Greatest show on Earth

A band has to be pretty ballsy to proclaim itself “the greatest.” For almost two decades the Supersuckers have never pretended to be anything less than the greatest … or the ballsiest. The attitude, of course, fits with the balls-out raunch rock that the band forces through amplifiers at high decibels (they’re about as ballsy as, say, using some variation of the word “balls” five times in a paragraph).

Local country band Three Fingers Whiskey must have felt like the greatest last Friday night, too. They certainly played like it, perhaps a bit more unhinged than usual, before the main attraction hit the stage.

Led by outspoken vocalist and bassist Eddie Spaghetti, the Supersuckers waltzed (OK, more like charged) into Nick’s Night Club —formerly Off Limits—with a small arsenal of well-worn vintage instruments and more rock-star posturing than a Crüe concert.

Spaghetti’s ragged black cowboy hat and mirrored motorcycle-cop glasses covered most of his face, save for the indelible smirk behind his thin handlebar moustache. Guitarists Rontrose Heathman and Dan “Thunder” Bolton, and drummer Scott Churilla were equally as hairy. I guess if you’re going to call yourselves “The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World,” you’d better look like it.

“Here’s some new rock we’re mining from the quarry,” announced Spaghetti with a slight grin as the band fired into the unreleased “What It Takes,” one of many three-minute punk anthems the band scorched through that night.

The Supersuckers’ music hasn’t changed much since their Sub-Pop debut The Smoke of Hell. Take “The Evil Powers of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Pretty Fucked Up” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Records” —only the most discerning listener could probably tell them apart. Aside from the natural deviation to country on 1997’s Must’ve Been High, the songs remain the same—bluesy riff-rock played fast and loud.

That’s what the filled room at Nick’s Night Club came for, and that’s exactly what they got. They also got shredding guitar solos, drum solos and, yes, a bass solo from Spaghetti. They also got plenty of devil horns and participated in several flip-off sessions, birds flying proudly in the air as the band gave the middle finger right back.

Let’s just call it a love bird. Because I’d wager that the audience believed, at least for one night, that the Supersuckers truly were the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. Amen.