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94-412: Watchorn is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Dan Watchorn, guitarist of Canadian rock band Priestess Patsy Watchorn (born 1944), Irish folk singer Peter Watchorn (born 1957), Australian-born harpsichordist Tara Watchorn (born 1990), Canadian female ice hockey player [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with

188-500: A disc jockey ; Heppner was impressed by his performance. Recalling the performance, Heppner asked Nudo to join The Dropouts once Jonny was fired after a dozen shows. Heppner felt certain he had found all the right people for the group when their first jam session with Nudo resulted in a new song. At this point, the band was still performing as The Dropouts; they would not take on the name Priestess until October 2004. The new name

282-612: A decade between Irish immigrants and Black people for work. Rioters burned the Colored Orphan Asylum to the ground. At least 120 people were killed. Eleven Black men were lynched over five days, and the riots forced hundreds of Blacks to flee. The Black population in Manhattan fell below 10,000 by 1865. The White working class had established dominance. It was one of the worst incidents of civil unrest in American history . In 1886,

376-407: A fan of Motörhead, who ironically had taken them on tour). Hour magazine specifically pointed-out that the comparisons to Priestess' spiritual ancestors actually proved the band were trying to pay respect to their musical roots instead of claiming a unique style. Heppner was somewhat taken aback to learn of the impression critics were under; he noted that the album sounded "pretty modern" to him and

470-553: A feature on UBT, Planet S Magazine noted the "rumoured demise" of Priestess. Vince Nudo became the drummer for Kurt Vile 's backing band, the Violators, and has also formed Frères Lumières, a film-scoring group, with bandmate Dan Watchorn. Mike Dyball has been playing bass guitar for metal band WetMetal. "We just consider ourselves a rock band. Every band is different and we play rock our way. I guess it kind of dwells into heavy metal territory from time to time but I wouldn't go into

564-454: A follow-up album in the summer of 2007. Heppner began writing things that were inspired by listening to progressive rock in his youth, which he felt made the work he created too esoteric for his bandmates to enjoy. When he did show them the material he was working on, they instead loved it, and as a whole began adding minor progressive rock characteristics to their sound in an effort to challenge themselves. Priestess' second album, however,

658-510: A part of the colony of New York . It became a center of slavery , with 42% of households enslaving Africans by 1730. Most were domestic slaves ; others were hired out as labor. Slavery became integrally tied to New York's economy through the labor of slaves throughout the port, and the banking and shipping industries trading with the American South . During construction in Foley Square in

752-751: A personal favorite. Groups who championed the progressive rock movement of the 1970s have also impacted the group; in addition to the Beatles, Heppner cites Pink Floyd , Yes , Jethro Tull , Genesis , King Crimson and Frank Zappa as his favorite inspirations, the latter being his favorite artist in general. On the band's second studio album, Prior to the Fire , they drew from more progressive rock influences, with more complex music and more obscure lyrical themes; Heppner, who had listened to these artists throughout his youth (while his bandmates did not), had been writing new material with them as his inspiration, but

846-510: A reputation as a despotic leader. He instituted regulations on liquor sales, attempted to assert control over the Dutch Reformed Church , and blocked other religious groups from establishing houses of worship. In 1664, unable to summon any significant resistance, Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam to English troops, led by Colonel Richard Nicolls , without bloodshed. The terms of the surrender permitted Dutch residents to remain in

940-524: A result of Sandy, and the economic losses in New York City were estimated to be roughly $ 19 billion. The disaster spawned long-term efforts towards infrastructural projects to counter climate change and rising seas, with $ 15 billion in federal funding received through 2022 towards those resiliency efforts. In March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 in the city was confirmed. With its population density and its extensive exposure to global travelers,

1034-411: A room full of 'metalheads' and say, 'Hey, this is my Priestess record, we're a heavy metal band!'" --Mikey Heppner, 2007 Priestess are frequently cited as a classic rock revivalist act, using such rock 'n' roll staples as guitar solos, and are often compared to legendary acts such as Black Sabbath , AC/DC , Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple . Heppner denies that they are actively emulating

