SupperClub boasts music bonafides and a spirit of fun

A couple things about the SupperClub guys:

First, they know music.

Rigo Waltz and Javier Madrigal — who make up the Pasco-based duo, set to perform June 3 in Richland and then head out for a Northwest tour — grew up playing trumpet, keyboard, guitar. And they can rattle off a wide breadth of band and album names lighting quick, from hits to deep cuts.

Witness this exchange, about favorite records:

“Good albums, front to back. I have a bunch (that rank high),” Waltz said.

“I think The Novelist is pretty good,” offered Madrigal.

“The Novelist, Richard Swift. That’s solid,” Waltz said. “And Prince’s Sign ‘o the Times. I love that record.”

“What year was that one?” Madrigal asked.

“That was ’87, I believe,” Waltz said. “Might want to double check that.”

We did. He was right.

Those musical bonafides — those years spent devoted to chords, to keys, to artist catalogs — they’re what make the second thing work.

Which is that, when it comes to their own music, the guys like to have fun.

They take their craft seriously, but never themselves.

“We’re having a good time,” Waltz said. “The reason I like playing with (Madrigal) is that I want to have fun on stage. The way we are — we just hang out and laugh. I want that to be (the same) on stage. That’s what this band’s about: having fun.”

SupperClub will perform at The Glow Show, a June 3 art and music event at Confluent Space at 285 Williams Blvd., Richland.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and will feature art with light and/or glowing components. It is for people 21 and older. Cover is $5.

Tri-City rockers Lingering Souls also will take the stage, along with the Portland-based sparkle pop band Mini Blinds.

Waltz and Madrigal first performed together as SupperClub last summer.

Their sound is big, rocking, boisterous.

Madrigal describes it as an energetic mix of ironic classic rock and indie pop.

To Waltz, “we’re just rock and roll, man.”

Their skills and their spirit are showcased on SupperClub Live EP. It takes a little effort to get your hands on — the guys only made 100 cassettes (each comes with a download code so the owner can listen online), and they’re available solely at live shows. But it’s worth it.

Stand out tracks range from Bad Dudes, with its pulsing beat and infectious guitar, to the rollicking, melodic I Don’t Care Anymore

Waltz and Madrigal sing and play guitar and bass.

They’re joined by “Heather,” a back-up track they created. Her soothing, computerized voice can be heard at shows and on the EP.

After The Glow Show performance, the guys will hit the road for gigs around the Northwest, from Boise to Bellingham.

They’re working on a studio album and expect to release a single soon.

Madrigal, 29, first started making music in about sixth grade. He joined the school band, choosing the trumpet as his instrument. He later started playing guitar.

Waltz, 32, gravitated toward the keyboard — his family got one at a second-hand store when he was about 7 years old.

In high school, he got serious about music, taking a piano class and picking up guitar.

For him, music is always there, around.

“I’m always humming songs. They’re in my head and I have to lay them out or I go crazy,” he said. “I’ve been hearing them since I was a kid.”

Music is an emotional thing for him. It provides an outlet.

Madrigal seems to feel the same way — that it’s meaningful.

Plus, back to the second thing about them. For the SupperClub guys, it’s so much fun.

The energy of the crowd. Playing off each other. Playing the music they created.

“I want to be the band that I want to see — a band that’s playing good music and enjoying themselves,” Madrigal said.

“We’re just being ourselves. It’s just who we are. Goofy dudes, hanging out,” Waltz added. “Yeah, there’s nothing stopping us.”

For more information on SupperClub, find the band on Facebook page under SupperClubMusic or go to www.supperclubmusic.bandcamp.com.

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 11:45 AM with the headline "SupperClub boasts music bonafides and a spirit of fun."