The Band

Our Story

Watson was first formed in 2001 by high school friends Jon Gotreau and Brian Weber. Performing in local coffee shops and bars, the duo honed their songwriting skills while building a loyal Twin Cities fan base. With an open door philosophy for additional band members, several local musicians jammed with the duo until they found drummer Brian Mondl (formerly of The Rakes). Permanently joining the fold in 2004, Mondl’s drumming added a new dimension to watson’s songs. The new trio performed a handful of shows before bassist Adam Vander Poel came aboard and flushed out the watson sound. Aptly described as “modern classic rock,” watson blends their influences from legendary acts such as Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and The Who with their modern favorites Wilco, Drive-by Truckers and The Black Keys to create a blend of crowd pleasing rock.

The 2000s were filled with shows, songwriting and recording. The band released their first studio album, Been Here Before in 2006, followed closely by their second album All I Want To Know in 2008. In 2011, Adam & his wife moved to India for work, but he continued adding bass lines to songs for the band’s third album Turn Up The Distance, thus making Watson an international recording group. The original trio of Jon, Brian & Brian continued to perform and write music during Adam’s international hiatus, and released their fourth album, aptly titled IV, in 2014.

In 2015, Paul Feiner began playing gigs with watson, adding a deep knowledge of cover songs, and the ability to pull off a triple guitar attack. The 5th studio album from watson, Mouth of the South, was released in November 2017 and marks the first time that all 5 members of watson appeared on a recording. The collection of songs, loosely inspired by the nostalgia of 90s era WWF and a desire to hoist the championship belt in the air.

In 2022, Watson released their 6th album, Long Nights. This album features the first Paul Feiner original, and marks his last album with the band prior to moving to Colorado. Aiming to bring even more personal touches to the project, the handwritten font on the album was provided by Jon's grandfather. Prior to Paul's official move, the band laid down 2 out of the norm hip-hop tracks on the EP Milk, inspired by Paul's kid's obsession with milk. In 2023, Matt Mitchell joined the group as a full time bass player, occasional guitarist and the band's resident human jukebox. With Matt's smooth & thunderous bass, the band put the finishing touches on their 7th album set to release in 2025. With over 100 shows under their belt, the band shows no signs of slowing down. You can catch them at local breweries and other music venues around the Twin Cities.