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1128-476: A speech denying the request, which was paraphrased on the front page of the New York Daily News as "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD." The Municipal Assistance Corporation was formed and granted oversight authority over the city's finances. While a resurgence in the financial industry greatly improved the city's economic health in the 1980s, New York's crime rate continued to increase through that decade and into

1222-702: A spring 2005 release. Once the album pre-production was completed, and at the insistence of Indica Records, the band began looking for a new band name. The band played their last show as The Dropouts on September 30, 2004 at La Sala Rossa in Montreal, as part of the POP Montreal festival. Priestess debuted live only eleven days after their last show as The Dropouts, performing at Main Hall in Montreal on October 11, 2004. The band finished recording its debut album in January 2005 but it

1316-520: A tour of Europe in the spring of 2012, including a concert at the Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands . Without explanation, these plans were cancelled. They had been working on and would have released a new album by that time, but no announcement has been made regarding a third Priestess album since then. On September 3, 2012, after a long period of silence (which he attributed to issues for all

1410-468: Is about a man who murders his wife , while "Two Kids" relates the discovery and investigation of the dead bodies of two children. Prior to the Fire continued that lyrical tradition with "Lady Killer", in which someone promises to avenge the murder of a loved one. Regarding the apparent theme of violence in the band's work, Heppner argues that such a theme is a logical side effect of writing heavier material, noting that he does not write violent lyrics for

1504-467: Is an established safe haven for global investors. As of 2023 , New York City is the most expensive city in the world for expatriates and has by a wide margin the highest U.S. city residential rents; and Fifth Avenue is the most expensive shopping street in the world. New York City is home by a significant margin to the highest number of billionaires , individuals of ultra-high net worth (greater than US$ 30 million), and millionaires of any city in

1598-504: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Priestess (band) Priestess was established in the early 2000s after all but one of the members of punk band The Dropouts left the band. The sole remaining member, Heppner, sought new bandmates after changing the group's sound, and after a name change they released their first album, Hello Master , on independent record label Indica in 2005. Initially only released in Canada,

1692-837: The Atlantic port to the agricultural markets and commodities of the North American interior via the Hudson River and the Great Lakes . Local politics became dominated by Tammany Hall , a political machine supported by Irish and German immigrants . In 1831, New York University was founded. Several prominent American literary figures lived in New York during the 1830s and 1840s, including William Cullen Bryant , Washington Irving , Herman Melville , Rufus Wilmot Griswold , John Keese , Nathaniel Parker Willis , and Edgar Allan Poe . Members of

1786-876: The Crown , with as many as 10,000 escaped slaves crowded into the city during the British occupation, the largest such community on the continent. When the British forces evacuated New York at the close of the war in 1783, they transported thousands of freedmen for resettlement in Nova Scotia , England, and the Caribbean . The attempt at a peaceful solution to the war took place at the Conference House on Staten Island between American delegates, including Benjamin Franklin , and British general Lord Howe on September 11, 1776. Shortly after

1880-697: The Melvins are his favorite band, and also enjoys folk and country music . Heppner prefers the Beatles, while Watchorn has stated that he likes the Stones better. Bassist Mike Dyball is known to enjoy Bruce Springsteen and the Cult , and Nudo admires John Bonham , David Bowie , and Thin Lizzy . Heppner has also cited Dinosaur Jr. , with whom the group toured in 2006, as "a band that [they] have worshipped since [they] were teenagers," along with thrash metal group Metallica as

1974-699: The New York City Fire Department and 71 law enforcement officers. The area was rebuilt with a new World Trade Center , the National September 11 Memorial and Museum , and other new buildings and infrastructure, including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub , the city's third-largest hub. The new One World Trade Center is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the seventh-tallest building in

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2068-675: The Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area . New York is a global center of finance and commerce , culture , technology , entertainment and media , academics and scientific output , the arts and fashion , and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations , international diplomacy . With an estimated population in 2023 of 8,258,035 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km ),

