Sixty Watt Shaman
Encyclopedia
Sixty Watt Shaman is an American
heavy metal band originally based out of Baltimore
, Maryland
. The genre of music they are often associated with is stoner rock
or stoner metal
. They formed in 1996 and recorded and released their first studio album in 1998. The band last recorded in 2002 and last toured in late 2002 and early 2003. They are active on MySpace
and have made reunion appearances including a festival event April 28, 2007 at the Ottobar in Baltimore, Maryland. They are widely regarded as innovators in their musical genre with the "Sixty Watt" sound, and were both imitated and replicated by peers and bands who followed in their footsteps.
The band name derives from a split reference to Jim Morrison
and an infamous amplifier once played by Jimi Hendrix
; the band name was dubbed by lead singer Dan Kerzwick in early September 1996 upon his return from European travel where he had visited the grave of Jim Morrison who is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery
in Paris, France. Jim Morrison was called the "electric shaman" by press and popular culture during his Doors years. The story behind the reference to "Sixty Watt" is that it refers to a now infamous amplifier that was built specifically for Jimi Hendrix
by the pioneering amplifier manufacturer Jim Marshall
; it was a special sixty watt amplifier which was used during live performances and on the famous Electric Ladyland
album, but was alleged to have been stolen and never recovered after Hendrix's famous Isle of Wight
performance.
The band released their first album, Ultra Electric, in 1998 on Game Two Records. In 1998 and 1999, the band had developed a friendship with members of fellow Maryland-based rock band Clutch
, after playing shows with their side-project The Bakerton Group
, whose drummer, Jean-Paul Gaster, would later be recruited to produce their next album Seed of Decades. In the late 90s the band worked tirelessly to play shows all along the East Coast, as well as embarking on nationwide tours with Nebula
and Spirit Caravan
during that time period. After playing several shows in New York City and developing buzz about the band, Sixty Watt landed a showcase for Spitfire Records
President, Paul Bibeau, at the Continental in the late summer of 1999 whereupon Bibeau offered them a recording contract in the downstairs backstage room immediately after their performance.
Two weeks earlier, Sixty Watt had played a show at the Continental where Frank Kozik
(of Man's Ruin Records
fame, as well as fame for his album-cover art, concert flyer art, and directing music videos for Soundgarden
and Mint Condition
) had been in the audience. Kozik offered the band an album deal that night after the show... but, with the approach by Bibeau only weeks later with a more extensive offer and the opportunity for greater exposure and tour support, Sixty Watt Shaman opted to go with Spitfire Records
.
With one release behind them, in 1999 the band were signed by Spitfire Records
and released Seed of Decades in 2000. Seed of Decades has been compared to the 70s hard rock
sound of Aerosmith
and Grand Funk Railroad
"with a more modern harder edge". The band toured with label-mates Black Label Society
and Crowbar in support of the album in the summer of 2000, and then later with Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity
.
For their 2002 release, Reason to Live
, Dukehart was replaced by drummer Pete Campbell. Former Kyuss
bassist, Scott Reeder, was recruited to work on production for this album. It was recorded at Phase Studios in College Park, MD. The album reveals the strong influence of the heavy music and the musicians that Sixty Watt had been on tours with over the previous two years. Reason to Live features many standout tracks including "All Things Come to Pass" which features Sixty Watt Shaman and guest performers Scott Reeder (Kyuss
, The Obsessed
) and Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed
, Saint Vitus) who were brought together again after having played together years earlier in The Obsessed for this live jam performance.
After the release of "Reason to Live", Sixty Watt Shaman toured Europe with Karma to Burn
and a final US tour with Alabama Thunderpussy
. After the last US tour, lead singer Dan Kerzwick, also known by this time as Dan Soren, moved to the mid-west and worked on other projects including The Mighty Nimbus with Pete Campbell. Jim Forrester worked on other projects including The Devil You Know
and Angels of Meth. Upon his return to Maryland from Oklahoma, Dan Soren rejoined Joe Selby in Stillhouse.
Sixty Watt Shaman are widely considered pioneers of the "Sixty Watt" sound and have inspired much imitation and replication. Band members have continued to work both separately and together on various projects since Sixty Watt Shaman was last working together consistently. All of the remaining members of Sixty Watt Shaman have discussed possible future work together on new Sixty Watt Shaman material and performances.
