood. “Sunday Drivin’” and “Barons to Break” are other highlights.

“Fun” comes across as autobiographical for Roger. “I got a few strings left on this guitar / we’re all crammed in this dingy bar,” lyrics that sum up the RCPM experience nicely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7zHrTux1-U

2018

The Regrettes / “Attention Seeker” (ep)

Boise has a music festival -Treefort - each March, right after South by Southwest that attracts hundreds of “emerging” artists, most of whom I’ve never heard of. It’s become one of my favorite five days of the year.

Each year, I come away with a favorite. In 2018, it was The Regrettes. I popped into the all-ages venue (a vacant retail space outfitted with a stage) and was blown away by the energy, attitude and presentation of this group. I sensed a cross between the GoGo’s with the singer morphing between Madonna. Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani throughout the set.

We also were in San Diego last year and The Regrettes just happened to be playing the House of Blues that night on the closing night of SiriusXM’s AltNation Advanced Placement Tour. The band was just as good. This little five song EP is a showcase for what they’re about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmABv_iwVL8

2019

The French Tips / “It’s the Tips”

This Boise-based band’s debut record is strong. My wife and Angela (the drummer) work out at the same gym, and that’s how I learned of them. They did an in-store performance at our cool local Record Exchange to release this CD.

I purchased it that night and was pleasantly surprised. “Burn It Down” is a powerful and catchy anthem, and “Buzzkill” probably best defines this all-female trio’s signature sound.

The band killed their set at last year’s Treefort Music Festival, and I was glad to see they were selected again to play this year. Check this out – I think you’ll enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKwPo8Ko7eE

Chicos de Nazca / “Since You Got It”

Every Sunday, I watch the New York football Giants lose while sitting at Clairvoyant Brewing. The perk I get is the bartender is a DJ on our local NPR radio station who plays all kinds of music at the bar instead of the annoying announcers.

I use the Shazam app to find out who the artists and songs are, and this was definitely a standout. With a little research, I learned this band is from Santiago, Chile, but formed in Germany. I think they sound a lot like The Church.

“Stuck by Your Fire” is my favorite of the nine songs, but the other eight have a similar groove and feel that makes for an enjoyable listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgFZR6AZLUI

Watershed Rankings Day 6 (Songs 11-1) by Nick Jezierny

Originally published in 2015 - Watershed plays Columbus August 9-10-11 in the year 2019. Click here for details.

Find and play these songs on Spotify! 

Day 6 (Songs 11-1)

Click here to read Watershed rankings day 5

Manifesto (What I Like To Do) (11): Talk about a breath of fresh air. This little gem just kills it. “If Jerry was alive today, I’d kick him in the balls” is wonderful. The “I ain’t hurting nobody except my body” definitely is something that I really want to tell my doctor at my next checkup.

Colin G. - We knew going into Brick & Mortar we had to change up our entire approach to recording. With Joe O. living 600 miles away, we simply didn't have the luxury to rehearse and woodshed every idea the way we had the previous four records. More so, our actual time to record the record would be much tighter than the previous two, where we basically worked for as long as it took to make a record we were happy with. So we decided to embrace a more "Bob Dylan" approach to the project. We locked ourselves inside Curry House with Mike Landolt and just went from one song to the next very quickly: arrangements on the fly and very little second guessing. Once we had the song down, boom, Mike hit record and we went until we had a great take. Joe Peppercorn was critical to this approach as he provided a "Patalan-esque" musicianship that would be missing since we were tracking in Columbus away from The Loft.

Anyway….. after one long day in the studio I ended up at the Treebar. I then ended up back on the sofa at Curry House. I had this lick lying around and feeling buzzed & exhausted, I just scribbled down the words on a notebook and passed out. The next morning the guys showed up and I showed them the idea. Before I even brushed my teeth we made the necessary additions and subtractions and tracked "Manifesto."  

The point of this long-winded story is that if we had had the time to think about this song for two weeks or practice it 100 times, I can almost guarantee we would have talked ourselves out of it or ruined the fun with over-thinking. I'm sure somebody would have said, "Guys, you can't sing about kicking the deceased Jerry Garcia in the balls. That will kill sales in San Francisco." Instead we caught lightning in a bottle and Jerry got kicked in the balls. Win - Win.

Ricki C. - Nick Lowe's production credo for Elvis Costello & the Attractions' 1978 masterpiece album This Year's Model was "Bash it down and we'll tart it up later."  From all accounts - confirmed by Colin's explanation above - that pretty much sums up the Brick & Mortar prod-style.  In my rankings of Watershed albums I have Brick & Mortar second after The More It Hurts.  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know The Fifth Of July is great, but I think the songwriting on Brick just beats it out.)  (And on the Ricki C. rock & roll planet, songwriting ALWAYS wins out over production.  I'm a pretty firm believer in the proverb, "They shoulda released the demos.")

But I digress.......I love everything about "Manifesto."  (I heartily believe Joe Peppercorn would disagree with me on this point.)  I love the lyrics, I love the riff, I love that the song is serious AND fun, simultaneously.  ("Serious fun" is pretty much my definition of rock & roll.)  I love the line, "Underground Garage won't play this song because our name is lame / What else do you expect when you start in seventh grade?" because it's right on the money; if Watershed was called The Riptides or The Parachutes, Little Steven & Company would be all over 'em.