2162-947: The Northwest Passage to the Orient for the Dutch East India Company . He sailed up what the Dutch called North River (now the Hudson River), named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange . Hudson claimed the region for the Dutch East India Company. In 1614, the area between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay was claimed by the Netherlands and called Nieuw-Nederland (' New Netherland '). The first non–Native American inhabitant of what became New York City

2256-617: The Statue of Liberty , a gift from France , was dedicated in New York Harbor. The statue welcomed 14 million immigrants as they came to the U.S. via Ellis Island by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is a symbol of the United States and American ideals of liberty and peace. In 1898, the City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then a separate city),

2350-683: The Stonewall riots were a series of violent protests by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village . They are widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights . Wayne R. Dynes , author of the Encyclopedia of Homosexuality , wrote that drag queens were

2444-586: The steamship General Slocum caught fire in the East River , killing 1,021 people. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire , the city's worst industrial disaster, killed 146 garment workers and spurred the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and major improvements in factory safety standards. New York's non-White population was 36,620 in 1890. New York City

2538-446: The surname Watchorn . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Watchorn&oldid=1029430159 " Categories : Surnames English-language surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description

2632-535: The 1990s, the African Burying Ground was discovered; the cemetery included 10,000 to 20,000 graves of colonial-era Africans, some enslaved and some free. The 1735 trial and acquittal in Manhattan of John Peter Zenger , who had been accused of seditious libel after criticizing colonial governor William Cosby , helped to establish freedom of the press in North America . In 1754, Columbia University

2726-525: The 19th century, the city was transformed by both commercial and residential development relating to its status as a national and international trading center , as well as by European immigration, respectively. The city adopted the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , which expanded the city street grid to encompass almost all of Manhattan. The 1825 completion of the Erie Canal through central New York connected

2820-671: The British occupation began, the Great Fire of New York destroyed nearly 500 buildings, about a quarter of the structures in the city, including Trinity Church . In January 1785, the assembly of the Congress of the Confederation made New York City the national capital. New York was the last capital of the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation and the first capital under the Constitution of

2914-518: The Bronx , and Staten Island . Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District, Manhattan , New York City has been called both the world's premier financial and fintech center and the most economically powerful city in the world. As of 2022 , the New York metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan economy in the world , with a gross metropolitan product of over US$ 2.16 trillion. If

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3008-558: The County of New York (which then included parts of the Bronx), the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens. The opening of the New York City Subway in 1904, first built as separate private systems, helped bind the new city together. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the city became a world center for industry, commerce, and communication. In 1904,

3102-585: The Dutch West India Company relinquished its monopoly over the fur trade, leading to growth in the production and trade of food, timber, tobacco, and slaves (particularly with the Dutch West Indies ). In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant began his tenure as the last Director-General of New Netherland. During his tenure, the population of New Netherland grew from 2,000 to 8,000. Stuyvesant has been credited with improving law and order; however, he earned

3196-529: The Dutch colonial Director-General Peter Minuit , as charged by the Dutch West India Company , purchased the island of Manhattan from the Canarsie , a small Lenape band, for "the value of 60 guilders " (about $ 900 in 2018). A frequently told but disproved legend claims that Manhattan was purchased for $ 24 worth of glass beads. Following the purchase, New Amsterdam grew slowly. To attract settlers,

3290-597: The Dutch instituted the patroon system in 1628, whereby wealthy Dutchmen ( patroons , or patrons) who brought 50 colonists to New Netherland would be awarded land, local political autonomy, and rights to participate in the lucrative fur trade. This program had little success. Since 1621, the Dutch West India Company had operated as a monopoly in New Netherland, on authority granted by the Dutch States General . In 1639–1640, in an effort to bolster economic growth,

3384-440: The Fire , on another label —a compromise for which the band still respect RCA. Tee Pee Records, who had approached the band in their early days before they decided to sign with RCA who offered them more money, subsequently signed the group and the release finally occurred. Indica Records waited until the band had an international label before releasing Prior to the Fire , and released it in Canada on October 20, 2009, while

