Supersuckers still unstoppable after 30 years in blowout Orlando show

THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Supersuckers and the Ludes, Soundbar, Sep. 12

The Supersuckers are probably the only indie band that might be able to out-marathon the almighty Guided by Voices in terms of single-night mileage. And that’s just for their typical everyday shows. The performances for their 30th anniversary tour this year, however, are total blowouts with bonus live features. Instead of the usual two sets – one country and one rock – the shows on this current run feature an abbreviated country set to make way for renditions of two full classic albums (1992’s The Smoke of Hell and 1994’s La Mano Cornuda) and previews of fresh material from their forthcoming album (Suck It).
The Supersuckers used to bring their over-the-top rock extravaganza to town a lot more back in the day. These days, it’s a rare return, and this value-packed celebration was the one to catch. Besides the two aforementioned albums and about 20 minutes of their country songs, the 20 minutes or so of new material were nice looks. But what’s truly emerged about the Supersuckers is that they’re both lifers and consummate showmen, frontman Eddie Spaghetti being one of the best.
Besides being more frequent, their shows here used to draw bigger and rowdier audiences. But times change. Thank the devil, though, that the Supersuckers don’t. They’ve always remained a good-time band with a fuck-all-let’s-party attitude. And whether it’s to 50 or 5,000 people, these guys deliver the same maximum show.
While the Supersuckers, more than most, deserve to be selling out major concert halls, what’s nice about these small club engagements is that it’s only the hard core here, no tourists. And to be in a crowd distilled to just them and the band is the kind of close encounter that’s the delight of any true fan, especially with the stage banter. Supersuckers forever.
Striking the evening’s first blow, though, was the pure rock hammer of local true believers the Ludes. They don’t play out all that often as it is, and lately they’ve been mixing it up and having fun playing other people like X and I Love You. That’s why it was particularly nice to see them back to being their own bad selves and ripping the kind of heavy, mutton-chopped, hairy-chested rock that rumbles down the highway at maximum volume with smoke billowing out the T-top as if the ‘80s never arrived.
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