Most of I love that the chorus progresses from "This is what I like to do" to "This is what I wanna do" to, crucially, "This is what I HAVE to do."  Watershed aren't fly-by-night/listen-to-what-we-wrote-on-our laptops/in-ear-monitor/johnny-come-lately assholes, they are True Believers in the rock & roll, and I'm proud to haul their amps.   

Joe O. - "All the politicians together couldn't form one band, but if they did, I'd have to guess they'd sound a lot like Styx" is such a good line it makes me want to break stuff. In Minneapolis last weekend, Colin and I decided that if all the Wall Street investment bankers decided to form a band, it would sound like Bon Jovi. Also: When Colin pronounces the word "poli-tish-ee-ans," he's borrowing that from Ray Davies in the Kinks' song "Apeman." 

Did you know the extremely  talented Milan Karcic made a video made a video for "Manifesto"? 

Uploaded by Milan Karcic on 2012-08-14.

The Fifth of July (10): Another gem from what may be the band’s best studio release.

Ricki C. - I would concur with Mr. Jezierny that this tune is a gem, and possibly Tim Patalan's production high-water mark with Watershed, but - as stated above - I still think The More It Hurts is their best studio release.  (Taking it one step further, I think The More It Hurts is the best album release ever out of Columbus, Ohio.  Second would The Whiles Colors Of The Year in 2004.  Third would be The Godz first album, back in the 1970's.)  (Yeah, I said that, and I put it in writing.)  (The best record ever out of Columbus SHOULD have been a Romantic Noise album - Willie Phoenix's all-time best band, back in 1978 - but that particular slice of wax never got recorded.)   

Joe O. - This song was made infinitely better by Tim Patalan, when he suggested that the verses needed twice as many words. Then he told me to phrase them like Van Morrison (actually he said Thin Lizzy, which is pretty much the same thing). You can hear this clearly in the lines "Feeling alright but not looking too cool, caught me peeking through the fence of your best friend's swimming pool. Radio playing my favorite song..." and so on.

Colin G. - Tim would leave us alone for long periods of time at The Loft and the only entertainment besides playing was watching a VCR. Around this time the ONLY video for ten miles was The Rolling Stones' Rock n Roll Circus. So we watched it. A bunch. Obviously, The Who performing "A Quick One While He is Away" is the highlight of the video and maybe western culture. So...... after 20 beers one night Dave started doing his spot-on Keith Moon impression while we were practicing "5th of July." "Dude, play it like that when we record it." "But I'm just messing around." "Play it like that." And so it was.....

Our best video was shot in 8 hours and cost $750; $200,000 less than the Train video being shot at the same time. (Or so we heard.) Which video is a better value? You be the judge.

Watershed for $750

WATERSHED - 5th Of July

Train "Give Myself to You" for $200,000

Music video by Train performing Give Myself To You. (C) 2006 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Broken (9): This probably is the song that wouldn’t make most people’s top 10 Watershed songs. (Of course, I’m assuming people other than myself actually think about stuff like this.) I just think it’s a ridiculously good song.

Joe O. - I agree, Nick. Definitely one of my favorites from Brick & Mortar. I always hear this song as being inspired by Springsteen. Colin hears it (especially the main guitar lick) as being inspired by Bob Mould. I'm right, of course, but either way, the song is great.

Colin G. -  Brick & Mortar was pretty close to being finished when one day, while driving back from Pittsburgh, I was listening to "Who's Next" and it was just crushing our record. As soon as I got home I told Mike Landolt to stop mixing and let me add another big 100- watt guitar to a couple of tracks. I promised one pass only. That extra guitar saved "Broken." You can hear it at the top. It's the one with balls. FYI - I think this was the only song we didn't play in Raleigh for the Watershed Weekend or whatever when we played like 75 songs. No reason. Just sort of forgot.

No footage of this one so enjoy Watershed covering the Scrawl classic "Charles" at Comfest in 1823. We have always had much in common with our sister band Scrawl. We both love Cheap Trick. We are both resented by real musicians for only using 3 or 4 chords. We both use two vocalists who play guitar & bass and who could possibly be dating each other. 

WATERSHED covers the Scrawl classic Charles at Comfest in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, June 25, 1999.

Black Concert T-Shirt (8): This is the song where Watershed announced what it was all about. I loved it when I heard the remake that kicks off “The More It Hurts, The More It Works.” Definitely on any workout mix on my iPod. I love the Black Sabbath-y riff in the middle of the song.

Joe O. - Both versions of the song are cool, but this one better captures the feeling of going to a live show, which is what the song is all about. Interestingly, Andyman Davis from CD101 (now 102.5) in Columbus always liked the other version better, because it has words in the bridge. Speaking of words, when we recorded the original version of this song for Star Vehicle, the producer, Frank Aversa, tried to talk us into changing "baby you don't give two shits" to "don't give two fish sticks." I love you, Frank, buddy, but that's wack. Even Mrs. Paul would agree.

Colin G. - The "Black Sabbath-Y lick" is actually "Paranoid." Tim talked us into doing this very late one night. We resisted for a million obvious reasons, but he captured a whole different version of the song. When the solo came I just played a Sabbath riff and I have no idea why. Tim - "flawless." So there you go.

WATERSHED live at Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, November 24, 2010.

Obvious (7): “Do shots first, ask questions later on” is as fine of an opening lyric as there is. Another energetic ball of fury to kick off a record.