3478-580: The Native Americans and epidemics brought on by contact with the Europeans caused sizeable population losses for the Lenape between 1660 and 1670. By 1700, the Lenape population had diminished to 200. New York experienced several yellow fever epidemics in the 18th century, losing ten percent of its population in 1702 alone. In the early 18th century, New York grew in importance as a trading port while as

3572-470: The New York metropolitan area were its own country , it would have the tenth-largest economy in the world . Despite having a 24/7 rapid transit system , New York also leads the world in urban automobile traffic congestion . The city is home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by market capitalization of their listed companies: the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq . New York City

3666-699: The Revolutionary War and escaped slaves, a significant free-Black population gradually developed in Manhattan. The New York Manumission Society worked for abolition and established the African Free School to educate Black children. It was not until 1827 that slavery was completely abolished in the state . Free Blacks struggled with discrimination and interracial abolitionist activism continued. New York City's population jumped from 123,706 in 1820 (10,886 of whom were Black and of which 518 were enslaved) to 312,710 by 1840 (16,358 of whom were Black). Also in

3760-463: The Stills left for New York City in 2002 to continue on their own, Heppner felt surprised by their success. Heppner changed his musical goals and decided to reform The Dropouts later in 2002, this time hoping for a more serious project in the vein of Tricky Woo (and their resemblance to Deep Purple and Black Sabbath ). Future guitarist Dan Watchorn, who also moved to Montreal to attend college,

3854-525: The US and made their first appearance in the UK supporting Megadeth for several dates. The single "Lay Down" was included in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock , which elevated the band's profile drastically. Enthusiastic about the success of that game, Heppner has stated he believes Guitar Hero and such games to be perfectly valid ways of finding new music, noting that his first exposure to Black Sabbath

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3948-461: The United States . As the U.S. capital, New York City hosted the inauguration of the first President, George Washington , and the first Congress , at Federal Hall on Wall Street . Congress drafted the Bill of Rights there. The Supreme Court held its first organizational sessions in New York in 1790. In 1790, for the first time, New York City surpassed Philadelphia as the nation's largest city. At

4042-402: The album was noticed and released by RCA Records internationally the following year, and the single “Lay Down” brought the band much success after being included in the popular video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock . RCA disliked Prior to the Fire , the result of the group's attempt at a second album, as the label feared its progressive rock -influenced sound would not be marketable;

4136-586: The album, making a Canadian tour with Bison B.C. in November 2008, and touring the US again in the spring of 2009 with GWAR and Cattle Decapitation. Following its release, the group performed with such acts as Early Man , High on Fire and new labelmates Naam in North America, and Bigelf in Europe and the UK. A music video for "Lady Killer" was released on February 4, 2010. Priestess had planned to embark on

4230-644: The area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême (New Angoulême ). A Spanish expedition, led by the Portuguese captain Estêvão Gomes sailing for Emperor Charles V , arrived in New York Harbor in January 1525 and charted the mouth of the Hudson River , which he named Río de San Antonio ('Saint Anthony's River'). In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson rediscovered New York Harbor while searching for

4324-448: The band members he was not at liberty to discuss), Heppner posted to the band's Facebook page via his own account to explain that the band lacked confidence in the material being recorded for their third album, and elected to simply "let it happen naturally". As of late 2012, the band are on hiatus, and members have engaged in side projects during the downtime. Heppner has formed garage rock outfit UBT (formerly Uncle Bad Touch), and during

4418-433: The band subsequently left the label and the album's serially-delayed 2009 release occurred in Canada on Indica, followed by an international 2010 release on independent label Tee Pee Records . Priestess is on hiatus and members are engaged in other projects. Mikey Heppner attended Vanier College in Montreal to major in music and find other Frank Zappa fans like himself to start a band with. He found no one suitable for

4512-543: The beginning of the 1990s. By the mid-1990s, crime rates started to drop dramatically due to revised police strategies, improving economic opportunities, gentrification , and new residents, both American transplants and new immigrants from Asia and Latin America. New York City's population exceeded 8 million for the first time in the 2000 United States census ; further records were set in 2010 , and 2020 U.S. censuses. Important new sectors, such as Silicon Alley , emerged in

