April 29, 2009 New online review! A few new tour dates!
First off, there's a new online review at Chart Attack.
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Tom Pappas' side-project Whip! will be playing The Basement on May 15 in Nashville.
If you ain't seen 'em yet, you gotta check it out! Tom brings the high energy rock to the bass and mic!
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There are a pair of new shows scheduled! Superdrag will be returning to North Carolina and Georgia!
June 19: Milestone Club : Charlotte, NC
June 20: The Loft : Atlanta, GA
April 24, 2009 Incoming from Illinois
There's more online press from Maryland & Illionis!
April 21, 2009 Watch the Daytrotter performance! Online interviews & reviews!
There's a new video interview over at Brooklyn Rocks blog. Check it out here!
On Friday, April 24th, Superdrag will record a session at the DayTrotter Studios prior to the show that night. If you want to be one of the 10 lucky fans to watch that special performance/recording, sign up to follow DayTrotter on Twitter. Hurry up and follow them because on Wednesday, fans who win will receive a tweet letting you know if you won!
April 15, 2009 The Village Voice speaks on Superdrag! ABC News! The Boston Phoenix! New photos! Twitter! If you are Twitter user, you can now follow Superdrag and keep up with the band's activities. The band's username is superdrag_sound (and yes, that's an "underscore" between "superdrag" and "sound"). In fact, you may gain "special" info on how to sit in on the DayTrotter sessions if you decide to "follow" the Twitter page. Follow the "superdrag_sound" here.
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Wanna see what Superdrag has been up to? Not only are there pics of the guys on stage, but there are new photos of them out an about in New York, Brooklyn, and Boston. Check 'em out in the Images section.
Rob Harvilla at The Village Voice has posted a fabulous article online. You can read the article here. In fact, we're so pleased with the piece that we're gonna copy it onto this page so you don't have to wait another second to read it! The following is taken from the Village Voice...
How Superdrag's Resurrection Really Feels The Knoxville power-pop quartet mount a snarling, ferocious comeback, spiritual awakening notwithstanding
By Rob Harvilla
"I think our last show here was in 2003," muses Superdrag frontman John Davis Thursday night at Bowery Ballroom. "I was there!" hoots one amped-up crowd member. "You're old!" hoots another.
Assuming that first fan isn't a pathological liar, both of those things are true. Let's quickly dispense with the six syllables most commonly associated with this band: "Who sucked out the feeeeel-innnnng?" The Knoxville power-pop quartet rose to prominence in 1996 with "Sucked Out," easily the most cynical hit of the alt-rock buzz-bin era—"In your eyes/You've already spread my thighs/And you're rockin' to the next big thing," etc. Their subsequent trajectory started out a bit clichéd (fan-beloved but unmarketable follow-up, dropped from major label, a couple of decent—and even more cynical—records for an indie), but soon thereafter took a series of abrupt, remarkable turns: Davis, in the throes of alcoholism, is overcome with the Holy Spirit while driving down the Interstate, cleans up, cuts two Christian-overtoned solo albums, then reconvenes Superdrag after a five-year hiatus, and puts out Industry Giants, easily the best rock record of 2009 to date. Which brings us back to the Bowery, where they're currently rampaging through the best rock show of 2009 to date, with a youthful vigor and exuberant ferocity they never had even back when they were on MTV all the time. That's Jesus for you.
"I don't want to slow down and mellow out just because we're old," Davis explains the next day, in a purring drawl wholly absent from his fantastically surly singing voice. "I'd like to counteract that. I'd like to fight against that current if at all possible. I feel better at 35 than I did at 25. Playing music that's more physical and kinda going at it harder—I like that."
Verily, it's Industry Giants' extreme physicality that immediately grabs you, Davis repeatedly howling "Slow to speak! Slow to anger!" as a sarcastic mantra/battle cry at the onset, a harbinger of highlights to come: the vicious crunch of "Cheap Poltergeists," the anthemic bombast of "Everything Will Be Made Right," the Thin Lizzy twin-guitar wheedling of "Ready to Go." As the Bowery fete ably proves, Superdrag's back catalog is loaded with power-pop bullets—such as the cheerfully bitter post-major-label plaint "Keep It Close to Me" ("I want rock 'n' roll but/I don't wanna deal with the hassle") or the moody, volatile "Do the Vampire," both killers tonight—but never before have they so emphasized pure power. Even "Nothing Good Is Real," an old, soft-edged, fairly standard grunge-era ballad, works itself into a stirring, screeching frenzy, an even more remarkable spectacle given that we're watching a born-again Christian sing his ass off on a song called "Nothing Good Is Real."
Giants is by no means a Christian-rock record, but hints of spiritual uplift abound, especially when you contrast it with Superdrag's last effort, 2002's Last Call for Vitriol, which at times uncomfortably detailed Davis's downward spiral: "Come on, baby . . . get me out of the bar," he moaned on "Feeling Like I Do," perhaps not yet realizing who "baby" referred to exactly. The difference now? "Well, there's hope," Davis tells me. "To sum it up in one word, there's hope. I think the last record was barely kinda hangin' on by a thread. There was kind of a hopelessness to it at times. I'd like to think—I choose to think—that all that is redeemed now. There's definitely a theme of redemption, and there's a lot of thanksgiving in this record as a result of that. There are definitely times where it's, straight up, a matter of giving thanks—for being alive, number one."
He cites "Live and Breathe," a rare moment of calm reflection on Giants, as a prime example, "where you're offering up thanks, just for the most basic phenomenon of being alive and walkin' and talkin' and still bein' around and for, ultimately, at least in my case, being set free from bondage, so to speak. Kind of left to my own devices, I want to destroy myself. Kind of giving thanks for being free from that."