Joe O. - Because of the "smelling the latest issue of Seventeen" line, lots of people seem to think that this song is about me going home with an underage girl, and given what I wrote in Hitless Wonder about how I met my wife, I guess I can't blame them. But come on. You don't have to be 17 (or less) to read Seventeen. You do, however, have to be 17 (or less) to read Maxim Magazine.

Colin G. - My memory of this song is we were rehearsing for recording the 5th of July in downtown Columbus on Gay St where Due Amici is now located. Our pal Jeff Mathis was rehabbing the building and being a rock n roll sort of guy, he let us use the space for pre-production for 5th of July. We had finally wised up and while getting ready to record we took six months off from live shows and just rehearsed new material four nights a week until we got what we needed. I remember one night, we worked on the bridge for "Obvious" from 8 pm until 1 am. That is ALL we worked on. Mind you, the bridge is like 15 seconds long. When we wrapped up for the night Dave just got up from the drums, looked at Joe and I and said, "One fucking bridge for five hours? You guys are crazy."

Watershed performing Obvious at the Columbus Independent Festival

Suckerpunch (6): This is the live version. From the intro to the lyrics and the power in the recording, it’s a masterpiece. The song really hit home for me a few years ago and it became my personal mantra after getting screwed over at work. I really did get suckerpunched, and this version was helpful to me during that time. I have a friend here in Boise who just loves the solo on the outro (is that even a word?) of the song and he says he will rewind and keep playing it over and over. If I made this list two years ago, this would have been No. 1. It remains a favorite. “Now I’m passing out on a couch that can tell me some stories” is a wonderful visual. What a great tune.

Joe O. - I agree that the live version is the definitive version. The ending may be a tad overblown, but, man, whenever we play it, I'm like, "Damn, this band is rocking. Oh, wait. That band is us."

Watershed performing Suckerpunch at The Columbus Arts Festival, 6/8/13.

Everywhere I Turn (5): Just an extremely catchy song that I can’t believe isn’t a part of the band’s regular set. I would have made this the single from “Twister.”

Ricki C. - I must admit, I had not one memory of this song and was forced to pull out my Twister CD to see what was up with the Number 5 ranking.  Nick, I gotta respectfully disagree and put this tune somewhere down in the 40's.  And if Colin or Joe remember it right offhand, I'm gonna say they're lying. 

Joe O. - This one is pretty catchy. But Number 5? Seriously? This song is hard for me to listen to because the mix is so thin and trebly. Seems like all that money we dumped into the Power Station should have bought us a bass knob on the mixing board.

Colin G. - I remember Joe and I riding the subway out to Danny Lawson's house in the pre- gentrified Brooklyn to work on the vocal arrangements. We got some good work done, but waiting to return back to the city on an empty subway platform surrounded by the Turnbull AC's in the middle of the night, I wondered if it had been worth it. Even though we escaped bodily harm at the hands of a Warrior-style NYC street gang, I don't think it was worth it. Seriously? #5? Huh?

Let's just forget about "Everywhere I Turn" and check out this super rare video of "Anniversary" from Jack Cain's home, the Poorhouse in Raleigh, NC.

Watershed performing Anniversary LIVE! at A Weekend At The Brewery in Raleigh, NC.

Star Vehicle (4): This is the song that turned me on to Watershed. Heard it on CD 101, and then I moved to El Paso, Texas, shortly after it came out. It’s amazing that I lived in Columbus for seven years when Watershed was on the rise and I never saw them live. I heard of them, but did not really know them. I was more of a Z-Rock listener and caught more shows at the Alrosa Villa or focused on national bands. I don’t think Columbus radio really backed the band enough in the early years. I began my love affair with the band from afar and preached about them ever since. Nothing beats coming down a great mountain bike trail in our Idaho mountains with this song coming through the headphones. Great track! This also should have been on “Three Chords II."

Joe O. - I can't believe that CD101 played this song. Q-FM? Sure, that would have made sense. The Blitz? Maybe. But CD freaking 101? That station has been way too kind to us (and I hope they don't stop).

Ricki C. - So you know how somewhere back in the rankings I said how much I enjoyed when Watershed would insert an entire song into the middle of "Mercurochrome?"  One night at some long-forgotten show when I was still just a fan/spectator before I was a roadie, the band inserted AN ENTIRE SET into the pause at the 3:07 mark.  Colin & the boys stopped DEAD at that point, went into another song and then just continued the show all the way to the end when they paused again AND THEN WENT BACK INTO the "Going for a ride" sing-a-long to end the set.  Fucking brilliant.

Colin G. - After getting dropped from Epic and all that, we had the title for the next album, but needed the title track. Probably our best attempt at Kinks meets Cheap Trick via kids from Ohio.

Watershed performs the title track from their album "Star Vehicle" during a surprise reunion show at The Rumba Cafe, Columbus, Ohio in September of 2010

If That’s How You Want It (3): The Star Vehicle version is really immeasurably better than the original. It’s as if the band says “Screw it. We’re going to record this how we originally wanted” and then just gave the performance of a lifetime in the studio. The build up to the “na na na” part is tantalizingly awesome. I can honestly say whenever that part of the song comes on, the hair on the my arms kind of stands up. It’s really a tremendous tune. And even though it’s pushing 5 minutes, it doesn’t drag at all. It builds up and delivers. Was No. 1 until about 3 minutes ago when I rock, paper and scissored the final three.

