The holidays can be a time of high levels of anxiety and lots of commitments. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a high voltage, good old-fashioned rock and roll show to get out all the holiday jitters and angst.
Coming at a perfect time to blow off some steam, The Supersuckers will perform for two nights in support of the Reverend Horton Heat at The Continental Club for what is sure to be a rager on both Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17.
“We started out touring with the Reverend Horton Heat,” says Eddie Spaghetti, bass player and singer of the band. “They were one of the very first bands that we ever went on tour with back in ‘92 and we’ve just remained close ever since. Those guys are kindred spirits.”
Spaghetti, originally from Arizona, is the last of the original members still standing in “The greatest rock-n-roll band in the world” which began in 1988. The current lineup includes “Metal” Marty Chandler on guitar, (his addition suggested by original guitarist Ron “Rontrose” Heathman before he passed away in 2020) and “Captain” Chris Von Streicher on drums.
Spaghetti and Von Streicher had met years back when Von Streicher’s band Throw Rag went on tour with The Supersuckers. Spaghetti describes keeping the drummer in his back pocket as someone he would call when he needed and that’s exactly what he did.
“The lineup now is finally what I’ve always wanted it to be from the very beginning,” says Spaghetti. “Guys that get along, that play really great music together and everybody brings something to the table. It’s incredible what we have right now and we’ve had it for over ten years.”
“The lineup now is finally what I’ve always wanted it to be from the very beginning.”
On the surface, it would be tempting to assume that The Supersuckers only focus on thrashing rock and punk rock sounds but delving into the band’s extensive catalog, it’s surprising how wide a range they have and how strong the influence of country music is in their particular brand of rock and roll.
“We started out as kind of just a regular, dirty rock band but we always had one foot pretty well in the side of country music and we finally just let that out. I still kind of consider ourselves more of a rock band that sometimes plays country music than an actual real country band because that wasn’t really how I grew up,” says Spaghetti describing how his perception of country music was skewed by all the “worst people” in Arizona being fans of the genre.
“I wasn’t a country fan, I decidedly hated country music as a kid,” he says. It wasn’t until he heard Merle Haggard’s rebellious and remorseful “Mama Tried” that Spaghetti saw the beauty and appeal of country music. “I listened to that and all of a sudden it just dawned on me how fucking cool it is.”
The band even formed a friendship with Texas country music God Willie Nelson resulting in them playing on the 1996 release Twisted Willie, an album featuring a wide array of bands from the ‘90s performing classic Nelson songs.
Nelson joined the boys in the studio and later performed their take of “Bloody Mary Morning” on the Jay Leno show where Nelson seems to be moving at an unnaturally high speed for the always laid back performer.
“That is one of the greatest things that’s ever happened for the band for sure,” says Spaghetti of their friendship with Nelson which also led to a 2005 Farm Aid performance.
“That day was so insane,” says Spaghetti of being on the Leno show. “I told myself before we did that, ‘No matter what we do, do not go smoke pot with Willie Nelson. Just don’t do it.’ So we finished our sound check, which went horribly. It was just awful. We couldn’t get on the same page at all.”
As Spaghetti watched in fear as Nelson sat down his guitar, he began thinking to himself how unprepared they were for the show. Just then Nelson did the expected and invited Spaghetti back to his bus for a toke.
“It took me like one second to go back on everything I said,” says Spaghetti describing how quickly an hour went by until there was a knock on the door telling the fellas it was showtime. “It dawns on me what I have to go do and I’m like, oh my God I’m so woefully unprepared for this moment but then we get out there and we fucking killed it. It was great.”
Together the trio is a hard rocking bunch for sure but in their solo efforts, their early more country influences come out. Though it’s not always an obvious overlap from one to another, both genres share an unabashed authenticity to be themselves that The Supersuckers embody.
“I feel like they are similar. I feel like a good country song is the same as a good punk rock song in that they are simple, they usually have only a few chords. Really what’s important is what they are saying so I identify with both of those art forms. Really, I like a lot more country music than I like punk rock music. I’ll tell you that for a fact.”
With a good number of solo releases under his belt buckle, for now Spaghetti is content working with his ride or dies in the studio on their next album due out next year and says he has no current plans for another solo album. Metal Marty released his debut solid solo album Metal Marty’s Greatest Hits this past year.
Their upcoming album will be the follow up to their 2020 release Play That Rock N’Roll and make it the thirteenth album for the busy band who has also released many live albums.
“We still have the fire in our belly,” he says. “I’m at a loss to explain that. Our new record I think it’s going to be our best record ever, I always think that, but it’s really, really great and I can’t believe we still have all these great songs. You know it’s not like the world needs another fucking rock and roll song. “Jumping Jack Flash” has already been written, nobody needs a new song but here we are.”
The band is excited to return to Houston and has since the beginning considered Texas a strong foothold for them and a great destination where they are always welcomed by their fans. “Just tell people to wear their clean underwear because we are going to rock their pants off.”
The Supersuckers will perform with Reverend Horton Heat on Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17 at The Continental Club, 3700 Main, 9 p.m, $30-50.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
