Bassist Mike Watt—whom you might remember from the voice mail he left us a few months back—is indisputably one of the most significant and unpretentious musicians to emerge from the ’80s hardcore movement. Starting his career with the Minutemen, he went on to work with fIREHOSE, the Stooges and a slew of pop luminaries, including Eddie Vedder, Flea, the Beastie Boys and even Kelly Clarkson. But as Watt demonstrated during a fascinating solo performance at the TONY offices earlier this week, his four-string talent stretches way beyond the aforementioned activities. Fighting off some understandable jitters resulting from the unusually intimate setting, Watt offered three instrumental miniatures whose poetic beauty ought to surprise even serious fans of his work. If you’re yearning to hear the bassist in a higher-decibel setting, head out to Central Park SummerStage this Saturday (August 1), where he debuts Floored by Four, a new all-star project with guitarist Nels Cline (Wilco, countless avant-jazz projects), Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto) and Dougie Bowne (Lounge Lizards, Doveman, Iggy Pop). Headlining the night is new-folk star M. Ward.