Joe O. - The power of the "na-na-na," man. Journey knew it. Sha-Na-Na knew it. Whoever put the "ram" in the "rama-lama-ding-dong" knew it.

Colin G. - I kind of blew my wad on this one talking about the Twister version. Ranked like #256 or something.

Can’t Be Myself (2): Still don’t know how this song wasn’t a national hit. I included this song on my “I’m A Man, I’m 40! Life Soundtrack” that I put together back in 2007. While it borrows from The Replacements’ “Answering Machine,” it is not a ripoff in any way. This is simply what a hit song sounds like. How record labels passed on this amazes me. That it’s not No. 1 on the list also bother me.

Joe O. - I guess you could say this was a local hit. Hearing it in Ohio Stadium during game day was about the coolest thing ever. Other than AC/DC, Queen, and, strangely, Neil Diamond, not many bands have their songs blasted over stadium speakers. 

Colin G. - I like this song, but if I was going to have to pick one Watershed song that everybody would just go bat-shit crazy about I probably wouldn't have picked this one. But what do i know? I'm the guy on record saying, "Hootie and the Blowfish are a good bar band, but they will never sell any records." I'm glad people enjoy it and hearing it on the radio or over loudspeakers is always a treat. 

We shot this live at Watershed "Three Chords And A Cloud Of Dust II" record release party on a sweltering August night in 2007.

The Best Is Yet To Come (1): The live version of this song just kills it. The song has a killer bridge and the live performance on “Three Chords II” is epic. When the “yeah yeah” vocals speed up and trade off into the final push of the song, there is just nothing better. “Don’t forget they didn’t knock you out / you’re just sitting in the corner bleeding from your mouth” … well, just about everyone in the world has felt like that at some point. This inspirational song still gets played when my mood isn’t where it needs to be. Honestly, the studio version doesn’t crack my top 25, which goes to show just how incredibly good the live version of this song is. When I saw it performed at the Bluestone as the opening song last December, it was equally as cool. Deserves to be No. 1.

Colin G. - Lots going on in this little ditty. Do you know this was the official State of Ohio tourism song in 2011-12? It got chosen over a Rascal Flatts song. Not because it was cheaper. No way. Because it was better. As an interesting aside, I cannot name one Rascal Flatts album or song though I think one member may be named Gary. 

Joe O. - This is pretty much the Watershed philosophy. If we didn't believe it, we'd quit.

Please enjoy this super cool video shot from through the eyes of Dave Masica as Watershed takes the stage in 2013.

Live from The Bluestone (2013, Columbus OH)

Alright suckers, there you go. Thanks for reading. Now please, go get a life why don't you?

Watershed Rankings Day 4 (Songs 33-23) by Nick Jezierny

Originally published in 2015 - Watershed plays Columbus August 9-10-11 in the year 2019. Click here for details.

Find and play these songs on Spotify! 

Day 4 (Songs 33-23)

Click here for Day 3 of the Watershed  song rankings

Youth Is Confusion (33): Very strong song. Love the screaming background vocals on the original live version. “Youth Is!”

Joe O. - This song rocks pretty hard, which is impressive considering that it essentially borrows the structure of a "Cathy" comic strip. Except in "Cathy" it would be: "Middle age is (insert something about cats, cupcakes, or chocolate)."

Colin G. - Jim Steinman loved this song. Never should have been first track on original 3 Chords  because the live version kinda sucked but... listening to the studio track it holds up well. Surprisingly, so do the lyrics which were written so long ago and we were even dumber than we are now, if that is possible.  

Old School! Watershed from Ruby Tuesdays sometime around 1893.

The GREATEST rock and roll band from Columbus, Ohio!!!

The Habit (32): Great lyrics and definitely qualifies as one of the greatest songs ever under two minutes.

Joe O. - Lose the wanky, over-indulgent, noodling guitar solo and you could get this song down to 1:30. By the way, everything over 3:00 in most songs is excess fat. I say 2:50 is the ideal length for a song, which, coincidentally or not, is the length of both "Obvious" and "5th of July." Hmmm. I wonder where Nick has those two songs ranked.

Colin G. - Cut in one take after a million beers at 3 am. That funky part in the middle was planned. Sure it was.

FYI- "The Habit" was used as the opening song for the TV show The Dudesons in some country far away. Watch this!

Words We Say (31): This likely would have been a lot lower on the list, but after seeing Colin perform it acoustic in Raleigh and hearing his live version from Cleveland, it got bumped up. If any of you haven’t heard that live CD from the Springsteen fanfest, you are missing out. Great stuff.

Joe O. - Great lyrics. This is the recording session that brought Joe "Schroeder" Peppercorn into the mix.

Colin G. - Was recorded with Watershed but then we went on a hiatus so Joe could write some book about some band so it ended up on my first solo CD. Finally ended up on Brick and Mortar. 

Watch this!      

Live from the CD102.5 Big Room, Colin Gawel with "Words We Say" on April 10, 2010.

Something Wrong (30): “You say this town is too small, you big shit / You call it a cow town, oh how you milk it” is genius. And any song that mentions Ace Frehley is OK by me. I love the venom flowing and the bitterness. Fabulous song.