The even more compelling flip side to writing more hopeful tunes now is how Davis deals with the oft-hopeless songs he wrote back then. He'll still play them. Most of them. "Some of them are just a little more flippant than I care to be today," he says. "It's not just a question of not wanting to play certain tunes again—I don't even want to hear them again. There's one song called 'Annetichrist,' I just don't care to play that song. And there's another one called 'What If You Don't Fly'—I won't play that. Those are really the only two songs. Other than that, I can deal with the rest of 'em on their own terms. Again, they may spring forth out of a worldview that I don't really subscribe to now, but I can see—it was my best-guess estimate of the truth at that time. So."
Not surprising choices, considering the lyrics ("Nothing's cool/Nothing matters/I'm jumping off the bridge" for the former; "And when you find/Oh, yeah, God was in your mind/Your righteous life has only been a righteous lie" for the latter). But what's most remarkable about Davis's best-guess estimate of the truth these days isn't as much the newfound idealism, but the feral vehemence with which Superdrag now express it: He bellows the titular chorus of "Filthy and Afraid" like a re-energized man with a clean conscience and no fear whatsoever. He'll still play "Sucked Out," sure, but the feeling has blessedly, miraculously returned.
April 3, 2009 Superdrag reviews & interviews
There's a handful of new reviews & interviews online:
All Music - Industry Giants review
Ink - Industry Giants review
Washington Post - Interview with John Davis by John Davis
March 28, 2009 Lake Fever videos, Patrol Mag review, and Music Emissions As you may well know, Superdrag recorded a portion of their new album INDUSTRY GIANTS, at Lake Fever in Nashville, TN. There is a website called LakeFeverSessions.com where the folks at Lake Fever host exclusive live performances where the bands come in, set up, play live while the audio is recorded on the studio rig to accompany pro-shot 3-camera video. Those kind folks there have just put up a teaser video of the Lake Fever Session featuring Superdrag. Currently, 5 (yes, "five") videos from the performance are scheduled to debut on their site on Friday, April 3. Until then, you can check out the teaser right here.
There is a new review of INDUSTRY GIANTS over at Patrol Mag which you can read here.
The guys get a brief mention from a Music Emissions blog. You can check that out here.
March 23, 2009 "Aspartame" photos & SXSW reviews Superdrag played this past week in Austin at SXSW, and there are a few reviews that you can check out below.
Austin360 (SXSW review)
Chicago Sun Times (SXSW review)
In case you haven't noticed, there is a section to the right of the page that will contain "online media" for INDUSTRY GIANTS and the current tour. Be sure to keep an eye on it.
In case you can't get enough of the "Aspartame" video, you can view the photos from the video shoot here.
March 18, 2009 Today's SXSW shows cancelled
Unfortunately, today's Superdrag appearances at SXSW had to be cancelled secondary to problems with their airline flights. The band apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause anyone attending the shows. Superdrag will be playing the rest of the scheduled shows.
March 17, 2009 Happy St. Patty's Day & INDUSTRY GIANTS Release Day! Plus BONUS tracks! Yes, the day has finally come, and we're extremely excited! Today marks the official release of Superdrag's new album INDUSTRY GIANTS!
Many folks have posted on the message board that they got their copies in the mail last week and this weekend. Other folks grabbed copies at the Knoxville and Nashville shows. If you haven't ordered your copy yet, you can run out to your local store and grab one.
And for those Superdrag completists who still hunger for more, there are a few little bonuses to snatch up:
* NEWBURY COMICS has an online exclusive where you can purchase an AUTOGRAPHED copy of INDUSTRY GIANTS: here
* AMAZON.com has both the CD for sale and mp3 downloads available. If you go to the MP3 Downloads section, you can grab one of the exclusive bonus tracks "4 on the Floor": here
* iTUNES has the album as well as the exclusive download of the other bonus track "Filter Out the Air": here
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There's a new review of the album over at DailyVault.com.
March 16,2009 Nashville Cream, Buzzgrinder, & Industry Giants release As you most likely know, tomorrow is the official release of Superdrag's new album, INDUSTRY GIANTS. If you haven't got a copy, we wanted to remind you that you can:
(1) Purchase and download the digital album from the Merch page (playable on all mp3 players)
(2) Purchase an autographed copy exclusively from Newbury Comics
At the shows, the guys have been playing a good number of tracks from the INDUSTRY GIANTS, and if you go to one of the upcoming shows, you wanna make sure that you can sing along!
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The kind folks at Buzzgrinder have a few special items for Superdrag fans. Fans can go over there and view photos of Friday's show at Barley's in Knoxville, as well as listen to a stream of INDUSTRY GIANTS!
March 13, 2009 Pre-order info! "Aspartame" at SPIN.com! Online articles! For those of you who have pre-ordered INDUSTRY GIANTS, your CDs have been mailed.
For those of you who have not yet pre-ordered INDUSTRY GIANTS, you can now purchase and download the digital album from the Nimbit skin on the Merch page.
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The kind folks at SPIN are streaming the new video for "Aspartame" for 48 hours. The song is a track off the upcoming INDUSTRY GIANTS. The video was directed by Aaron Baker. View it out before it's gone!
In preparation for the upcoming tour (starting tonight), a small number of other articles have recently popped up online.
* The Daily Times * Nashville Scene * Revolt-Media
March 12, 2009 Superdrag make The Nashville Scene There is a new article on Superdrag in the latest issue of Nashville's local music magazine Nashville Scene.
March 8, 2009 Superdrag World HQ Update!
