Supersuckers

Since the Supersuckers have made a career out of being a lowbrow, high-energy outfit, it's no surprise that the group's first authorized DVD follows suit. Taped in various shades of black and white, and in a few cases black and yellow, the video ranges from extremely grainy to relatively clear, depending on the song. A few tunes, such as the "hidden" track, a cover of OutKast's "Hey Ya," are even in full, vivid color. That fits the music just fine. Hardcore fans -- who are the only ones who will be interested in this document of a show at Anaheim's House of Blues with a few acoustic tracks from another venue -- will enjoy this surprisingly short but powerful 55-minute set. Bassist/frontman Eddie Spaghetti is in fine form, snotty but lovable as ever, tearing into the hard-rocking performance with ease and an endearing personality only a music snob could not appreciate. Some of the band's biggest songs make it onto the set list, such as "Pretty Fucked Up," "Creepy Jackalope Eye," and the closing "Born with a Tail." Except for a few acoustic tracks edited into the HOB gig, this is an electric, rocking show, with almost none of the ragged country the Supersuckers are well known for. That is left for the "bonus" audio-only, 12-track, 50-minute disc included in the package, recorded at the Casbah in San Diego, CA. One of the DVD's extras is a 15-minute segment where Spaghetti interviews the members of the band -- including, with a bit of production trickery, himself -- asking if they had a choice of a superpower, would they choose invisibility or flight? It's silly but, like the music, not played for laughs and does give you an indication of the bandmembers' personalities. Another extra shows Spaghetti, moving from bass to acoustic guitar, in a short in-store unplugged set. The HOB concert is presented in surround 5.1 audio, yet, as you would imagine, isn't slick or clean. Despite the limited running time, this is a sturdy and enjoyable video document of an underappreciated band that rocks the house on every sweaty gig. Most of which look a lot like this one. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide