Brighter Hell
- Alex
I'm phoning in today's gambit while celebrating the holidays in a far off land. If by far off land I mean Nebraska. Which I do.
What's relevant is that today and tomorrow are/were likely my last chance to see one of my favorite bands play. I'm talking about
The Watchmen, a rockin' little outfit from Winnipeg. They're playing their last two shows in the 'Peg, which is coincidentally the
only large Canadian city I'm willing to travel to by car. I've thrown around the wild idea that Jake and I should go to Buffalo for
the very final show on New Year's Eve, but even I'm willing to realize that the idea is on the very outer edge of possibility.
So I'll have to settle for reminiscing instead.
I got my first disc while visiting Toronto in 93. I point-blank asked some clerk in a HMV (or Tower, or whatever) what was a good
Canadian rock band to buy, because I wanted some fresh music. He pointed me to the Watchmen, and I bought it, unheard. I can't recall
how I acquired their second disc, but the third one I bought off of Wiley from the Winnipeg Men's ultimate team when they came to play
at St Olaf, and the fourth one I bought off of Fred (more commonly known as Kyle - it's a long story) when we played them again in
Madison a few years later. At least I was able to conventionally buy their last album, what with the global internet and all. The
point is, I like 'em, and have gone through plenty to get my hands and ears on the great music they've put out.
I even managed to see them once - the now-fabled supershow with them, Big Wreck, and The Mayfield Four up in Thunder Bay (or as
the lead singer of BW called it - Tunder B-eh). An amazing experience that I will be sure to chronicle in greater detail once I get
around to writing that "10 best concerts" article I've been threatening to write for a year...
All hope is not completely lost, though. Their website states that dowlnoads from the final tour will be available for $10 a show
(hopefully Canadian, hah!). So I can look forward to spending however many shows X 10 dollars as soon as they are available. I
know it'll be worth it.
I'm intentionally keeping this short, so I'll end with some nice little images I threw together in Photoshop. It started with a
picture from the band's video for Brighter Hell, which I then morphed. It's my favorite video, because it's a great song, and
it always makes me nostalgic for winters... and not much else does. Click on the little picture for the big version. I'm out. Peace.
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