With less than two weeks left until the release of Industry Giants, 9 days to be exact, all systems are "go" here at Superdrag World HQ. Superdrag news is literally piling up faster than we can report it to you... and we like it that way! So without further delay, let this latest, long-overdue Superdrag update commence:
First and foremost, Industry Giants is still available for pre-order from the Superdrag.com merch page. All pre-orders will ship March 12, and the record WILL be available at the merch booth on March 13 in Knoxville and March 14 in Nashville, and it'll be for sale at both of our in-stores here in Tennessee (details below). Autographed copies of Industry Giants are also available for pre-order from our friends at Newbury Comics while quantities last.
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We are very pleased to announce a couple of special in-store appearances that will coincide with our Tennessee shows. We'll be at The Disc Exchange in Knoxville from 6:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M. on Friday, March 13, signing copies of Industry Giants for one and all. After that, we'll be stopping by The Funhouse to chat with Robbie and Derek, and to tape a special full-band acoustic performance for UTTV & 90.3 FM The Rock's "The Rock Unplugged." As always, the broadcast will be streaming live online at www.Funhouserock.com. And after THAT, we'll be down at Barley's, checking out 1220 and Mic Harrison & The High Score! For those of you in the Nashville area, we will be making a special appearance at Grimey's at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, March 14. We'll be there to perform a short-but-sweet half-hour set in hopes of getting the people fired-up for our show that night at Exit/In with Mic Harrison & The High Score and The Privates.
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SPIN magazine featured "Filthy & Afraid" (from Industry Giants) in their March 2009 SONGS YOU MUST HEAR NOW! column.
In case you didn't already know, Jason Kochis can't be stopped, and his ass-whipping poster designs have gone hand-in-hand with our live appearances every step of the way since 2007. The streak continues! Limited edition, hand-screened Kochis posters will be sold at every show. More good news in Merch World: two new shirt designs! Celebrate the release of Industry Giants in style and comfort.
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Superdrag's got a lot going on at this year's South By Southwest Conference in Austin, TX.
Here's the band's updated SXSW schedule, day-by-day:
Wednesday 3/18 @ 1:30p
Austinist / Gothamist / BMI Day Party
The Mohawk (Outside Stage)
912 Red River Street
Wednesday 3/18 @ 4:30p
Paste Magazine Day Party
Bourbon Rocks
508 E. 6th Street
Thursday 3/19 @ 4:30p
Studio SX
Austin Convention Center
500 E Congress
Friday 3/20 @ 3p
The Boxing Lesson Day Party
Guero's
1412 S. Congress
Friday 3/20 @ 11p
Billboard (Official Showcase)
Pangaea
409 Colorado Street
Saturday 3/21 @ 7:15p
After The Jump Fest Backyard Party
1204 S. Salina Street
Saturday 3/21 to Sunday 3/22 (**LATE NIGHT 2:05 A.M.**)
(w/...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead)
Spin Closing Party
Smokin' Music
504 Trinity Street
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Director/Animator Aaron Baker is wrapping up post-production on the first official video clip from Industry Giants, for the song "Aspartame." We're making plans to do the video premier up right, courtesy of our friends over at Amazon.com. Needless to say, you'll be the first to know when all the details are finalized. Once the video drops, we'll be posting our behind-the-scenes photo album from the shoot, along with some other surprises from the vault that you will NOT want to miss. Plus, Amazon will offer an exclusive bonus track WITH the album... if you're into that sort of thing.
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In case you missed the fine print on the Ben Grimm poster, we've added a show in Rock Island, IL on April 24, immediately following our Daytrotter session earlier that day.
AMI Entertainment is going to be placing Superdrag available for play on their jukeboxes. According to AMI:
"AMI Entertainment has been pre-releasing albums by a succession of top-of-mind, and important rock releases over the past couple years by the likes of My Morning Jacket, the Black Keys, the Von Bondies, The Verve, Nada Surf, Oasis, and now...Superdrag. Releasing albums to music consumers in clubs and bars across the United States gives loyal fans an exclusive experience as part of their nightlife. Culturally speaking, pre-release partnerships give bands like Superdrag the unique opportunity to offer exclusives to fans while creating associations to "classic jukebox bands". AMI Entertainment (subsidiary of Rowe International jukeboxes) is featured as the ultimate source of entertainment in more and more exciting venues every day!"
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That's all for now... but stay tuned! We'll keep the updates coming. We're really looking forward to seeing you out on tour, and very anxious indeed for March 17 to roll around.
Rock, Rock, Rock And Roll, John, Don, Brandon & Tom Superdrag
March 5, 2009 Knoxville News Sentinel article There's a nice, new Superdrag article by hometown writer Wayne Bledsoe in the Knoxville News Sentinel!
February 28, 2009 Metropulse review There's a brief review of INDUSTRY GIANTS in the new issue of Knoxville's weekly entertainment magazine, Metropulse.
February 18, 2009 New interview at HoustonCalling.net There is a new Superdrag interview at HoustonCalling.net in which David Cobb interviews Superdrag's frontman, John Davis.
February 13, 2009 Get your copy of INDUSTRY GIANTS early! Pre-order now!!
You can now use the Superdrag Nimbit Online Music Tool and pre-order your copy of INDUSTRY GIANTS!
As you've probably heard, the official album release date is March 17, 2009 (St. Patty's Day). If you pre-order your copy now, you not only get the actual CD at the low cost of $10 (before shipping), but your actual copy of the CD will be mailed out on March 13!
Be the envy of the neighborhood, and blast your copy of INDUSTRY GIANTS earlier then everyone else!
To pre-order INDUSTRY GIANTS, use the Superdrag Nimbit OMT(above). Select the "disc $10" button at the bottom of the OMT, and then complete your checkout. It's that easy!!
February 8, 2009 John Davis & WHIP! & Listening to INDUSTRY GIANTS In case you haven't heard yet, on Superdrag's Facebook page you can view a few "slideshow videos" set to the mastered tunes of "Filthy & Afraid" and "Cheap Poltergeists". Check 'em out here.
