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The O.C. Supertones

From Alfawiki
The Orange County Supertones
IndustryMusic
Founded1995
Headquarters
Orange County, California
,
United States
ProductsChristian ska music

The Orange County Supertones—also referred to as The O.C. Supertones or simply The Supertones—were a Christian ska ensemble originating from Orange County, California. Initially signed to Tooth & Nail Records and its subsidiary BEC Recordings, the group eventually pursued an independent path. They disbanded in 2005, reunited for touring and recording activities in 2010, and ultimately concluded their endeavors in 2017. The Supertones were pioneers among Christian ska bands to achieve significant mainstream success.

History

Formed during the early 1990s by Matt Morginsky, Jason Carson, and Tony Terusa while they were in junior high school, the band’s early sound was an eclectic fusion of punk, rap, metal, disco, and funk. In 1995, they adopted the name The Orange County Supertones and shifted toward a ska-driven style reminiscent of bands like Operation Ivy and Skankin' Pickle. Although drummer Jason Carson had a personal connection with Brandon Ebel, founder of Tooth & Nail Records, the label was initially reluctant to sign them based on their previous musical incarnation.

Their debut release, Adventures of the O.C. Supertones, received a nomination for a 1997 Dove Award in the "Alternative / Modern Rock" category. Their sophomore album, Supertones Strike Back (1997), marked a commercial milestone by reaching No. 3 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and No. 2 on the Top Christian Albums chart. That same year, they toured alongside Ghoti Hook and Stavesacre, opened for Audio Adrenaline, and collaborated with them on the song "Blitz" from Audio Adrenaline's album Some Kind of Zombie.

In 1998, The Supertones participated in the all-Christian-ska tour "Skamania 98" with bands such as The Insyderz and Five Iron Frenzy. The following year, they performed during Pope John Paul II’s visit to St. Louis.

Musically, The Supertones transitioned from a traditional ska approach to incorporating harder rock elements before embracing pop-rock influences later on. After saxophonist Dave Chevalier left in 1998, the band phased out saxophone parts while integrating rap and R&B styles into their music. Their albums Chase the Sun (1999) and Loud and Clear (2000) both secured positions on the Billboard 200 chart.

Their lyrics were straightforward and avoided heavy metaphor, blending clear theological messages with an evangelistic purpose; live shows often featured preaching segments originally delivered by drummer Jason Carson before he stepped away from performing in 2000 to focus on full-time ministry. Adam Ferry, previously with Plankeye, succeeded him as drummer.

The band continued producing albums up until their disbandment announcement in 2005. They released Unite, a compilation of greatest hits, and held their farewell concert at Biola University in La Mirada, California on October 7, 2005. Former members Jason Carson, Darren Mettler, and Tony Terusa returned to perform three songs; Kevin "Slim" Chen was present but did not take part in the performance. The show lasted approximately two and a half hours with nearly 30 songs played.

Hiatus

On March 11, 2008, BEC Recordings, Inc. issued The Ultimate Collection, a greatest hits album that showcased selected tracks from their studio releases but excluded "Revenge of the O.C. Supertones."

Former guitarist Ethan Luck became the drummer for Christian pop-punk group Relient K in February 2008. Ex-lead singer Matt Morginsky embarked on a solo career under the moniker Mojo & the Info, releasing his album Doctorate in Cold Rockin' It through iTunes and MySpace on April 20, 2008. Additionally, he collaborated with the band October Light on their track "Everything Will Be Made Right."

Kevin "Slim" Chen currently performs with New Liars Club, a rock/pop punk band featuring former members of Gameface and Follow Your Failure. Meanwhile, original drummer Jason Carson founded Encounter Church in Orange County, California, where he serves as senior pastor.

Reunion and subsequent disbandment

In 2010, The Supertones brought back most of their original lineup for a brief tour consisting of fifteen performances, which included festivals such as Joshua Fest in Quincy, California, Soulfest in New Hampshire, and Spirit West Coast in Del Mar, California. During this reunion phase, they issued another compilation album titled Reunite. After concluding the tour, the group committed to playing roughly ten concerts each year.

