Last June, we reported that Minutemen/fIREHOSE bassist/badass Mike Watt was nearing completion on his third “punk rock opera.” On October 6, Japan saw the first release of Hyphenated-Man on Parabolica Records, but only now has the rest of the world had the chance to get anything better than a CD import. Mark the date, people: Hyphenated-Man is out worldwide on March 1 via Watt’s own Clenchedwrench label.
Watt’s operas haven’t exactly been like Wagner’s. The first, Contemplating the Engine Room (1997), detailed not Valkyries or Tannhäuser, but his relationship with his father, and was met with wide critical acclaim. The 2004 follow-up opera, The Secondman’s Middle Stand received much more lukewarm reviews (TMT Review), and could be said to verge on more traditional operatic fare, introducing organ and drawing heady connections between Dante’s Divine Comedy and Watt’s own close call with death.
This third work, Hyphenated-Man, deviates from the first two in that there is no standard or linear narrative, according to Watt (who joyfully suggests that it’s a “libretto”-less opera). Check out his somewhat rambling explanation of the work here; let’s just see how long it takes now for people to start bandying around “pomo” for this one. Also, Mike Watt and The Missingmen are beginning a North America tour this spring, in which they play every night but one for two straight months. At the end of April, there’d better be a fat lady singing along in Sacramento.
Tourdates:
03.10.11 - Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones
03.11.11 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
03.12.11- San Diego, CA - The Casbah
03.13.11 - Tucson, AZ - Plush
03.14.11 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
03.15.11 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory
03.16.11 - Dallas, TX - The Loft
03.17.11 - Austin, TX - The Ginger Man
03.18.11 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald’s
03.19.11 - Baton Rouge, LA - The Spanish Moon
03.20.11 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
03.21.11 - Pensacola, FL - Handlebar
03.22.11 - Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
03.23.11 - Orlando, FL - The Social
03.24.11 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
03.25.11 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
03.26.11 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
03.27.11 - Charleston, SC - The Pour House
03.28.11 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
03.29.11 - Richmond, VA - The Canal Club
03.30.11 - Morgantown, WV - 123 Pleasant Street
03.31.11 - Washington, D.C. - Black Cat
04.01.11 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
04.02.11 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
04.03.11 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell’s
04.04.11 - New York City, NY - Mercury Lounge
04.05.11 - Milford, CT - Daniel Street Club
04.06.11 - Cambridge, MA - T.T. the Bear’s Place
04.07.11 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
04.08.11 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
04.09.11 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
04.10.11 - Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
04.11.11 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
04.12.11 - Ferndale, MI - Magic Bag
04.13.11 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio
04.14.11 - Saint Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill
04.15.11 - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern
04.16.11 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
04.17.11 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
04.18.11 - Saint Paul, MN - Turf Club
04.19.11 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
04.20.11 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
04.22.11 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
04.23.11 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
04.24.11 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
04.25.11 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
04.26.11 - Vancouver, BC - The Media Club
04.27.11 - Seattle, WA - The Triple Door
04.28.11 - Eugene, OR - Sam Bonds Garage
04.29.11 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
04.30.11 - Sacramento, CA - Blue Lamp
• Mike Watt: http://www.hootpage.com
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