It's a special and superstitious Valentine's Day weekend!
Prepare for V-Day weekend with a big show featuring two of Superdrag's main men!
February 3, 2009 John Davis @ Magnet Magnet Magazine has posted a Q&A article with Superdrag's John Davis. While you're there, you can listen to the track "Everything'll Be Made Right" from the upcoming INDUSTRY GIANTS!
January 27, 2009 Tour info, Free download, Facebook, and more! Hello Superdrag People: There are only 50 days left until Industry Giants drops on March 17. That's St. Patty's Day. So mark your calendars, and don't forget to wear something green to the record store. Get your copy, and grab some for your friends and loved ones. They'll be glad you did. We have TONS of exciting news to announce today, so without further delay, we proudly present the first round of live dates in support of Industry Giants:
FRI MARCH 13 : KNOXVILLE, TN : BARLEY'S TAPROOM W/ MIC HARRISON & THE HIGH SCORE
SAT MARCH 14 : NASHVILLE, TN : EXIT/IN W/ MIC HARRISON & THE HIGH SCORE
WED MARCH 18-->SUN MARCH 22 : AUSTIN, TX : SXSW (MORE DETAILS TBA ASAP)
FRI APRIL 3 : WASHINGTON, D.C. : 9:30 CLUB
SAT APRIL 4 : PHILADELPHIA, PA : JOHNNY BRENDA'S
THU APRIL 9 : NEW YORK, NY : BOWERY BALLROOM
FRI APRIL 10 : BROOKLYN, NY : MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG
SAT APRIL 11 : BOSTON, MA : PARADISE
FRI APRIL 24 : ROCK ISLAND, IL : DAYTROTTER SESSION
SAT APRIL 25 : CHICAGO, IL : METRO
!!! SPOILER ALERT !!! More good news: we are offering an absolutely free, "official" sneak-peek download from Industry Giants, the album-opener "Slow To Anger" (see the Nimbit widget at the end of this update). Call or e-mail your local College station or Indie Rock show and ask for it by name! Industry Giants will be made available for pre-order through Nimbit starting February 12, along with a 2nd free download from the record!
Furthermore, taking a bold step into the vanguard of Social Networking...in 2004...Superdrag is now on Facebook! So click on the link and hit us up. We would be proud and honored to have you, our fans, become, well, Fans. While you're at it, if you haven't done so already, and you're not too cool for MySpace now, hit us up on our official MySpace page. We might have been friends before, but thanks to Rupert Murdoch, now we can make it official.
On February 7th, we will be shooting the first video clip from Industry Giants with director and animator Aaron Baker. We're keeping a tight lid on this one, but we're 99.999% sure you'll be stoked.
Speaking of music and video, we are scheduled to tape a live performance (5 crisp, newly-minted tracks off of Industry Giants!) in the luxurious live room at Lake Fever Productions on March 8th, to be broadcast on their newly-launched (and totally bad-ass) internet venture, LakeFeverSessions.com. We've got a fever, and the prescription is... Lake Fever.
And last but certainly not least, John Davis and WHIP! will be joining forces to rock Nashville's The Rutledge on Friday, February 13. Even if you are superstitious, you'll still want to come down, pump your fist in the air to your favorite tunes from ARIGATO! and the self-titled LP (Merch page), and pick up your very own copy of The Defibrillator LP from WHIP! Show up in a Jason Voorhees-style hockey mask (no machetes, please) and receive a free John Davis T-shirt of your choice.
INDUSTRY GIANTS. MARCH 17. LET'S DO THIS.
Much Respect,
John, Don, Brandon & Tom
Superdrag
To download the free mp3 of "Slow to Anger", go to the Nimbit application above and use the arrows to navigate to the 7th (of 7) page. Add the mp3 to your cart by checking the "free" button.
January 2, 2009 INDUSTRY GIANTS playing at The Funhouse As you may or may not have read on the Superdrag Message Board, John Davis and Superdrag kindly provided The Funhouse a copy of INDUSTRY GIANTS and permission to spin a track each week leading up to the release, starting tonight!
Derek (from The Funhouse) comments that they may play the whole record start to finish the week of the release. You can tune into The Funhouse each week on WUTK 90.3 The Rock at 8 PM EST.
To listen live: Go to www.FunhouseRock.com and click on the LISTEN LIVE link on the left side of the page.
Note: RealPlayer is required for you to listen online.
November 25, 2008 Buy a shirt or a tour poster, and get a complimentary CD
For a limited only, the prices of shirts have dropped to $15...
Upon purchasing a shirt or tour poster, simply type in the name of your bonus CD in the "Special Instructions" box on the CCNow order page!
November 22, 2008 Superdrag Update
The Superdrag reunion was the talk of 2007, their performances at Bonnaroo and Monolith were the talk of 2008, and 2009 will be the year of Industry Giants, the new album from Knoxville’s favorite sons Superdrag. Industry Giants will be the first studio album by the reunited line-up of Coffey, Davis, Fisher, and Pappas since ‘98’s Head Trip In Every Key.
Industry Giants finds Superdrag's music moving forward, and nullifies the unwritten law which dictates that all reunion albums must be bitter disappointments. The songs say something meaningful about the world that speaks to everyone, and at times they rock harder than Superdrag has ever been known to rock before.
John Davis' statement says it all: 'I can't wait to get the record out. I can't wait for people to hear it. I wish it could come out tomorrow.'
Produced by John Davis and recorded and mixed in Nashville, Knoxville, and Los Angeles, Industry Giants will be released on Superdrag Sound Labratories / Thirty Tigers, March 17th 2009.