Joe O. - This is a song from back when we worried about "credibility" and "the scene" and "being cool" and all that crap that only matters when you're young and don't know any better.

Ricki C. - Absolutely one of my top 20 favorite Watershed songs, and only Watershed would bury it as a hidden bonus track on the reissue of Star Vehicle, rather than save it up for the next record. (But then again, in 1996, who knew WHEN the next Watershed record was gonna be?)  I LOVE "us against them" songs, and "regular guys" vs. "hipsters" is one of my favorite topics, or hadn't Pencilstorm readers noticed?   

One of the greatest WATERSHED songs.......right below Hate Hate and Back to the Car :0)

The #1 Killer (29): “You crawl into a bottle and try and swallow all that pain” is so freaking brilliant.

Joe O. - Yep. Excellent title and true sentiment. We should play this one more. 

Ricki C. - Great mysteries of our time: 1) The disappearance of that Malaysian airliner. 2) The continued popularity/existence of the Republican Party and Fox News. 3) How this song and "Sweet Kisses/Bitter Scars" were left off regular Watershed records. 

Colin G. - So Ricki has to bring up politics and cut our meager audience in half yet again.  Are we sitting by a hotel pool in Atlanta? As for the why, some songs just don't fit some records. This tune is best served kinda jammy and we never had the stomach to follow through on that sort of song. As much as we loved Crazy Horse, #1 Killer was always a 3rd set, late night barn-party type of song for us. It probably deserved/deserves better but whatever.

Slowly Then Suddenly (28): I really love the heavy metal slide guitar in the middle of the tune. The drums also kick some serious butt.

Joe O. - Colin stole the title from F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I ran with the lyrics from there. How the hell did we work a Bo Diddley beat into a punk song? This might be Dave Masica's shining moment on drums – especially on the live version from Three Chords II. 

Colin G. - We had been working on this all day when Tim asked, "What is the title of this again?" "Slowly Then Suddenly."  "Oh I get it. Very clever. But nobody else is going to understand what the hell you are singing about.  So at the end why don't you just add a part where you sing 'Slowly Then Suddenly' over and over?"  Watch this!

I’d Be A Liar (27): Another song that would have been a great fit for “The Fifth of July.” Just a quick, easy listen that is full of energy.

Joe O. - A quick, easy listen? Who are we, Loggins and freaking Messina? Michael McDonald? Watershed goes Yacht Rock? Come on, Nick. There's nothing easy about this song. The drums hit like a mule kick. And the line: "I wouldn't cheat my friend at playing cards, but cheating on you, honey, ain't that hard" is brutal. Can you imagine Michael McDonald singing that? Listen here!

Click here to visit Setlist FM and see if Watershed has played "I'd Be a Liar."

Sweet Kisses/Bitter Scars (26): When I learned this song was dropped from “The More It Hurts, The More It Works” I was shocked. This is a great song that has a different sound in a great way. Should have been a hit.

Joe O. - Whenever this song makes it into the live set, I can tell it's going to be a good show. I don't know if this should have been a hit, but it sure is fun to play.

Colin G. This video clip pretty much sums it up. Click here.

Nightshade (25): “Sipping cappuccino / well that’s just $3 coffee” ... just wonder what the folks at Colin’s Coffee say to that? Of note, I have never had a cup of coffee in my life. As a kid, I did a taste of coffee ice cream at Baskin Robbins and was so grossed out that I never have had the urge. Thankfully, there was no IPA ice cream to try back then.

Joe O. - Fun Facts: 1. I wrote these lyrics in a booth at the Blue Danube. 2. I stole "Go to hell" jacket and tie from Tom Wolfe. 3. When Twister came out, a critic slammed this song for the line "I bet you're uptown with the art school crowd, writing poetry that doesn't rhyme," saying that we were anti-intellectual. 4. That critic should have slammed us for the line "I spend my time waiting (wading?) in tears." 5. A good friend of ours had the line "It's better to die when you've got everything to live for" tattooed on himself. 6. That friend later died in a car accident, way too young, proving definitively that no, it's not better. It's not better at all. 7. Maybe these facts aren't so fun.

Watershed teasing 1-65 and performing Nightshade at the Columbus Arts Festival, 6/8/13.

Mercurochrome (24): Fun song. The live version also is great, but not enough to elevate it into the top 20. 

Joe O. - When I was a kid my mom always used to put this junk on my cuts and scrapes, and, as everyone whose mom did the same thing to them knows, it stung like hell. She called it "the ouchy medicine" and said that the sting was how you could tell that stuff was doing its job. I was fascinated by that idea, that the short term hurt was supposed to take away the even bigger long term hurt. I guess this song extends that concept to suicide, but really, unless you're in Cheap Trick or under the age of 20, you should have long stopped writing songs about suicide.

Ricki C. - Nick, COME ON, number 24, "Mercurochrome," seriously?  Absolutely Top Ten Watershed here, even without the brilliant Watershed live tactic of injecting another entire song into the middle of the tune.  I remember all the times I was just another audience member (before I was a roadie) when Colin & Joe and the guys would launch into a little number from The Kinks, Johnny Thunders, etc. during the break and I - along with the rest of the crowd - would forget they hadn't even finished "Mercurochrome" yet, and then they would ROAR back into the last chorus.  One of the ten most brilliant live act stage-bits I have ever witnessed.

Here we go, footage that would make Ricki C proud.