4606-583: The business elite lobbied for the establishment of Central Park , which in 1857 became the first landscaped park in an American city. The Great Irish Famine brought a large influx of Irish immigrants, of whom more than 200,000 were living in New York by 1860, representing over a quarter of the city's population. Extensive immigration from the German provinces meant that Germans comprised another 25% of New York's population by 1860. Democratic Party candidates were consistently elected to local office, increasing

4700-557: The city from New Jersey. The East River—a tidal strait —flows from Long Island Sound and separates the Bronx and Manhattan from Long Island. The Harlem River , another tidal strait between the East and Hudson rivers, separates most of Manhattan from the Bronx. The Bronx River , which flows through the Bronx and Westchester County , is the only entirely freshwater river in the city. The city's land has been altered substantially by human intervention, with considerable land reclamation along

4794-425: The city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles , the nation's second-most populous city. With more than 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York City is one of the world's most populous megacities . The city and its metropolitan area are

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4888-439: The city rapidly replaced Wuhan , China as the global epicenter of the pandemic during the early phase, straining the city's healthcare infrastructure. Through March 2023, New York City recorded more than 80,000 deaths from COVID-19-related complications. New York City is situated in the northeastern United States , in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston . Its location at

4982-447: The city's economy. The advent of Y2K was celebrated with fanfare in Times Square . New York City suffered the bulk of the economic damage and largest loss of human life in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks . Two of the four airliners hijacked that day were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, resulting in the collapse of both buildings and the deaths of 2,753 people, including 343 first responders from

5076-615: The city's ties to the South and its dominant party. In 1861, Mayor Fernando Wood called on the aldermen to declare independence from Albany and the United States after the South seceded, but his proposal was not acted on. Anger at new military conscription laws during the American Civil War (1861–1865), which spared wealthier men who could afford to hire a substitute, led to the Draft Riots of 1863 , whose most visible participants were ethnic Irish working class. The draft riots deteriorated into attacks on New York's elite, followed by attacks on Black New Yorkers after fierce competition for

5170-456: The colony and allowed for religious freedom. In 1667, during negotiations leading to the Treaty of Breda after the Second Anglo-Dutch War , the victorious Dutch decided to keep the nascent plantation colony of what is now Suriname , which they had gained from the English, and in return the English kept New Amsterdam. The settlement was promptly renamed "New York" after the Duke of York (the future King James II and VII). The duke gave part of

5264-442: The colony to proprietors George Carteret and John Berkeley . On August 24, 1673, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War , Anthony Colve of the Dutch navy seized New York at the behest of Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and rechristened it "New Orange" after William III , the Prince of Orange . The Dutch soon returned the island to England under the Treaty of Westminster of November 1674. Several intertribal wars among

5358-417: The development of large housing tracts in eastern Queens and Nassau County , with Wall Street leading America's place as the world's dominant economic power. The United Nations headquarters was completed in 1952, solidifying New York's global geopolitical influence, and the rise of abstract expressionism in the city precipitated New York's displacement of Paris as the center of the art world. In 1969,

5452-406: The end of 1790, the national capital was moved to Philadelphia . During the 19th century, New York City's population grew from 60,000 to 3.43 million. Under New York State's gradual emancipation act of 1799, children of slave mothers were to be eventually liberated but to be held in indentured servitude until their mid-to-late twenties. Together with slaves freed by their masters after

5546-408: The first album himself and had the others' help in arranging it, but the second one featured much more writing input from his bandmates. The group admire classic rock mainstays such as the Beatles , the Rolling Stones , Black Sabbath , Led Zeppelin and AC/DC . Nirvana was an early inspiration for Heppner, whose earliest repertoire was entirely made of Nirvana songs. Watchorn says