November 11, 2008 Magic Panther strikes again Some of you have asked, and rightfully so, "Just who is Magic Panther?" We can explain. Magic Panther is none other than Superdrag's John Davis, in essence, ongoing solo side-project (SIDE-side-project?) through which he chooses to explore his recurring obsession with Jamaican sounds. And so, with Superdrag's "comeback" effort Industry Giants near-complete (yes, it can rightly be called a comeback effort, whether or not LL Cool J would agree), he has chosen to devote some time and energy to making more Magic Panther music.
Unconfirmed rumors of a full-length work entitled Magic Panther At The Controls have been circulating recently. In any case, John expressed the desire to make some of the tracks available for free download, as a token of respect for you. However, due to undetermined difficulties with the MySpace music player, there were some issues with that, so we're making them available here! Jah Fire!
October 15, 2008 Update announcement from John Davis We are very, very pleased to announce that after our session last weekend at Nashville's Blackbird Studio (THANKS, MARK!!!), all the tracks for Industry Giants are now complete! We have posted new studio pics right here so you can check 'em out. The mixing process for the record is already underway, thanks to the supremely gifted likes of Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Danzig, Stone Sour, Paramore) and Mr. Mark Petaccia from WHIP!We anticipate a March 2009 release. On a personal note, I can't wait for you to hear it. I wish it could come out tomorrow.
In other Superdrag-related news, I wanted to let you know about the latest project from Luke Powers. For those who don't already know, Luke is a songwriter, author, teacher, acclaimed recording artist, and brother of bassist Sam Powers. His latest musical project is called Texasee, and it features both Sam and myself, along with an entire cast of ace contributors like Kenny Vaughan and The Band's Garth Hudson. Check out the latest press release here and visit www.texasee.com to check out the music!
Even with the election looming and uncertain times ahead, we all have cause for hope. I won't get on a political soapbox here, but I would strongly encourage everyone to vote, participate in our democracy, and make your voice heard, no matter who your candidate is. If you're undecided, I urge you to look into what 3rd Party or Independent candidates like Ralph Nader are saying about the state of this country and our nation's future. DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE SOLELY THE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF SUPERDRAG COLLECTIVELY. (ha ha) Certainly don't mean to offend; just wanted to put forth the notion that there are alternatives and real choices for change to be made outside of the corporate Two-Party system. Check it out for yourself.
I can't tell you how excited I am to be on the threshold of presenting a new album of Superdrag music to you, and for you, and how proud I am of the work we've done this year. I thank God for sustaining us in the meantime, and for bringing us all back together again at this point in time to do what we do best. Most of all I want to express my heartfelt thanks to you for taking our music to heart and for making up the other side of the equation. Thank you.
Sincerely,
With Love & Respect,
John Davis Superdrag
Nashville, TN
Video interview with Superdrag on ManiaTV This past September, Superdrag participated in a very cool maniaTV interview with Sam at the Monolith Music Festival in Red Rocks, CO.
September 15, 2008 FREE mp3 from the upcoming album available now!
Need a Superdrag fix while you're waiting for the upcoming, new album?
Check out the Nimbit online store application to download a free mp3 of a track from the upcoming album. The track is "Filthy & Afraid (Stealth Mix D)".
According to a post by John Davis on the official Superdrag Message Board,
the new album will be mixed by the band's good friend Nick Raskulinecz(Foo Fighters, Rush, Velvet Revolver). Superdrag has 3 more days of studio time booked in October before the album is completed.
To download the mp3, go to the Nimbit application above and use the arrows to navigate to the 5th (of 5) page. Add the mp3 to your cart by checking the "free" button.
September 2, 2008 Posters Available Online!
Going to either (or both) of the September shows? Worried about getting a poster and it getting bent or torn at the show? Wanting to get a poster and hang it up ASAP?
You can now order a show poster for either of the shows (images shown below), and they will be mailed to you shortly after time of order. Just head on over to the merch page to grab one here!
August 16, 2008 Next BIG Nashville and Benefit at The Basement Superdrag are scheduled to play the Next BIG Nashville Festival on September 12, 2008. For the initial list of over 150 artists, go here.
Posters for the two September shows will be pre-sold on this site early September, so stay tuned!
Next week on August 22, John Davis will be playing the Crohn’s Disease Benefit Show at The Basement in Nashville, TN.
July 21, 2008 Superdrag Vinyl LP available again! Have you been looking for Superdrag'sIn the Valley of Dying Stars on vinyl?
Copies of the vinyl album have been uncovered and are now available once again from the Merch storeCD/LP page.
June 15, 2008 New merch available
New buttons, posters, and shirts are available on the Merch page. Be sure to check 'em out!
Also, there are new photos from Bonnaroo posted in the Images section.
June 13, 2008 Superdrag reviewed online Dave Paulson from USA Today wrote about Superdrag's performance at Bonnaroo. Check it out!
June 2, 2008 New Superdrag Photos Online There are several new sets of photos in the Images section! Plus, the page has been modified with most of the photos now being stored off-site at Flickr.com for ease of navigation, storage, and faster uploading/sharing.
Some of the new sets feature photos from Superdrag's studio sessions at Independent Recorders, Lake Fever Productions, and Blackbird Studio (in Studio C, the famed Massenburg Room)! There are also pics from the road, including photos from the recent West Coast shows!
May 22, 2008 Superdrag get Redistilled Superdrag contributed a track to the recently-released Re Distilled: 25 Years Of Knoxville Rock CD to benefit WUTK 90.3 FM. Superdrag has recorded a cover of the One Nine-Hundreds' song, "Now".
WUTK 90.3 has consistently championed local music for decades, year in and year out, and is a vital cultural resource for the community. They currently receive ZERO funding from the University of Tennessee to sustain their operations. Here is a link to a very informative article about what's going on: "College Radio Blues"
Superdrag are scheduled to perform in Knoxville at the first of 3 CD release show at Valarium on June 27. The band will play a short set (filled with surprises) and then be joined by Stewart Pack to perform "Now" and "In The Valley Of Dying Stars", a version of which he contributes on the CD.
