Is it Genesis Rewired? Is it Garden Wall? No! It's The Watch!!

I first introduced The Watch early in the year when I "accidentally" discovered them. I more recently promoted their upcoming US tour hoping to start a "grass roots", word-of-mouth publicity campaign. Now, I'd like to take it to the next level by offering you a chance to hear this incredible band.

Before you scroll to the goodies below, I'd like to say that, aside from a few supergroups formed in the 80's and 90's, I think The Watch is the best new prog rock band since the punk revolt in the late 70's. Unlike neo-prog outfits such as Dream Theater and Magellan, The Watch is more faithful to and influenced by the original progressive rock movement brought on by bands such as King Crimson and Peter Gabriel era Genesis. Also, unlike many neo-prog bands, The Watch has a sense of style. They don't get flashy just because they can like Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. Sorry Jordan. It's not how fast you play, but how well you play fast. Keith Emerson can attest to that. Even Keith would go flipping mad on the keyboards sometimes back in the day, but he also knew when to show restraint. Such is the case with The Watch.

Check them out as the perform Damage Mode from their album Vacuum. . .



Here they are performing the classic Genesis song Return of the Giant Hogweed . . .



Phenomenal, yes? Here's another original composition from the Ghost album called DNAlien. . .



Here they are performing one of my favorites among "the short" songs that appear on the Genesis album Foxtrot. This one is called Can Utility and The Coastliners. A song based on the legend of King Canute . . . .



I hope that these songs whet the appetites of fellow US prog rock fans. I'd like to see The Watch have enough success in The States to keep touring here for years to come. If you like what you've heard, please pass the word!

Ladies and Gentle, I'd like to welcome you all to see . . . The Watch!!

Please give this amazing prog rock band a warm welcome to the US! With 3 confirmed dates and venues, 1 pending performance in or near Washington DC (venue TBD), and 2 more planned performances (cities and venues TBD), this will be The Watch's most extensive tour of the US. They've come here twice before. They performed in Lowell, MA and Albany, NY in 2007 and in Phoenixville, PA in 2006. This Italian prog rock band brings forth a familiar sound to put prog-heads in their comfort zone while carving out a style of their own with the release of their 5 studio albums, including the early album released as The Night Watch called Twilight. They also released a live album in 2008.

I'd like to invite you to visit their web site where you can become a member of their community, download videos, hear unpublished tracks, and see their US tour dates. In addition to their own material, The Watch will be performing the Genesis album, Foxtrot, in its entirety! Let me tell you that these guys are way beyond a mere tribute or cover band! They capture the very essence of Gabriel era Genesis! Their performance goes far beyond those of most tribute bands who might play the songs with technical precision. They bring the songs to life in much the same way Genesis did back in the 70's!

Those somewhat familiar with The Watch might have noted that Simone Rossetti's voice sounds similar to 70's Peter Gabriel. Yes, they are similar in timbre. However, I think that Simone has a better vocal range and, thus, can sing the early Genesis material without putting so much stress on his vocal cords as Peter did. So, in my opinion, he sings these songs better than Peter did. Before you flame me, I'm a huge Peter Gabriel fan. I love that era of Genesis and most of Peter's solo material too. He's a phenomenal musician and composer. What I am trying to say is, consider Simone Rossetti as Peter Gabriel "remastered". As you know, remastered albums often sound better than the originals thanks, in large part, to the quality of the original master tapes and the wonders of modern recording.

As I bring this post to a close, please support this amazing band by attending their performances here in the US and buying their albums. I recommend buying their latest album, Planet Earth?, from The Artist Shop as it is actually cheaper their than at Amazon. Also, Gary Davis, the store owner, is a really nice guy. If you don't like the online order form, just send him an e-mail at artshop@artist-shop.com listing the "artist / album" that you want. He accepts payments via PayPal.