Supervillains play The House, showcase modern island sound
Relaxing on their tour bus parked just outside Five Points’ Group Therapy, The Supervillains seem just like regular guys
knocking back a few and shouting at the television as their favorite NBA team, the Orlando Magic, takes on the Philadelphia 76ers in a close game that’s come right down to the wire.
“If you want to know what really keeps us going, it’s Magic games,” vocalist and guitarist Scott “Skart” Suldo said, keeping his eyes glued to the screen as the team lined up for a foul shot. “That’s really all it is.”
The Supervillains include original members Suldo, drummer and vocalist Dom Maresco and bassist Dan Grundorf. New to the band are sax player Nathan Anderson and the keyboardist simply known as T-Rex, who joined after two members of the band’s horn section left. Originally formed in Orlando, Fla., during their school years, the band released three albums before they struck gold with 2006’s explosive “Grow Yer Own.” Since then, The Supervillains has been on the climb in the reggae charts, dropping hit singles like “Little Girl” and “Resin” while touring across the country with Pepper, Slightly Stoopid and Fishbone.
“When we met, we all kind of decided that we didn’t want real jobs like most people, but we never thought it would get this far,” Suldo said. “We idolized groups like Fishbone and The Mad Caddies. And the cool part is that now we get to tour with some of those same groups that influenced our music.”
When listening to any Supervillains track, a common thread is apparent. The songs are heavily influenced by a grooving island sound, complete with blaring horns and classic ska bass strumming alongside tongue-in-cheek lyrics. They’re easy to sing and chill to, drawing audiences from the West Coast. However, Suldo said one of the most unique things about the band is its ability to remain immune to stereotype.
“When I read the press, I don’t really want our sound to be pigeonholed because we do a lot of songs about weed and women,” Suldo said. “That’s why our new album is probably the best we’ve ever done, because it’s where we are right now, and it’s free of curse words and drug references. We tried to keep it kosher so that everyone can enjoy it and not feel alienated.”
The House in Five Points hosted The Supervillains Wednesday night, and although the crowd was slightly smaller in comparison to the sold-out tours with Pepper and Slightly Stoopid, Grundorf said no matter the crowd’s size, it’s all about the vibe.
“You can have as much fun playing to a 20-person crowd as you can with a thousand people,” the bassist said.
Their set at The House certainly proved that point, as the band ran through fan favorites like “Car Sex” and “Mary Jane and Jagermeister,” still managing to interact with the dancing and swaying crowd.
“We sure have a good-looking crowd here tonight!” Maresco shouted to the audience halfway through the 90-minute set. “I guess they were right about South Carolina girls being so beautiful.”
As far as the band’s future, Suldo said they plan to continue touring as long as they can, even though things are not always as fun as they may seem.
“There’s not too many ska-punk bands blowing up out there, so it’s like we’re a part of an inner circle of doing what we love,” he said.