Be sure to check out the CD!
May 21, 2008 Monterey Music Summit cancelled Due to the cancellation of the festival on the originally scheduled weekend, Superdrag will not play the Monterey Music Summit in Laguna Seca, CA this May/June.
May 5, 2008 Superdrag to play Monterey Music Summit and Monolith Music Festival The West Coast dates keep coming!
Superdrag will be playing the Monterey Music Summit (May 30-June 1) in Laguna Seca, CA. 3 days. 3 stages. 30 bands.
They will also be playing Monolith Music Festival at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO in September! More details soon!
April 18, 2008 Superdrag to play Bonnaroo The rumors are true. Superdrag will be playing Bonnaroo (June 12-15) in Manchester, TN this summer. To see the complete lineup, go here.
Exact dates will be announced shortly. Stay tuned!
April 16, 2007 Tour posters now available!
Are you wishing you could have picked up one of the tour posters from the recent batch of Superdrag shows (Baltimore, NY, Philly)?
Well, you're in luck, because you can now order those posters online!
Just head on over to the miscellaneous Merch page to purchase one or several!
April 5, 2008 WEST COAST DATES!!! IN-STORE IN BALTIMORE!!! AND MORE!!! The question has been posed many times and in many different ways; why rock one half of the country and not the other? Well, my friends, we are launching a renewed effort to make good on our pledge to reach as many of you in as many places as we possibly can. To wit: 4 WEST COAST DATES are on the books,
with more to follow. As of today, the confirmed dates are:
Plus, you’ll be able to pre-order some more genius show posters, designed, hand-screened, signed and numbered by Jason Kochis!
www.jasonkochis.com
Further dates will be announced right here as soon as all the details are firm.
More good news: we will be stopping by THE SOUND GARDEN in Baltimore, MD before our 8x10 show with The Frauds on Wednesday, April 9 to play a short
set (new jams included!) Limited quantities of our 2-CD 4-Track Rock !!! 1992-1995 + Complete Bender Sessions set are still available, plus we will be hanging out and signing for awhile after the performance. Then I’m going shopping, ‘cause that place rules! Come on by if you’re in the neighborhood. The in-store is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. EST.
THE SOUND GARDEN
1616 Thames St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
www.cdjoint.com
In other news, work continues on the first new music Brandon, Tom, Don and myself have composed and recorded together since 1998. After sessions in Knoxville at Don’s own Independent Recorders facility, and more work at Lake Fever Productions here in Nashville, we have emerged with 7 complete masters for the new album. I wish I could tell you more! Suffice to say, the 4 of us are stoked on it, and we can’t wait to get back in there. Sessions are on the books for May and June, Lord willing.
Stay tuned for further details on all this and more!
With Maximum Love And Respect,
John, Don, Brandon & Tom Superdrag
March 17, 2008 Superdrag develop a case of Lake Fever On March 8th, Superdrag visited Lake Fever Productions in Nashville and recorded 4 songs for the upcoming album
with Jason Bullock and Joe Colvert.
You can read a little a bit about the session in last week's Nashville Scene by going to the final story found on this page.
February 5, 2008 More shows added for 2008
Superdrag have added 2 more shows to April. The new shows are in Baltimore and Philadelphia and pre-sale tickets are now available from Ducat King. Further dates in 2008 are expected including proposed dates in the Western half of the United States.
If you pre-order tickets, you can add an 11"x17" show poster (shown below) to your order. You can view larger versions of the posters by clicking the individual poster below.
Christmas Day, 2007 End of the year kudos, and Christmas tunes
The end of the year is near, and Superdrag received some nice kudos from The Daily Times in Knoxville. Check out their guest picks "Year In Review" article.
And while you're in the listening mood, be sure to listen to John Davis' Christmas song from the 2005 Tooth & Nail Christmas compilation Happy Christmas: Volume 4. The song is "God Is Real (Jesus Is Alive)", and is posted over at John's MySpace page.
November 17, 2007 New York Reunion Tour Poster Available Online
Looking for a good stocking stuffer?
Due to such high demand, pre-orders are being taken for the New York venue reunion tour poster!
We will be taking orders up to December 1st, and orders will be filled shortly after. Order yours here!
November 14, 2007 Tour CD-set now available online! Photos! Photos! Photos! And now some news that many of you have been waiting for...
The once tour-exclusive CD set (4-Track Rock!!! + Complete "Bender" Sessions) is now available from Superdrag.com while supplies last! There are a number of copies left over after the tour, and those sets are now available online.
You can order the CD set by itself for a mere $20... OR you can purchase a combo set of the CD set AND the tour shirt for a special low-price of $30!
Supplies are limited! When they’re gone… they’re gone!
Order yours now!
After you order your CD set and/or shirt, be sure to check out the latest photos from the road in the Images section!
Check out the photos!
November 5, 2007 Day Trotter Sessions, Interview, and Review
The good folks over at DayTrotter.com have some very special treats for Superdrag fans!
First off, they have written a nice review of the show at the Metro in Chicago from October 13th.
While in Chicago, Superdrag recorded a few tracks live, on 2-track! Those songs include "Tell Me I'm Not Free","Sold You An Alibi", "Senorita", and "Cynicality"! DayTrotter has been kind enough to post each of those songs for download.
They also held an interview with John Davis, which also should not be missed. You can grab all of that below! Check it out!
Superdrag plays NYC on Fri., November 2.
Superdrag plays Boston on Sat., November 3.
October 24, 2007 New interview @ I Am Fuel, You Are Friends Heather, from the influential music blog I Am Fuel, You Are Friends, has posted a new interview with John Davis complete with links to mp3s of rare Superdrag and Superdrag-related tracks. Check out the n.a. kickin' interview right here!
