The Supersuckers

During an era when numerous alternative rock outfits either layered ironic distance over hard rock conventions, as Urge Overkill, Big Chief, and Redd Kross did, or reshaped those conventions into grunge, the way Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots chose, the Supersuckers distinguished themselves by balancing obvious affection for expansive, arena-oriented hard rock with a persistent undercurrent of humor. They conveyed love for both the sheer ridiculousness and the visceral force of such music. Even while performing in rooms that held only two hundred people, they projected the scale and bravado of twenty-thousand-seat venues, channeling the spirit of Foghat, AC/DC, and ZZ Top after those influences had absorbed punk energy; the group never shied away from colossal guitar riffs, outsized personas, or tongue-in-cheek declarations of loyalty to sex, weed, and Satan. After gaining national attention on Sub Pop, they began with the comparatively straightforward punk approach of 1992’s The Smoke of Hell before shifting decisively toward high-velocity hard rock on 1994’s La Mano Cornuda and 1995’s The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers, then veered into marijuana-infused country on 1997’s Must’ve Been High. Although their strongest material largely emerged during the Sub Pop years, they later demonstrated continued effectiveness in the studio on the boisterous 2003 release Motherfuckers Be Trippin’ and the comparatively reflective 2008 album Get It Together.

High school acquaintances Eddie Spaghetti (born Edward Carlyle Daly III, bass and vocals), Ron Heathman (guitar), Dan “Thunder” Bolton (guitar), Dancing Eagle (born Dan Seigal, drums), and Eric Martin (lead vocals) assembled the Supersuckers in Tucson, Arizona, in 1988. After roughly a year performing locally as the Black Supersuckers, a name drawn from a pornographic novel, the musicians relocated to Seattle, hoping to find weather better suited to leather jackets. Martin departed soon afterward, prompting Eddie Spaghetti to assume lead vocals. Now shortened to the Supersuckers, the band issued singles on independent imprints such as eMpTy, Sympathy for the Record Industry, and Lucky; those tracks were later compiled on the 1992 eMpTy collection The Songs All Sound the Same, marking the group’s first CD. The same year they joined Sub Pop and delivered their official debut, The Smoke of Hell, produced by Jack Endino and adorned with cover artwork by comic artist Daniel Clowes. Among its tracks was the well-known “Coattail Rider,” while the single “Hell City, Hell” appeared with a B-side cover of Ice Cube’s “Dead Homiez” that became a fan favorite.

The Supersuckers fully asserted their identity on the 1994 album La Mano Cornuda, whose title means “the horned hand” of Satan. Signature tracks included “Creepy Jackalope Eye” and “She’s My Bitch,” and many listeners continue to regard the record as the band’s finest. After its release Heathman stepped away temporarily because of substance issues and was replaced by former Didjits guitarist Rick Sims for 1995’s The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers. Produced by the Butthole Surfers’ Paul Leary, the album departed from the group’s customary full-throttle approach, partly because of Heathman’s absence, yet still added notable songs such as “Born with a Tail.” Heathman recovered and returned for the full country excursion Must’ve Been High in 1997, which included a guest spot from Willie Nelson; a concurrent five-song EP featured country artist Steve Earle fronting the band.

Following that country-focused project the Supersuckers secured a major-label contract with Interscope, yet label consolidations led to restructuring that resulted in the band being dropped before the straight-ahead rock album they had recorded could appear. Disillusioned, they moved to the small Twenty14.com imprint and finally released the proper successor to Sacrilicious, repurposing some material intended for the shelved Interscope effort. Issued in late 1999, The Evil Powers of Rock ’n’ Roll contained the nostalgic “Santa Rita High,” which looked back on their Tucson high-school period. Sub Pop simultaneously offered the 27-track overview How the Supersuckers Became the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World. After contributing two songs, one a collaboration with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, to the 2000 benefit album Free the West Memphis 3, the group issued a split LP with Electric Frankenstein in 2001.

Eager for stability after the Interscope experience, the Supersuckers established their own Mid Fi label in 2002 and launched it with the live country document Must’ve Been Live. The hard-rocking studio album Motherfuckers Be Trippin’ followed in 2003. Longtime drummer Dan Siegel then exited and was succeeded by Mike Musburger. While preparing a new studio record, the band maintained a steady Mid Fi release schedule with archival live albums and the singles compilation Devil’s Food. The Paid EP and Live at Bart’s CD Cellar & Record Shop appeared in 2006. In 2008 they issued Get It Together, among their most robust and introspective efforts, which also restored Dan Siegel to the lineup. After Eddie Spaghetti issued two solo albums on Bloodshot Records, the Supersuckers returned in 2014 with the hard-rock set Get the Hell on Steamhammer Records; the album featured Spaghetti and Bolton alongside new members Metal Marty Chandler on guitar and Captain Von Streicher on drums.

Spaghetti received a Stage 3 oropharynx cancer diagnosis in June 2015, affecting the rear of the throat near the tongue and tonsils. He proceeded with surgery and radiation, enabling the Supersuckers to release the country-leaning Holdin’ the Bag in October 2015. The album introduced a three-piece configuration after Bolton departed, leaving Spaghetti, Chandler, and von Streicher. The band regained momentum with the hard-rock statement Suck It in 2018 and sounded even more potent on 2020’s Play That Rock N’ Roll, which added a high-energy cover of Ernie K-Doe’s “A Certain Girl” as a bonus track. On August 18, 2020, the group announced via social media that founding guitarist Ron Heathman had died.