True story: Long before the mysterious “Hatman” emerged as an online, creepypasta-era boogeyman, this author totally saw the Hatman. Here’s what happened, from my 2017 article about spending the night at Milwaukee’s “haunted cigar bar,” Shaker’s:
I don’t remember how old I was, but I was very young. I was lying in bed, alone in my bedroom, when I saw something on the wall. It was a shadow of a man in a long trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat. I knew it was a man, knew it was a person who didn’t belong in my room, but I called out for my mother anyway. “Mom?” I whispered. “Mom? Is that you?”
What happened next sounds incredibly silly and odd in retrospect, but it scared me in a way I had never been scared before, and have never been scared since. The shadow moved, and I heard a voice—a creaking, mechanical, alien voice. It said one word, and it drew that word out until I was completely paralyzed with fear: “OCTOPUS.” The shadow disappeared. I lost my mind.
Freaky, huh? Anyway, there’s a new Milwaukee heavy psych band called Shadeseeker. The group features Jeremy Peters on guitar and vocals; Evan Kotlowski on bass, vocals, and synth; and Dan Dahl on drums. Their debut single is called “Hatman.” It’s about, well, the Hatman. “I’m wide awake, laying in my bed / Yes I’m afraid, that I am already dead / Oh Hatman, please don’t come round here again.” It absolutely rips:
Pretty great, huh? Oh, and here’s Shadeseeker’s official band photo. Kudos on the Zissou getups and for getting in on the Boat action in the glorious pre-graffiti days!
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