October 19, 2007 Knoxville Press Continues In preparation for tonight's show and tomorrow's show, more online articles/interviews have surfaced from Knoxville News-Sentinel, The Daily Times and Medleyville. Check 'em out!
October 17, 2007 Metro Pulse cover story & BFN Interview In preparation for the pair of shows this weekend, Knoxville's own Metro Pulse has placed Superdrag as the featured cover story in this week's issue.
Also, BFNinYourEars.com has a new online audio interview with John Davis. It's in the BFN Interviews section of the page found here!
October 15, 2007 Online Reading
There's some good online reading that has popped up over the last week. The first is from an influential blog that reviews the new 2-CD set 4-Track Rock!!! 1992-1995 +
Complete "Bender" Sessions. The second is a review of the show in Chicago. The third is a review of the Nashville show.
October 12, 2007 "Whitey's Theme"
Check out a dual-camera video of Superdrag's "Whitey's Theme" from City Hall in Nashville (October 5th).
October 10, 2007 Stewart Pack
Here’s your chance to hear Stewart Pack before you see him live at the Superdrag reunion shows. His 13-song exclusive is now available at StewartPack.com... and while you're there check out the new show photos with Doug Gillard from Guided By Voices. Plus check out the new 60-song CD, Beached Whale.
October 8, 2007 John Davis on iTunes Arigato! is now available from iTunes website!
In case you can't wait to pick Arigato! up at a reunion show or from the Superdrag Merch page, John Davis, Arigato! is now available on iTunes!
You can also use the new Nimbit merch table below!
September 25, 2007 John Davis, Arigato! Pre-order and Promote
The new John Davis CD, Arigato! is set for release next week on October 2. You can now pre-order the CD from the Superdrag.com Merch page.
If you don't own his debut CD (John Davis), you can pick up the combo special of both CDs for a mere $15 with shipping!
You can also help out promoting John's new album by posting one of the animated or static banners on your blog or MySpace page. To check out the banners, go here.
September 24, 2007 Superdrag Interview on WOXY Superdrag will be doing a live recording on Cincinnati's W.O.X.Y. on Friday, September 28 at 12 noon. You can listen online to the station's website by going here.
September 4, 2007 NEW Tour Date Added - 2nd Show for Knoxville on October 19th Another show has been added. The newly added show will be on Friday, October 19th in Knoxville, TN.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, September 5th @ 12 noon EST over at Ducat King. Be sure to get your tickets before they disappear (again)!
Also, the opening acts for each show have been announced. Check the Tour page for more info...
John discusses his solo work and session work, how the reunion tour came about, and the state of Superdrag in general. Be sure to check it out here!
August 14, 2007 Superdrag to play Midpoint Music Festival Superdrag will ramp up their reunion tour at the Midpoint Music Festival on September 27. The band will be playing an exclusive MPMF pre-party at The Exchange located in the Main Street Entertainment District.
In addition, John Davis will be the 2007 Artist Keynote. John will participate in an artist’s conversation on September 28 in the Black Box Theatre at the Contemporary Arts Center.
For more detailed information, you can read the August 15 MPMF Press Release here.
August 2, 2007 Online Request Poll
Are you ready to help out with making the setlist for the tour this fall?
Superdrag needs you to participate in an online request! The band wants you to vote for the ONE song that you want to hear Superdrag play live. The top 3 requested songs will be added to the setlist for the reunion tour (no questions asked)! Help make history by making your request!
Note: The poll will only allow you to vote once (and only for one song), so choose your song wisely! Also, voting ends on September 20. The guys live in different cities and gotta practice, you know!
: : VOTING IS NOW OVER. Thank you for all who participated.: :
July 20, 2007 Online Interviews with John Davis There are two new interviews that have popped up recently online. Check 'em out!
John @ Metropulse John @ Rock Sellout
July 10, 2007 Superdrag Reunion set for October and November '07
The rumors you may have seen online are absolutely true. The original Superdrag line-up (Don Coffey Jr., John Davis, Brandon Fisher, and Tom Pappas)
are reuniting to play 6 limited tour dates in October and November!
The official dates are:
October 05 - Nashville, TN @ City Hall
October 13 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
October 20 - Knoxville, TN @ Barley's Taproom
November 02 - New York, NY @ The Fillmore
November 03 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
November 08 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
The pre-sale for tickets begins Thursday, July 12. To purchase tickets, go to Superdrag.DucatKing.com
[ click to view large version of tour poster ]
Brandon, Don, John and Tom have been holding practice sessions in preparation for the reunion tour. Still a fan-friendly band,
Superdrag wants to share with their faithful fans some pictures taken during one of their "secret" jam sessions as well as three fabulous promotional photos (promo photos courtesy of Stewart Pack).
[ click on any picture below to view the larger version ]
And now, a word from the band...
"Well...obviously, there's alot to talk about. I'm thrilled to be able to announce these concert appearances with the original band.
I have missed playing these songs with these three dudes. At the first rehearsal, I remember thinking it sounded to me like it
might've been 8 months instead of eight years since we'd played together last. We're really looking forward to seeing you at the shows.
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.
There are several things in the works presently in conjunction with the concert dates that might be of interest to fans.
First and foremost, with the help of our good friend Jamie "Stealth" Shoemaker, we have hand-selected and remastered a 2-Disc,
40-song collection of classic Superdrag music entitled, "4-Track Rock !!! 1992-1995 + Complete "Bender" Sessions."
Some of this stuff pre-dates the band, obviously; included are some of my favorite 4-track versions, a couple of choice covers,
the first-ever Superdrag demo (we were a 3-piece: Brandon played bass), every 8-track demo we made with Nick Raskulinecz leading up
to our first album...you get the idea. We are pressing a limited run of the CDs that will be sold at our merch booth at each show.
