Mike Watt; Foo Fighters

 ((Palace; 1,200 capacity; $ 12.50))

By TROY J. AUGUSTO

Promoted by Goldenvoice. Reviewed May 20, 1995.
 
Bands: Mike Watt: Mike Watt, Eddie Vedder, Nels Kline, Michael Preussner; Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Nate Mendel, William Goldsmith.
 

San Pedro's Mike Watt, former bassist for pioneering hardcore band the Minutemen and for Firehose, held an old-fashioned punk revival at the Palace, and everyone was invited.

Joined by the likes of Eddie Vedder, former Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Pat Smear, former Minutemen drummer George Hurley and current or past members of Black Flag, Geraldine Fibbers and Hole, Watt treated the packed house to selections from his Columbia album "Ball-hog or Tugboat," which also features a who's-who of alternative music stars, as well as select cuts from his past bands.

The music was a hearty brand of stripped-bare punk, mixed with country and surf guitars, anthemic rhythms and a variety of edgy vocal styles. A strong sense of community dominated the 70-minute show, which also benefited from an improvisational feel.

"Against the '70s," the best of the evening's songs from "Ball-hog," featured the concert's defining lyrics: "The kids of today need to defend themselves against the '70s," a clear message to the copycats thriving on the charts. Pearl Jam frontman Vedder was a respectful backing member, playing an interesting though unimposing guitar through most of the show.

Of greater commercial interest was Grohl's Foo Fighters, recently signed to Capitol Records by prexy Gary Gersh, the man responsible for signing Nirvana to Geffen.

The quartet, which also features former Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear, as well as the rhythm section from defunct Seattle band Sunny Day Real Estate, offered a 35-minute performance that was in many ways reminiscent of Nirvana, indicating that Grohl perhaps had more to do with that band's sound than was previously acknowledged.

Cuts from the group's debut album, due in June, were slashing, charged pieces that sported dynamic shifts, vocal phrasing and song arranging similar to many of Nirvana's best tunes, though without the pained emotionalism of the late Kurt Cobain's onstage delivery.