WATERSHED Live in Columbus, Ohio on September 10, 2010.

One-Word Title (23): I’m a words guy (being a journalist for 22 years will do that) and this song with its great rhyming is one of my favorites by the band. “You make success feel like a disaster” is so true.

Joe O. - Another song that takes a dig at the hipster bands ("poster boys for the post-punk smart set") that seemed to get more critical attention than us. In fact, writing lyrics in a booth at the Blue Danube was probably me trying to do what I thought these same hipster bands did. I like the cool stuff I was able to squeeze into the words of this song, especially Ohio Blue-tip matches (strike anywhere!) and switchblade combs. Do they still sell either of those things?

Colin G. - Geez Nick, kinda of a stretch here. Actually, maybe the worst rating yet. Sort of a catchy Paul Westerberg idea that we never bothered to finish or even ever play live more than once or twice. Better than Mercurochrome? Seriously? As for lost Watershed classics, "Little by Little" or "Therapy" are light years ahead of "One Word Title". It has promise, but we never came close on this one. Our bad.

No footage of this song. Click here to enjoy Watershed covering Cheap Trick's "Reach Out."

Watershed Rankings Day 3 (Songs 44-34) by Nick Jezierny

 

Originally published in 2015 - Watershed plays Columbus August 9-10-11 in the year 2019. Click here for details.

Find and play these songs on Spotify! 

Day 3 (Songs 44-34) 

Click here for Day 2 of the Watershed song rankings.

Getting Ready (44): “The Fifth of July” really slows down when it hits this song. If this was on vinyl or cassette, would this be the last song on Side one or the first song on Side two. I’d hope for the former, but who knows?

Colin G. - This and "Obvious" are the first two songs we cut for 5th of July. We actually made a mini promo single and took it down to SXSW to pimp the upcoming release. I guess what I am saying is that in our minds, "Getting Ready" was one of the strongest tracks on the record. Nick, it seems that this ranking along with a low ranking of "Romantic Noise" that you aren't a big fan of this side of Watershed. In my opinion, it is this side of the band that makes the other poppier side so appealing. Otherwise, we would just be the Posies or the Gin Blossoms. I really like these lyrics.  

Joe O. - Great lyrics by Colin. What a universal sentiment, and I never thought of it quite this way until Colin wrote the song. Oscar Wilde once said, "There was never any smog in London until Charles Dickens wrote about it." Colin did that for me here. So, yeah, Colin and Dickens. Pretty much on the same level.

Ricki C. - Hey Colin, get a load of Professor Oestreich comin' with the book-larnin' with an Oscar Wilde quote, no less.  I forget, was Wilde in The Bullet Boys or Poison?  

Colin G. - He was the bass player in W.A.S.P.

Listen here!

Just For Show (43): I did enjoy seeing this performed live on Watershed weekend. Just curious, why was this included on the Single Series CD? There are a lot of better songs on “The More It Hurts, The More It Works” that deserved single status over this tune.

Watch this!

Joe O. - I wrote this song in my bedroom in a dive apartment above the High Street Radio Shack on North Campus, the one next to the Blue Danube.  I had been in a car wreck that morning.  The seat belt kept me from going through the windshield, which, looking back on it, gives the line "Don't lead with the chin, just to be safe," a little extra something.

Colin G. - Hurts/Works took a long time to finish so we released the single series just to get something new out while we were touring. "Just For Show" was probably just finished. We don't always have a master plan for things as such.

Sad Drive (42): The version that Colin re-recorded is so much better than this original. But I like the original and love the story in “Hitless Wonder” about how it started the set that landed the record contract.

Colin G. Appreciate the kind words and the solo version is a different beast altogether, but the original has "Nebraska" -esque charm that is hard to top. Once again, not sure if it is good, but it is something.

Joe O. - Sorry, Nick. The version that Colin re-recorded is nowhere close to this version. I'm biased, of course, because I was sitting in the studio when Colin gave this vocal performance, which is the vocal performance of his life. I still get chills listening to it.

Colin does Sad Drive solo at Frankie's in Toledo

Over Too Soon (41): This song is in a tough spot — between “Can’t Be Myself” and “New Life.” Still a very solid song and one reason this record is considered strong from start to finish.

Colin G. - Somebody has to have a hit with this eventually, right? 

Joe O. - One of the highs of my life is when Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens told me that this song is a hit. He's right. It is. For somebody, somewhere, sometime, it is.

Watch this! We couldn't find a band version but here is Colin playing solo at Andyman Memorial service. 

Twister (40): I happen to like the first record very much. Just wondered how this song became the title track of the record?

Ricki C. - Fucking number forty?  Nick, you've got "Twister" at number FORTY?  "Twister" (the song) is ABSOLUTELY in my Watershed Top Ten Tunes.  First off, it contains one of Colin's finest couplets ever - "So many times I've walked home and cried as the dark clouds became thicker / So many times I've looked at you and lied when I said I didn't care that you kissed her."  How many songwriters would address that sentiment to The Other Guy rather than to The Girl?   Brilliant, genius original lyric move.  Second, third & fourth: the overall simultaneously restrained but desperate tone of the vocal, the killer bass line from Joe, the atmospheric (pun intended) production touches throughout the song.  Fifth, sixth & seventh: the unison guitar & drums hook from Colin & Herb that moves the song into the chorus, Joe's vocal counter-melody in the chorus, Colin's scream that brings us to the guitar solo.  Need I go on to eighth, ninth & tenth?  Absolutely the first song that proved conclusively Watershed could be just as powerful mid-tempo as they were rocking.  I have not one doubt it should have been the title song of the first record.

