The Watershed Rock Junket

The First Annual

Watershed Rock Junket.

Raleigh, North Carolina.

July 19-21.

In addition to dates in Columbus and Toledo, you are invited to join Watershed, those mighty Hitless Wonders, as they put up stakes for a long summer weekend in Raleigh, the rock and roll capital of the New South. Over three days—from Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21—the band will play three shows in three different venues, with all set-lists made up especially for Superfans. We’re talking deep tracks, rarities, B-sides—stuff Colin, Joe, and Dave have long forgotten how to play. Think of this as a Rock Cruise, but without the boat (and without that bothersome norovirus that can run through a cruise ship like, well, shit through a tourist). No seasickness, either. And no over-priced drinks or food buffet cattle calls. Instead you get a reasonably legitimate excuse to come to a kickass city and a chance to bend elbows at the bar next to Biggie and Ricki C. If that weren’t enough, you also get more live Watershed than you can probably stomach.

Here’s the agenda:

Friday, July 19- Colin plays a solo set at Sadlack’s Heroes. 7:00 to 9:00. Across Hillsborough St. from NC State University, Sadlack’s has by far the most rocking patio in the Southeast. Joe will probably read a few pages from Hitless Wonder while Colin takes his beer breaks.

Saturday, July 20 – Watershed headlines the Brewery Reunion show at the Poor House Music Hall Back in the early nineties, whenever Watershed played Raleigh, it was at The Brewery, with legendary mix-man Jac Cain behind the board. Sadly, The Brewery is long gone, but Jac Cain is still up and rocking and running sound at The Pour House. Jac put together this Brewery Reunion, which will undoubtedly be a blow-out bash. Watershed plays at midnight.

Sunday, July 21 – Watershed fights through their hangovers to play two massive matinee sets at one of their favorite bars in the world, Slim’s Downtown. The show will run roughly from 4:00 to 8:00, and the band will attempt to play any Watershed song you request (no guarantees on the quantity of lyrics remembered or the accuracy of chord progressions executed).

All three venues are close to downtown and easy to get to from a central location. Hotwire is currently showing 4 star hotels available that weekend for as little as $75/night. The entire Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area has great restaurants, museums, and plenty to do during the day. If you’ve been there before, you already know this. If you haven’t, now’s your chance. And look, Watershed will do this Rock Junket thing next year in some other city. And that city will surely be cool, too (we hear Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is lovely in July). But honestly, Raleigh’s tough to beat. This is the year. Make it happen.