(Photo by Patrick Andrew Adams)
One of the highlights of Crossroads Music Fest this year will be the return of The Supernauts. The group’s reunion this Friday includes vocalist and bassist Jordan Lebrecht Smith, guitarist Tim Braun and drummer John Floyd Whitaker, all of whom played in the band from 2003 to 2007. The Supernauts breathed a dazzling classic rock life into the Kansas City music scene. Their solid, straightforward approach to their music brandished the huge, overarching rock n’ roll swagger of influential bands like AC/DC or The Rolling Stones while capturing the pop sensibility of The Beatles. Smith’s mid-range and falsetto vocal delivery fit harmoniously with Braun’s robust and soaring guitar licks and a propelling, monstrous backbeat from Whitaker. We talked a bit with Braun about the reunion and what other projects they’ve had going on since.
The Deli: The Supernauts were one of the best rock groups in KC at the time. What local bands do you look to now for the same brand of rock n’ roll that you tried to make your own?
Tim Braun: Those Not A Planet dudes strike me as being kinda similar. 3 piece, psychedelic-y, etc.
The Deli: You’ve all gone on to other projects since. What do you miss about playing with this group of guys?
Tim: Rehearsals. Shenanigans ensue.
The Deli: Tell us one notable bill you’re glad to have played on.
Tim: All of our shows were legendary. Every single one. Okay, not really. We played at The Roxy with Lucinda Williams and Son Volt and some other folks. That was kinda neat.
The Deli: What other projects have you all been doing since The Supernauts?
Tim: John and I have managed to do a couple things together. We recorded a record with a friend of ours, Dale McCoy from Fools Face. John’s also filled in on a couple Good Foot gigs in the past. I play in The Good Foot, I do stuff with the Diverse guys and Making Movies. Jordan Plays with Josh Johnson and Sammy Hoskins (both from The Slowdown) in a band called Wonderfuzz. They dress like cops.
Oh yeah, John and I are starting a stoner rock duo called stunt-driver. PREPARE.
The Deli: Do you think your musical tastes have all evolved since playing together?
Tim: I think anybody who plays music is always drawing from new stuff they hear. I would hope our musical tastes would change with time/new input. It’d be pretty boring if they didn’t.
The Deli: Do you plan to play any new material on Friday?
Tim: Yeah, we’ll actually have a new song. How ’bout that?
The Deli: So, any plans for future shows, or is this our one and only last chance to see you guys?
Tim: That all depends on the weather. See, I made some limited-edition shirts and CDs for this event. If we get rained out or don’t sell out, I’ll be booking another show to sell this kack. Gotta make that paper, nome sayin?
The Supernauts will be kicking off the first Friday pre-show festivities at CrossroadsKC at Grinder’s, beginning at 8:30 pm. They’ll be followed by The Grisly Hand and then The Good Foot.
And if you check out this week’s edition of The Mailbox (a weekly podcast presented by Midwest Music Foundation), co-hosts Michael Byars and Chris Haghirian talk about the upcoming Crossroads Music Fest and play "Showdown Girl" from The Supernauts. Listen at the link here.
–Michelle Bacon
| Michelle is editor-in-chief of The Deli – Kansas City. She also has a weekly column with The Kansas City Star and reviews music for Ink. She plays with Deco Auto, Drew Black and Dirty Electric, and Dolls on Fire. She has a fat Australian cattle dog and a stupidly adorable Corgi. |