Colin G. Holy shit! Ricki really likes "Twister." Performance-wise it is a stand-out from that era. Herb just owns those drums.

Joe O. - True fact: Colin is a fan of natural disasters. The real question is why did he choose to write about twisters rather than tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, or the attack of the killer tomatoes?

Click here for more info.

Sticky Bomb (39): We have officially hit the point in this list where the songs are interchangeable (ranking wise) for the next twenty or so.

Watch this!

Joe O. - For what it's worth, this is my 4-year old son's favorite song on Brick and Mortar.  It could be because of the swinging bass part, or it could be because he thinks the song is called "Stinky Bomb."

Colin G. - "We only fight about serious things: like who was better, The Beatles or The Kinks?"

Small Doses (38): Just a very solid, catchy song.

Ricki C. - ANOTHER killer Colin song that should've been much higher and absolutely should have been the second single from "5th Of July."

Colin G. - Enough with the Colin/Joe song stuff already. We woodshed all this stuff together as a band. And Tim Patalan added the crazy drums and timing changes. We literally played this like 75 times before we got the take. God bless Dave Masica. It should have been a single.

Joe O. - The line "throwing rocks at the moon" is a shout-out to Raleigh's The Backsliders, who released a masterpiece of an album by that name. Stop reading this and go buy that record.

listen here on spotify!

Half Of Me (37): This version is so much better than the League Bowlers attempt. Would have fit really well on “The Fifth of July.”

Colin G. - Joe played this for me at The Barn at Thundercreek and I was like, "Oh, that's a cool cover. Who is it? George Jones? Terry Anderson? Hank Snow? Hank?"  "No, I wrote it." "You wrote it? Damn." The League Bowlers version is better, though. Mike Parks on guitar rules. Come on. Listen here.

Joe O. - This was me trying to write a George Jones (RIP) song. It's nowhere in the same league as "The Race is On," but it ain't half bad. The first time we played it live was opening for Dash Rip Rock at Brothers Bar in Jacksonville, Alabama.

Rare footage of live version from Newport with "Maybelline" tacked onto intro.

When in doubt, whip Chuck out........Maybellene into "Half of Me".

Black Concert T-Shirt (36): This is the slower version found on “Star Vehicle.” It’s a very good song, but it can’t touch the remake on the next record.

Joe O. - The minute I planted a flag in the title, I was fired up. I thought: Watershed now owns one of the most ubiquitous symbols in rock and roll. I need to do more of that rock and roll symbol thing. Okay, my next mission is to write a song called, "I Got a Maglite in my Pocket." Just rolls off the tongue, don't it?

Watch This! Live from Independents Day 2013

Good Day (35): Love the lyrics and harmonica. The perfect segue between the great version of “Black Concert T-Shirt” and “Can’t Be Myself.”

Colin G. - This is the song that bumped "Sweet Kisses/Bitter Scars" off Hurts/Works. Tim had an epiphany and suddenly said this should be second track on the record. Mind you, we hadn't bothered to listen to this song in over a year so we all were like, "say what?" But Tim was adamant and a big part of working with a great producer is trust so we acquiesced to his wishes. I'm glad we did. Tim is right about most everything except that I need one more beer.

Joe O. - I love this song, too, but it's a weird one, a great song that didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the tunes on the record.  Patalan said, "Put it as the second track."  Embrace the weirdness.

Listen here!

Waiting For The Greatest (34): The lyrics in this song are brilliant. The story is great. The chorus and title just aren’t quite as good as the rest of the song. “Throw us on the soccer field, stop keeping score” and “We were free to think for ourselves as long as we agreed with them” hit home in these times.

Joe O. - Thanks, Nick. You and I are the only ones who think so. This is a tweak on a song that Poochie's band Twin Cam had already written and recorded. I always loved the Twin Cam song; I just thought that the verse lyrics could better tie-in to the chorus. So I asked our good buddy Mike Sammons of Twin Cam if he'd let me take a crack at writing new verses. He said yes, so there you have it. I love the story in this version, but I suspect that I'm the only one. Well, me and Nick. You should buy up every Twin Cam CD you can find. Second best band Poochie was ever in.

Colin G. - For the record, I dig this tune. 

Let's wrap up Day 3 with a full concert from Small's in Detroit, Michigan from the Hitless Wonder/Brick & Mortar tour.  Yes, the same Small's that is the first chapter in Hitless Wonder. 

This is the full show from the "Hitless Wonder/Brick and Mortar" Tour. Would appreciate some help filling in the set list. Once I have all the song titles, I'll re-render this with each song labeled.

Watershed Rankings Day 1 - The Bottom 11 by Nick Jezierny

Originally published in 2015 - Watershed plays Columbus August 9-10-11 in the year 2019. Click here for details.

Find and play these songs on Spotify! 

This six-part series is the brainchild of Nick Jezierny, a former sports journalist who has worked at newspapers in Ohio (including the Columbus Dispatch), Texas and Idaho, and who obviously occasionally has too much time on his hands.  

