Listen up, all you closet '90s alterna-pop aficionados: The jig is up. I know you're out there, clandestinely listening to Throwing Copper and Nada Surf's High/Low on your non-skip-protected discman while playing Sega 32X, blasting "The Blue Album" and The Bends from the awkwardly placed, trunk-incarcerated 6-disc changer in your Ford Tempo, and taping tracks off of the now-deemed "retro" afternoon radio shows from Tragic Kingdom and What's the Story, Morning Glory? while lamenting that "you never hear anything from Live Through This anymore."
It's alright. Everyone knows. I'm not here to judge you. In fact, I'm actually here to throw you a bit of a conciliatory bone... a '90s-hip, neon-green, Packard-Bell brand bone.
Whether it be at the behest of some kind of "burning bush" trip-out voice or simply because he's finally figured out he can't piece together a reasonable living as a holy-rollin' Christian artist, the born-again John Davis has found it in his infinite wisdom to roll away the stone and raise-up the infamous Superdrag, the veritable Poster-boys for '90s Rock One-Hit-Wonderism, for a fleeting U.S. tour this fall.
This is relatively prophetic news, considering it's been a little more than just three days since this '90s pop staple was nailed to that fated music industry tree. The Knoxville, Tennessee band's original conclave of John Davis (guitar, vocals), Don Coffey Jr (drums), Brandon Fisher (guitar), and Tom Pappas (bass) haven't appeared on-stage together in eight years. And while Superdrag are best-known for their 300k-selling 1996 debut Regretfully Yours and that wonderful old larynx-raking single "Sucked Out," the band released three other albums before calling it quits after 2002's Last Call For Vitriol. Pappas and Fisher left the band following 1998's sophomore album Head Trip In Every Key. Davis released his Christian-influenced solo debut in 2005. What's that? Never heard about that record?! Hmmm...
"We're really looking forward to seeing you at the shows,” sayeth Brother John on the official website. "I think it's cool that fans who discovered Superdrag through In The Valley Of Dying Stars or Last Call For Vitriol who never got a chance to see the original line-up play will now have the opportunity. I think it's cool that people still care about Superdrag. We thank you all from the bottoms of our hearts. Seriously."
The born-again band will also be pressing (well, they probably won't be pressing it themselves, but you know what I'm sayin') a limited run of a new 2-disc rarities compilation titled 4-Track Rock 1992-1995 + Complete "Bender" Sessions which, in addition to being a real unholy bitch to say, will be sold at these venerable shows. And to make matters a little bit more piteous, the band will also be holding a poll to find fans' three (or, if you will, "Holy Trinity" of) favorite songs. According to the band's official website, the winning consubstantial combo of songs will go into the reunion shows' setlist. Surprisingly enough, the '90s band is very hip to the internet technology of the new millennium, so all you have to do is point your new-fangled, high-speed browser toward the Superdrag message board if you want to, you know, vote for "Sucked Out" three times in a row...
Not exactly 40 Day and 40 Nights, but:
And on the Seventh Date, Davis rested...