5640-457: The founding of a Dutch fur trading settlement on Governors Island . In 1625, construction was started on a citadel and Fort Amsterdam , later called Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam), on present-day Manhattan Island. The colony of New Amsterdam extended from the southern tip of Manhattan to modern-day Wall Street , where a 12-foot (3.7 m) wooden stockade was built in 1653 to protect against Native American and English raids. In 1626,

5734-640: The group admitted to being dissatisfied with its sound; Heppner described the album rather apathetically as "just the recorded version of twelve of our songs", and as "a really weird sounding album [where] everything is so tight and really produced". Critics took note of the album's hard rock style, sometimes to point out that it was not terribly unique; some criticized the classic rock-influenced style on Hello Master as being repetitive and stale, while others enjoyed it for that very reason. Comparisons to Black Sabbath were frequent, as were others to AC/DC and even Motörhead (even though Heppner has never been

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5828-543: The group and signed them in January 2006, becoming their label for all territories outside of Canada, remastering Hello Master and releasing it internationally, beginning with the United States on June 13. After the Canadian release, the group spent early 2006 supporting the Sword , Early Man and Dinosaur Jr. in North America, and spent much of the rest of the year in the US with bands such as GWAR , Nashville Pussy and Black Label Society . Their schedule continued well into 2007 as they traveled with Mastodon in

5922-403: The group did not consider the record to be a metal one at any point during its creation. To promote the album, Priestess committed to a regular touring schedule which saw them frequently being selected to support more well-known acts. Motörhead took notice of Priestess and made them the opening act on several dates in Canada in 2005 before the release of Hello Master . RCA Records noticed

6016-495: The group were also referred to as heavy metal in bygone decades. Watchorn only describes the band as hard rock, and argues that calling their music "metal" only limits the band's creative freedom. Drummer Vince Nudo has said that since the songs are not written to be "heavy", he does not understand the direct metal association. The band have opined that they are perhaps not "heavy" enough for heavy metal fans while they are too "heavy" for fans of softer rock, and have also denied that

6110-410: The ice (and its subsequent retreat) contributed to the separation of what is now Long Island and Staten Island. That action left bedrock at a relatively shallow depth, providing a solid foundation for most of Manhattan's skyscrapers. The Hudson River flows through the Hudson Valley into New York Bay . Between New York City and Troy, New York , the river is an estuary . The Hudson River separates

6204-527: The international release occurred early the following year. David Schiffman's more-relaxed approach to recording led to a sound for the record the band were more satisfied with; his production style was summarized as "[being] about recording it and not fucking with it", avoiding such studio tools as click tracks or editing, resulting in a record that more closely mirrors the band's live sound than Hello Master does. They have also expressed feeling more comfortable being signed to Tee Pee than to RCA. The album

6298-461: The job; he described the people he met there as "all elevator jazz geeks" and became discouraged about being able to form an experimental band. Heppner discarded his experimental rock goals entirely after being inspired to form a punk rock band instead; a friend he met at Vanier named Olivier Corbeil took him to see a punk band in concert, which enthralled him so much he formed The Dropouts with Corbeil, Tim Fletcher and Dave Hamelin to partake of

6392-434: The last American stronghold in Manhattan, causing George Washington and his forces to retreat across the Hudson River to New Jersey , pursued by British forces. After the battle, in which the Americans were defeated, the British made the city their military and political base of operations in North America. The city was a haven for Loyalist refugees and escaped slaves who joined the British lines for freedom promised by

6486-419: The most populous urbanized area in the world in the early 1920s, overtaking London . The metropolitan area surpassed 10 million in the early 1930s, becoming the first megacity . The Great Depression saw the election of reformer Fiorello La Guardia as mayor and the fall of Tammany Hall after eighty years of political dominance. Returning World War II veterans created a post-war economic boom and

6580-437: The mouth of the Hudson River , which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean , has helped the city grow in significance as a trading port. Most of the city is built on the three islands of Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island. During the Wisconsin glaciation , 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, the New York City area was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet . The erosive forward movement of