Joe Selby (guitar) and Dan Soren (vocals) formerly of Sixty Watt Shaman are now members of Stillhouse, another Maryland based music project. Soaphammer also features members of Sixty Watt Shaman.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal band originally based out of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The genre of music they are often associated with is stoner rock
Stoner rock
Stoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
or stoner metal
Stoner rock
Stoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
. They formed in 1996 and recorded and released their first studio album in 1998. The band last recorded in 2002 and last toured in late 2002 and early 2003. They are active on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and have made reunion appearances including a festival event April 28, 2007 at the Ottobar in Baltimore, Maryland. They are widely regarded as innovators in their musical genre with the "Sixty Watt" sound, and were both imitated and replicated by peers and bands who followed in their footsteps.
History
The band was formed in the mid 1990s by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Daniel Kerzwick, lead guitarist Joe Selby, drummer Chuck Dukehart, and bassist Jim Forrester. All came together to form "the Shaman" out of two separate projects, Approach (Kerzwick, Selby, Dukehart), and Supercreep (Selby, Dukehart, Forrester), which were both active during the time period of 1995 to 1996.The band name derives from a split reference to Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
and an infamous amplifier once played by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
; the band name was dubbed by lead singer Dan Kerzwick in early September 1996 upon his return from European travel where he had visited the grave of Jim Morrison who is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
in Paris, France. Jim Morrison was called the "electric shaman" by press and popular culture during his Doors years. The story behind the reference to "Sixty Watt" is that it refers to a now infamous amplifier that was built specifically for Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
by the pioneering amplifier manufacturer Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall (businessman)
James Charles "Jim" Marshall, OBE , known as The Father Of Loud, is a pioneer of guitar amplification. His company, Marshall Amplification continues to produce amplifiers with an iconic status.-Early Years:...
; it was a special sixty watt amplifier which was used during live performances and on the famous Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland is the third and final album of new material by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968 on Reprise Records, catalogue 2RS 6307. It is the only Hendrix studio album professionally produced under his supervision. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart for two weeks in...
album, but was alleged to have been stolen and never recovered after Hendrix's famous Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
performance.
The band released their first album, Ultra Electric, in 1998 on Game Two Records. In 1998 and 1999, the band had developed a friendship with members of fellow Maryland-based rock band Clutch
Clutch (band)
Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
, after playing shows with their side-project The Bakerton Group
The Bakerton Group
The Bakerton Group is an instrumental blues jam band and the side project of the blues rock outfit Clutch. They incorporate elements of blues-rock, psychedelic rock, jazz and stoner rock.-Biography:...
, whose drummer, Jean-Paul Gaster, would later be recruited to produce their next album Seed of Decades. In the late 90s the band worked tirelessly to play shows all along the East Coast, as well as embarking on nationwide tours with Nebula
Nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
and Spirit Caravan
Spirit Caravan
Spirit Caravan was a Maryland doom/stoner metal band featuring the guitarist and vocalist Scott Weinrich.-Biography:Scott "Wino" Weinrich formed Spirit Caravan after the breakup of The Obsessed. The remainder of the band consisted of Dave Shermann on bass and vocals; and Gary Isom on drums...
during that time period. After playing several shows in New York City and developing buzz about the band, Sixty Watt landed a showcase for Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records was a subdivision of Eagle Rock Entertainment located in New York, United States.In September 1998, Paul Bibeau founded, launched and rapidly developed Spitfire Records Inc. from a two-man operation located in his home bedroom in suburban Long Island, New York, to one of the...
President, Paul Bibeau, at the Continental in the late summer of 1999 whereupon Bibeau offered them a recording contract in the downstairs backstage room immediately after their performance.
Two weeks earlier, Sixty Watt had played a show at the Continental where Frank Kozik
Frank Kozik
Frank Kozik is an American graphic artist who has worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Melvins, The Offspring and Butthole Surfers. Kozik runs Man's Ruin Records, a media outlet and record label, and has published several books including Man's Ruin:...
(of Man's Ruin Records
Man's Ruin Records
Man's Ruin Records was an independent record label, owned and founded by Bay Area artist Frank Kozik. After the 1994 release of Man's Ruin's first record, entitled Experimental Audio Research : Delta 6, Kozik worked with artists who he wanted to release; he also designed all of the sleeve art for...
fame, as well as fame for his album-cover art, concert flyer art, and directing music videos for Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
and Mint Condition
Mint Condition
Mint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, its original members were lead singer Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, keyboardist Keri Lewis, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen...
