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The Minutemen, with Mike Watt front right, perform at the Waterfront Cabaret in Vancouver on July 6, 1984. Photo courtesy of Bev Davies.

Punk legend Mike Watt, co-founding father of legendary bands Minutemen and fIREHOSE, will be playing a free show in Downtown Long Beach come February 12 of next year courtesy of the Live After 5 series.

The monthly event launched earlier this month at the Federal Bar Underground, with Buskerfest winner and local folk outfit Bearcoon headlining. In the spirit of Summer and Music, each Live After 5 will offer free music in a different downtown neighborhood every second Thursday of the month. Given the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA)-sponsored event tapped local musical guru and RIOTstage leader Josh Fischel to curate the series, the appearance of Watt at MADHaus shouldn’t be shocking.

Watt1979First known as The Reactionaries when Watt and longtime childhood friend D. Boon [pictured with Watt in 1979 in Long Beach, left] joined forces, Minutemen were created once drummer George Hurley joined in. Founded in and based out of San Pedro, the punk trio is largely considered one of the most significant American punk bands to grace the power of stereos. On December 22, 1985, guitarist and lead singer Boon was tragically killed in a car accident off the 10 freeway in Arizona, adding yet another name to all-too-long list that is the 27 Club. The two living members of Minutemen momentarily went on hiatus, leaving Watt and Hurley depressed and contemplating ending their musical careers altogether.

Watt and Hurley then went on to form fIREHOSE (not to be confused with Firehouse, the North Carolina glam metal bad from the 90s) with guitarist Ed Crawford, who had convinced Watt and Hurley to continue making music. Largely abandoning the angst of punk, fIREHOSE was far more catchy and funky in its style, even receiving a shoutout from Red Hot Chili Peppers in “Good Time Boys” (and who also appeared on Watt’s first solo effort, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?) Known far more for their tours than their albums—we’re talking 20 tours between 1986 and 1994—Watt famously proclaimed to Billboard, “Most bands tour to promote records. We make records to promote tours.”

When Watts went solo with the aforementioned Tugboat? album, a piece of music that was more influential than it first appeared. Not only did the studio session the album was recorded in mark Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl’s first recording session following the death of Kurt Cobain, the tour for the album in 1995 brought on the newly formed Foo Fighters as the opening act, along with Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder’s then-side-project Hovercraft. (Fort those who want to see Watt rock it out with Grohl and Vedder on the classic track, “Big Train,” click here.)

For the Long Beach show, Watt will be backed by The Tom and Jerry Show, longtime supporters and tour partners of Watt; the trio hasn’t performed since together the Show joined Watt on his 2002 tour. The trio will be playing, according to Fischel, “versions of Minutemen, fIREHOSE, solo Mike Watt and classic covers.”

Best of all? It’s free.

Mike Watt will play the Live After 5 on February 12 at 8PM at MADhaus, located at 624 Pine Ave.

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