We are offering an exclusive, autographed
Tour Poster to be bundled with every ticket pre-sold through Ducat King. We are also printing a series of limited, hand-screened
art posters for each of the shows, designed by Jason Kochis. We're working very hard to deliver only the highest-quality merchandise
to you. Feel like helping us out with the setlist? We'll be conducting an online poll of fan favorites through the Superdrag
Message Board and elsewhere, and the Top 3 Most Requested Superdrag songs go straight into the set, guaranteed.
Stay tuned to Superdrag.com for further details and special offers.
This is all very exciting. Thank you very much.
With Utmost Respect And Sincere Gratitude,
Superdrag John, Don, Brandon & Tom"
May 18, 2007 Ground Control to major John There's a nice new interview with John Davis over at Ground Control Magazine. John answers questions regarding many topics including the new Superdrag album, a handful of rare tracks, and even Kurt Cobain's gear.
April 24, 2007 The Rock Soldier EP for sale for the last time... During a thorough cleaning and sorting of Arena Rock stash, a few handfuls of the rare Rock Soldier EP have been uncovered.
This limited quantity of discs are now for sale once more (for the last time).
Head on over to the CD Merch page to grab your copy... before they all disappear!
[ Editor's Note : The CDs are all sold out ]
April 17, 2007 New CD now in stores! The new Superdrag CD, Changin' Tires On The Road To Ruin is now out in stores! Be sure to run and pick one up!
If the CD is not available near you, you can order it here or ask your store to order it!
If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out the Official Superdrag MySpace page. It's loaded with lots of videos as well as a MySpace Player that rotates songs practically every day.
February 21, 2007 New John Davis article at 'The City Gets Lonely' There's a new John Davis interview over at TheCityGetsLonely.com.
Be sure to check it out!
February 16 , 2007 Mic Harrison's new album available now! Mic Harrison' new album "Push Me On Home" is in stores now.
You can order your copy at The Disc Exchange, Miles of Music, CD Baby, Borders, Horizon Records. You can learn more about the album from Mic's official website MicHarrison.com.
You can also download the album from services such as iTunes and Digstation.
Currently, Mic has a few cool shows scheduled. Be sure to check 'em out by going to the Tour Page!
Tom Pappas' side-project 
There are a pair of new shows scheduled! Superdrag will be returning to North Carolina and Georgia!
If you are 
Wanna see what Superdrag has been up to? Not only are there pics of the guys on stage, but there are new photos of them out an about in New York, Brooklyn, and Boston. Check 'em out in the 
Rob Harvilla at 
As you may well know, Superdrag recorded a portion of their new album INDUSTRY GIANTS, at 
Yes, the day has finally come, and we're extremely excited! Today marks the official release of Superdrag's new album INDUSTRY GIANTS!
There's a new review of the album over at 
(2) Purchase an autographed copy exclusively from 
The kind folks at 
Over the weekend, the 
For those of you who have pre-ordered INDUSTRY GIANTS, your CDs have been mailed.
The kind folks at 
We are very pleased to announce a couple of special in-store appearances that will coincide with our Tennessee shows. We'll be at 
Superdrag's got a lot going on at this year's 
AMI Entertainment is going to be placing Superdrag available for play on their jukeboxes. According to AMI:
There's a nice, new Superdrag article by hometown writer 
There's a brief review of INDUSTRY GIANTS in the new issue of Knoxville's weekly entertainment magazine, 
There is a new Superdrag interview at 
Hello Superdrag People: There are only 50 days left until Industry Giants drops on March 17. That's St. Patty's Day. So mark your calendars, and don't forget to wear something green to the record store. Get your copy, and grab some for your friends and loved ones. They'll be glad you did. We have TONS of exciting news to announce today, so without further delay, we proudly present the first round of 
As you may or may not have read on the 
For a limited only, the prices of shirts have dropped to $15...
Some of you have asked, and rightfully so, "Just who is Magic Panther?" We can explain. Magic Panther is none other than Superdrag's 
We are very, very pleased to announce that after our session last weekend at Nashville's 
This past September, Superdrag participated in a very cool 
As 
Superdrag are scheduled to play the 
Have you been looking for Superdrag's In the Valley of Dying Stars on 
Dave Paulson from 
There are several new sets of photos in the 
Superdrag contributed a track to the recently-released 
The question has been posed many times and in many different ways; why rock one half of the country and not the other? Well, my friends, we are launching a renewed effort to make good on our pledge to reach as many of you in as many places as we possibly can. To wit: 4 WEST COAST DATES are on the books,
with more to follow. As of today, the confirmed dates are:
On March 8th, Superdrag visited 
Looking for a good stocking stuffer?
And now some news that many of you have been waiting for...
Heather, from the influential music blog 
In preparation for tonight's show and tomorrow's show, more online articles/interviews have surfaced from Knoxville News-Sentinel, The Daily Times and Medleyville. Check 'em out!
In preparation for the pair of shows this weekend, Knoxville's own 
Superdrag will be doing a live recording on Cincinnati's 
Superdrag will ramp up their reunion tour at the 
Are you ready to help out with making the setlist for the tour this fall?
There are two new interviews that have popped up recently online. Check 'em out!
There's a nice new interview with John Davis over at 
During a thorough cleaning and sorting of Arena Rock stash, a few handfuls of the rare Rock Soldier EP have been uncovered.
This limited quantity of discs are now for sale once more (for the last time). 
The new Superdrag CD, Changin' Tires On The Road To Ruin is now out in stores! Be sure to run and pick one up!
If the CD is not available near you, you can order it 
There's a new John Davis interview over at 
Mic Harrison' new album "Push Me On Home" is in stores now.