.jpg "Doug Ratner and the Watchmen (credit: Mary-Hope Beaulac)")
Fans of ‘90s nostalgia and local music are in luck this Friday. Springfield rockers Doug Ratner and the Watchmen (see photo) have landed a prime spot opening for alternative favorites the Spin Doctors at the Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton, and the recipe for the evening is a good time for all concerned.
Popularly known for the hits “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” which hit numbers 7 and 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1993 respectively, the Spin Doctors recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of their most popular album Pocketful of Kryptonite in 2011 and have continued playing sporadic shows whenever the urge to relive the glory days becomes too much to bear.
On the flipside of the bill, the members of the up-and-coming Valley group Doug Ratner and the Watchmen are currently riding a wave of buzz stemming from the release of the song “Bomb in the Backseat” from their album Lessons Well Learned. In fact, a raucous performance of the track on the local television program Mass Appeal in March led to the band’s subsequent ban from the show, and soon after the ensuing publicity led to “Bomb in the Backseat” rocketing up the best-sellers chart on Amazon.com.
“We’re not afraid to take chances,” said singer Doug Ratner in an interview after his band’s Mass Appeal ban. “We’re not afraid to write a song called ‘Bomb in the Backseat’ that makes statements about society. If people get very offended, we’re sorry that you get offended. We’re sorry if it’s controversial. But it’s reality. And if you don’t state things about reality then people are just going to be blind to it and ignore it for the rest of their lives.”
Watch the official video for “Bomb in the Backseat” by Doug Ratner and the Watchmen here:
Spin Doctors with opener Doug Ratner and the Watchmen, May 18, 8 p.m., $12.50-15, Pearl Street Nightclub, 10 Pearl St., Northampton, (413) 584-7771, http://www.iheg.com/pearl_street_main.asp.
For more information on Doug Ratner and the Watchmen or the Spin Doctors please visit http://www.facebook.com/dougratnerandthewatchmen and www.spindoctors.com.
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