BITE ME! Supagroup Live

Supagroup at The Viper Room

June 3, 2005

Okay, so The Viper Room no longer has the appeal it once had since Johnny Depp is no longer involved. But, that’s okay. Despite its size limitations it’s still a good place to see an ass-kickin’ band in a live setting.

Supagroup get wild n’ crazy on record, so I was curious to see how well that energy would transform in a live setting. Right from the get-go we were treated to the quartet’s signature AC/DC influenced southern boogie rock that is pumped up with a driving punk rock energy and bravado. The band’s ferocious set was jam packed with raunchy solos and crunchy riffs, courtesy of brothers Chris and Benji Lee. Onstage the duo drum up memories of the Young brothers – Benji obviously has a little bit of Angus in his blood. Give this guy a little school boy outfit and he’d be perfect for an AC/DC tribute band. Benji is just a fireball of energy. You get exhausted just watching him. Chris has lots of energy too, but he channels it in different ways. The charismatic vocalist kept the crowd entertained during each song and in between as well. Not to be overlooked are bassist Leif Swift and drummer Michael Brueggen, who complete the driving force of this unit.

The crowd totally ate it up every little thing they did. Guys and gals were dancing and singing and spilling beer on the floor in true rock ‘n’roll fashion. You know it’s a good show when. However, I’ll admit, Supagroup isn’t offering anything new, but they sure know how to work a room. Their songs are catchy and offer plenty of headbanging beats. Not only that, but their songs are fun and their show is quite entertaining. It’s hard not to get sucked in. If you have a chance, check them out, especially if you’re in New Orleans and they happened to be playing at a local dive. You won’t want to miss it because Supagroup deliver good-time rock ‘n’roll at its finest. -NIN