6674-421: The music scene of Montreal has in any way defined, shaped, or helped them find their sound; Heppner once said, "We might as well be from anywhere," and the band are close friends with fellow Montreal acts. The band's name itself has been part of the confusion; Heppner, speaking English during an interview with Canadian French-language newspaper La Presse , stated that Priestess was "just this heavy name" and

6768-492: The only " transgender folks around" during the June 1969 Stonewall riots. The transgender community in New York City played a significant role in fighting for LGBT equality. In the 1970s, job losses due to industrial restructuring caused New York City to suffer from economic problems and rising crime rates. Growing fiscal deficits in 1975 led the city to appeal to the federal government for financial aid; President Gerald Ford gave

6862-482: The premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. In 2021, the city was home to nearly 3.1 million residents born outside the U.S., the largest foreign-born population of any city in the world. New York City traces its origins to Fort Amsterdam and a trading post founded on Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists around 1624. The settlement

6956-568: The reporter wrote, "parce que ça sonne metal" (which translates to "because it sounds metal"). Hello Master was intentionally written to be simple in terms of the music, while Prior to the Fire was meant to be somewhat more complex on purpose without being too different from Hello Master . The stylistic shift was attributed to the band's desire to create something more challenging for themselves. Their debut album also features twin harmonized guitar solos , something long considered to have gone out of style in rock music. Heppner largely wrote

7050-404: The sake of writing violent lyrics. New York City New York , often called New York City or NYC , is the most populous city in the United States , located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors . The city comprises five boroughs , each coextensive with a respective county . The city is the geographical and demographic center of both

7144-527: The same high energy he saw at that performance. The Dropouts played their first show on September 10, 2001 at the Jailhouse Rock Cafe in Montreal. Heppner wrote "really simple Ramones -type of songs" for the group while the other three members achieved gradual fame in their side project, the Stills . Heppner had no lasting ambitions for The Dropouts, who only recorded a demo , but performed dozens of live shows around Montreal until June 2002. After

7238-550: The sound of the likes of such bands on purpose, arguing that they simply play what they want to play, and that such comparisons are only incidental. The band have been variously labeled as hard rock , heavy metal , and even stoner rock , although the band do not try to define their style; Heppner once commented that "all labels beyond rock are useless to [him]," and also pointed out in 2005 that Cream were considered metal for their time, concluding that "in this ancient way, [Priestess are] metal." Other bands that have influenced

7332-414: The subject of many songs on Prior to the Fire , along with anime ; for example, "Murphy's Law" was a tribute of Heppner's to RoboCop , his favorite film, while "Sideways Attack" was inspired by Lone Wolf and Cub . Because of his preferred lyrical focus, Heppner does not claim to be an "amazing" lyricist. Hello Master contains grim lyrics that refer to death and murder; in particular, "Lay Down"

7426-518: The world by pinnacle height, with its spire reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet (541.3 m), a reference to the year of U.S. independence . The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan began on September 17, 2011, receiving global attention and popularizing the Occupy movement against social and economic inequality worldwide. New York City

7520-551: The world. In 1664, New York was named in honor of the Duke of York (later King James II of England ). James's elder brother, King Charles II , appointed the Duke as proprietor of the former territory of New Netherland , including the city of New Amsterdam , when the Kingdom of England seized it from Dutch control. In the pre-Columbian era , the area of present-day New York City

7614-422: Was Juan Rodriguez , a merchant from Santo Domingo who arrived in Manhattan during the winter of 1613–14, trapping for pelts and trading with the local population as a representative of the Dutch colonists. A permanent European presence near New York Harbor was established in 1624, making New York the 12th-oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States , with

7708-552: Was heavily affected by Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012. Sandy's impacts included flooding that led to the days-long shutdown of the subway system and flooding of all East River subway tunnels and of all road tunnels entering Manhattan except the Lincoln Tunnel . The New York Stock Exchange closed for two days due to weather for the first time since the Great Blizzard of 1888 . At least 43 people died in New York City as

