The Supersuckers, self-proclaimed “The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World,” are four cocky sons-of-bitches who aim to rock you the old fashioned way.
In the packed humidity of the Khyber last Sunday, the boys offered the crowd one of their trademarked moments of musical fury and hellfire.
On this East Coast tour, the band has chosen to performsome old favorite tunes, but also those up for possible release on their new album, Motherf–kers Be Trippin’.
The songs that receive the best crowd response will make the cut for the album, the second on the band’s own Mid-Fi Recordings label.
After a coldly received set by Detachment Kit, the Supersuckers paid homage to their rocker-roots by opening with a cover of AC/DC’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer.”
The boys filled about half the set with fresh, hard-rockin’ material and busted through an hour of songs, all receiving uninhibited applause, shouts and deviled-horned fists in the air.
As always, favorites like “Doublewide” and the band’s gospel “Evil Powers of Rock ‘n’ Roll” were hits in full raunchy-guitar splendor.
Frontman/bassist Eddie Spaghetti wildly crooned “I Want the Drugs” midway through the set.
But he didn’t request for any crowd member whose “got the drugs” to meet him for some post-show celebration, as he does on occasion.
Understandably, the attendance of Mrs. Spaghetti and the couple’s two-year-old “Lil Spaghetti Meatball” probably factored into the lack of in-your-face sex and drugs.
But those classic rock ‘n’ roll sentiments, so typical of the Supersuckers, could still be heard in the music.
For the “pseudo encore” (where the band “pretends” to exit and the audience then “pretends” to bring them back), the group nailed a Thin Lizzy cover (dedicated to members of Reverend Horton Heat in the audience).
Following which, guitarist Rontrose Heathman feigned a Joe Walsh solo during the closer, “Born With A Tail.”
As is usual for any of the Supersuckers’ shows, there is no gimmick.
The music of the night is as hard and honest as it is indulgent in all of the guilty pleasures associated with rock.
There is no charade; the motorcycle jackets, cowboy hats and reflective aviators aren’t held to any contrived notion of a media-hyped rock-trend.
The mainstream may have lost sight of the powers of rock, but not the boys in this band.
The music is their life. The Supersuckers are rock.
Amber Blankenbiller can be reached at amberb@temple.edu.
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