) had been in the audience. Kozik offered the band an album deal that night after the show... but, with the approach by Bibeau only weeks later with a more extensive offer and the opportunity for greater exposure and tour support, Sixty Watt Shaman opted to go with Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records was a subdivision of Eagle Rock Entertainment located in New York, United States.In September 1998, Paul Bibeau founded, launched and rapidly developed Spitfire Records Inc. from a two-man operation located in his home bedroom in suburban Long Island, New York, to one of the...
.
With one release behind them, in 1999 the band were signed by Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records was a subdivision of Eagle Rock Entertainment located in New York, United States.In September 1998, Paul Bibeau founded, launched and rapidly developed Spitfire Records Inc. from a two-man operation located in his home bedroom in suburban Long Island, New York, to one of the...
and released Seed of Decades in 2000. Seed of Decades has been compared to the 70s hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
sound of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
"with a more modern harder edge". The band toured with label-mates Black Label Society
Black Label Society
Black Label Society is a heavy metal band formed by Zakk Wylde, with nine studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one EP, and three video albums released since formation of the band.-Formation and Sonic Brew :...
and Crowbar in support of the album in the summer of 2000, and then later with Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...
.
For their 2002 release, Reason to Live
Reason to Live
"Reason to Live" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss featured on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. Released as a single in 1987, the song would prove to be a minor hit for the band, making the Top 40 charts in the United Kingdom and reached number 34 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
, Dukehart was replaced by drummer Pete Campbell. Former Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
bassist, Scott Reeder, was recruited to work on production for this album. It was recorded at Phase Studios in College Park, MD. The album reveals the strong influence of the heavy music and the musicians that Sixty Watt had been on tours with over the previous two years. Reason to Live features many standout tracks including "All Things Come to Pass" which features Sixty Watt Shaman and guest performers Scott Reeder (Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
, The Obsessed
The Obsessed
The Obsessed is a doom metal band from Maryland led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich, who also fronted Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls, The Hidden Hand and W.I.N.O.. Formed in 1976, they first split up in 1986 when Wino Saint Vitus, but reformed four years later...
) and Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed
The Obsessed
The Obsessed is a doom metal band from Maryland led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich, who also fronted Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls, The Hidden Hand and W.I.N.O.. Formed in 1976, they first split up in 1986 when Wino Saint Vitus, but reformed four years later...
, Saint Vitus) who were brought together again after having played together years earlier in The Obsessed for this live jam performance.
After the release of "Reason to Live", Sixty Watt Shaman toured Europe with Karma to Burn
Karma to Burn
Karma to Burn, sometimes known as K2B, is a desert rock/stoner metal band from Morgantown, West Virginia comprising guitarist William Mecum, bassist Rich Mullins, and drummer Rob Oswald...
and a final US tour with Alabama Thunderpussy
Alabama Thunderpussy
Alabama Thunderpussy was a Stoner metal band from Richmond, Virginia. It was founded by Bryan Cox, Erik Larson and Asechiah Bogdan in 1996.-History:...
. After the last US tour, lead singer Dan Kerzwick, also known by this time as Dan Soren, moved to the mid-west and worked on other projects including The Mighty Nimbus with Pete Campbell. Jim Forrester worked on other projects including The Devil You Know
The Devil You Know
The Devil You Know is an album by the industrial alternative rock band Econoline Crush. It was released in Canada in 1997 by EMI, and in the United States in 1998 by Restless Records...
and Angels of Meth. Upon his return to Maryland from Oklahoma, Dan Soren rejoined Joe Selby in Stillhouse.
Sixty Watt Shaman are widely considered pioneers of the "Sixty Watt" sound and have inspired much imitation and replication. Band members have continued to work both separately and together on various projects since Sixty Watt Shaman was last working together consistently. All of the remaining members of Sixty Watt Shaman have discussed possible future work together on new Sixty Watt Shaman material and performances.
Current
- Dan Soren - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Joe Selby - guitar
- Reverend Jim - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Minnesota Pete Campbell - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former
- Chuck Dukehart - Drums (From 1995 to 2000, now in The Expotentials)
- Kenny Wagner - Drums (2000, now in Superheavygoatass)
Joe Selby (guitar) and Dan Soren (vocals) formerly of Sixty Watt Shaman are now members of Stillhouse, another Maryland based music project. Soaphammer also features members of Sixty Watt Shaman.
Discography
- Ultra Electric (1998) (Game Two)
- Seed of Decades (2000) (Spitfire)
- Reason To Live (2002) (Spitfire)