7802-525: Was a prime destination in the early 20th century for Blacks during the Great Migration from the American South, and by 1916, New York City had the largest urban African diaspora in North America. The Harlem Renaissance of literary and cultural life flourished during the era of Prohibition . The larger economic boom generated construction of skyscrapers competing in height. New York City became

7896-423: Was constantly impeded before, during, and after recording. All throughout, RCA debated with the band over whether any of the songs were worthy of being singles that could sell the album substantially. RCA first delayed the beginning of the recording process trying to force them to write more songs, then delayed the album release by asking the same thing again, which the group refused. The production process itself

7990-610: Was critically well-received, though some reviewers did not view the stylistic departure from Hello Master favorably. Rock Sound compared the group to Thin Lizzy and Baroness in a positive way, but Pitchfork Media declared the album could not compare to a record such as High on Fire 's Snakes for the Divine . Other reviewers concluded the long wait between the group's two records was worth it. In spite of delaying concert plans due to their inability to schedule recording dates, Priestess continued to tour ceaselessly after finishing

8084-429: Was embarrassed about the new musical direction at first, as he was not sure how his bandmates would react. Consequently, he did not show them the material he was writing for a time, and when he did, their reaction was the opposite of what he was expecting. Lyrical themes range from typical rock 'n' roll themes to film and television characters. Favorite movies inspired certain lyrics from Hello Master , and were also

8178-531: Was eventually chosen only based on how "heavy" it sounded, but it led to the misconception that they were trying to be a heavy metal band ( a claim they have repeatedly denied ), and Watchorn has explained that it also leads some concertgoers to think they are "an all-female Judas Priest cover band". The Dropouts were signed to Montreal record label Indica Records in July 2004 and immediately began pre-production of their debut album with producer Gus van Go, planning for

8272-770: Was founded. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York in October 1765, as the Sons of Liberty organization emerged in the city and skirmished over the next ten years with British troops stationed there. The Battle of Long Island , the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War , was fought in August 1776 within modern-day Brooklyn. A British rout of the Continental Army at the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776 eliminated

8366-475: Was held back from release for nearly a year. In March, Priestess played the South by Southwest festival. They then embarked on an Eastern Canadian tour with Motörhead in late April and early May. The tour took them from Ontario to Nova Scotia. The band's debut album, Hello Master , was produced by the Stills' producer, Gus van Go , and released on October 18, 2005 on Indica Records in Canada. After its release,

8460-405: Was inactive musically when Heppner asked him to join the group. After hearing a demo of songs Heppner had been working on, Watchorn agreed to join. Mike Dyball auditioned for the band as bassist and quickly invited his friend, drummer Jonny Knowles (who was later replaced in 2003). Heppner discovered Vince Nudo when the latter played a concert with another band in the club at which Heppner worked as

8554-521: Was inhabited by Algonquians , including the Lenape . Their homeland, known as Lenapehoking , included the present-day areas of Staten Island , Manhattan , the Bronx , the western portion of Long Island (including Brooklyn and Queens ), and the Lower Hudson Valley . The first documented visit into New York Harbor by a European was in 1524 by explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano . He claimed

8648-468: Was named New Amsterdam in 1626 and was chartered as a city in 1653. The city came under English control in 1664 and was temporarily renamed New York after King Charles II granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York , before being permanently renamed New York in November 1674. New York City was the U.S. capital from 1785 until 1790. The modern city was formed by the 1898 consolidation of its five boroughs : Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens ,

8742-486: Was plagued with problems that prolonged it, as any producer hired before David Schiffman quit the project and after recording had begun in Los Angeles , the police forced them to change studios to avoid noise violation penalties. Because of the disagreements, Priestess were relinquished from their contract with RCA and allowed to release the finished product, which was completed in the fall of 2008 and became Prior to

8836-654: Was through the Super NES video game Rock n' Roll Racing , and Vince Nudo has given the genre credit for its potential to expose younger generations to classic rock. Another single from the album, "Talk to Her", peaked at #33 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 2006. Priestess were voted Montreal's heaviest band by readers of the Montreal Mirror in 2006. As their busy touring schedule left them little time to write new material, Priestess only began work on

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