(Comments on the rankings by Colin Gawel, Joe Oestreich & Ricki C. will be sprinkled liberally throughout the piece, and some videos will be thrown into the mix.)

Criteria: I took 66 Watershed songs from the major releases, beginning with Twister. I started this probably a few weeks after the release of Hitless Wonder. I was driving to Whitefish, Montana from my current home in Boise, Idaho for a vacation. On the trip, I listened to every Watershed song on random shuffle. It’s a 12-hour trip from Boise, so that definitely helped make the drive less painful. Anyway, two songs get reviewed twice because of the different versions ("Black Concert T-Shirt" and "If That’s How You Want It"). I took into account live versions of songs because “Three Chords II” is such a great record it wouldn’t be fair to rule out live songs. (Seriously, do you EVER hear the studio version of Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do?”) The live versions of some Watershed songs totally make them sky-rocket up on my list. Here we go, I’m sending these in groups of 11 so the list will last six days on Pencilstorm, should it be approved for publication.

Day 1 (The Bottom 11)

Studio Stuff (66): Total cop out, but let’s face it, no Watershed song deserves to be called the worst Watershed song, right? This isn’t really a song, just a bunch of noise that separates the good stuff on “Star Vehicle” from the rest.

Didn’t Exactly Lie (65): A little too country and slow for my liking, and the song is just too damn long.

Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn It Loose (64): This probably should have been recorded by the League Bowlers. Just doesn’t work for Watershed that well.

Colin G. - Just to clear things up, the previous two songs were never considered actual studio tracks. To make a boring story just as boring, at one point the record Star Vehicle was changing labels and we had the masters in our hand for exactly one night so we decided to slip on a couple of B-sides before it went out to be re-pressed. The art work kind of makes them look like they belonged but "Star Vehicle" as intended was only ten songs. The bonus tracks were added as a sweetener for people who had already bought a copy. All three songs were recorded at Captured Live studios in Durham, NC where we spent a week and cut about 10 demos. Only these tracks have ever seen the light of day outside of Biggie's iPod.

Click here for info on The League Bowlers "Some Balls". The lost Watershed record.

What Would I Need You For (63): This is where the list gets hard. This song really could be 20 places higher, but for me, it’s the low point on the debut record.

I’ve Been Looking Everywhere / Born To Run (62): I love the song “Born To Run,” and if you’re going to cover it, give it some of your own personality. Needs a little Watershed-ification. The “I’ve Been Looking Everywhere” part is interesting and I gained appreciation for it while seeing it performed live at Slim’s in Raleigh, N.C., last year.

Colin G. I don't know how much more personality you can give Born To Run than taking a song originally cut as a Spector wall of sound rip-off and doing it as a three piece garage band. Just the song and no frills. I suspect Little Steven would love this version. And the fact we just slipped it in on the end of the record, spliced to another track….

Watch This! Live December 2012

Don’t Give A Damn (61): I’m not an Ohio State football fan. Living in Columbus (which I did from September 1991 to May 1998) was very difficult in the fall when you were overwhelmed by the Buckeye fans and media. This is the only Watershed song my wife will skip when it comes on in the car, and I don’t stop her. Of note, I do think it’s awesome it was recorded considering Watershed is a Columbus-based band that roots for Ohio State.  Watch This! 

Paint The Town Red (60): When I first downloaded this song, I didn’t realize it was a cover. Learning that made me feel better. Why? Because I found this after “Fifth of July,” and to me, this was a step backward for the band. As a cover, it makes sense. I still haven’t heard the original version. Listen Here!

I Deserve You (59): This is an excellent vocal performance, but it just gets lost on "Side 2" of Twister.

Watch This! No footage of this song, but very rare cover of Sinead O'Conner "Last Day of Our Acquaintance" after band plays "Johnny 99." Film from infamous Endo/Exo three night stand in Jacksonville, FLA.  The band refuses to talk about what happened, to this day.

Going Through The Motions (58): The only song I really don’t like on “Fifth of July.” I do like the execution of an idea. The song is called “Going Through The Motions” and the tempo is so monotonous, and the lyrics are spot on. Very well done, but it’s out of the 3-minute, up-tempo song structure of the rest of the album.

Colin G - The song was deliberately placed on the album to set up "Best is Yet to Come", which was deliberately placed last on the record. This wasn't necessarily a safe/smart choice but we felt it made the entire 5th of July record more interesting and still do.

Never Could Have Made It (57): A little too sappy for me, but it isn’t a bad song by any means.

Colin G - No sir. Joe Peppercorn shines. Sucks the sap right out of it Lindsey Buckingham style.

Wreck It (56): A very raw song that should have been the theme song for the recent movie of the same name.

Ricki C. - Let me say this, right at the outset of this list: I have NO MEMORY whatsoever of more than half of the tunes thus far, and I've been seeing Watershed since 1990.  Let me also say this at the outset: I've been a FAN of the band way longer than I've been an employee of the band.  (Point of fact: as late as 2005 I was still being referred to as "that Neil Diamond-looking guy who's always hanging around talking to Colin" by no less a personage than Michael "Biggie" McDermott.)  I have an insider's view of the outside, an outsider's view of the in.     

Watch this! We couldn't find much footage for these songs, but click here for a full pro shot Watershed Concert from the LC in Columbus in front of 1,500 people.

The Watershed Rankings series will continue on Pencilstorm for the next five Saturdays. 

Stay tuned.