On March 3, 2012, founding members Matt Morginsky, Tony Terusa, Jason Carson, and Darren Mettler—alongside new collaborators—revealed their work on a full-length record called For the Glory, which was financed through a Kickstarter campaign. The lead single "On the Downbeat" was made available on March 9, 2012, preceding the album’s release on November 6.

The band declared on March 11, 2017, that they would hold a final show streamed live on Facebook to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Supertones Strike Back, performing the entire album live. This special event took place at Shoreline Church in San Clemente, California and was recorded for a subsequent live album and DVD launch.

Band members

Final roster

  • Matt Morginsky – lead vocals (1995–2005, 2010–2017)
  • Jason Carson – drums (1995–2001, 2010–2017) previously with Unashamed
  • Tony "Toneman" Terusa – bass guitar (1995–2003, 2010–2017)
  • Darren "Chief" Mettler – trumpet (1995–2004, 2010–2017)
  • Nathan Spencer – trombone (2010–2017)
  • Jesse Craig – guitar (2010–2017)
  • Josh Auer – guitar (2011–2017)

Former members

  • Daniel Spencer – trombone (1995–2005)
  • Ethan Luck – guitar (2000–2005) formerly part of Demon Hunter among others
  • John Wilson – drums (2001–2005)
  • Chris Beaty – bass guitar (2003–2005)
  • Bret Barker – trumpet (2004–2005)
  • Kevin "Slim" Chen – guitar (1995–1997) ex-member of Bloodshed
  • Jason Joel Lautenschleger – saxophone (1996–1997)
  • Dave Chevalier – saxophone (1996–1998)
  • Brian "Bronson" Johnson – guitar (1999)
  • Ron Tennison (1999)
  • Adam Ferry – drums (2001)
  • Bram Roberts – trumpet (mid-2002)
  • Jung Park – guitar
  • Tom Kieft – guitar (1998–1999)
  • Jordan Stroup – saxophone (1998–1999)


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 bar:JA     text:"Josh Auer"
 bar:DM     text:"Darren Mettler"
 bar:BB     text:"Bret Barker"
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 bar:DC     text:"Dave Chevalier"
 bar:JS     text:"Jordan Stroup"
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 bar:DM    from:01/01/1995   till:31/08/2004   color:Trumpet
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 bar:CB    from:01/07/2004   till:07/10/2005   color:Bass
 bar:JCa   from:start        till:end          color:Drums except mid-2001 to late-2001 period:
           from:start        till:end          color:white width:.3 # placeholder for breaks 
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           # John Wilson:
           # To keep timeline concise, these periods are omitted here.

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24/04/1996 03/06/1997 23/02/1999 10/10/2000 26/03/2002 22/10/2002 15/06/2004 25/01/2005 06/11/2012

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Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

  • Absolute Favorite Christmas
  • Any Given Day
  • Veggie Rocks!
  • Tooth and Nail 4th anniversary Box Set
  • Tooth and Nail 10th anniversary Box Set
  • Art Core Vol.2
  • Cheapskates Vol. 2
  • Cheapskates Vol. 3
  • Cheapskates Vol. 4
  • X 2003
  • Moms Like Us Too Vol. 1
  • Happy Christmas Vol. 1
  • Happy Christmas Vol. 2
  • Seltzer Vol. 1
  • Seltzer Vol. 3
  • WOW 1999
  • WOW 2000
  • Dominate in 98
  • Steady Sounds From The Underground
  • BEC Sampler Vol. 1
  • Songs from the penalty box Vol. 2
  • Unite (2005)
  • No Lies
  • The O.C. Supertones: The Ultimate Collection (2008)

Charts

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Video Collections

External Links

Year Album US Billboard 200 US Heatseekers Chart Top Contemporary Christian Albums
1996 The Adventures of the O.C. Supertones — — 36
1997 The Adventures of the O.C. Supertones — — 35
1997 Supertones Strike Back 117 3 2
1999 Chase the Sun 95 — 2
2000 Loud and Clear 168 9 10
2002 Hi-Fi Revival — — 28
2002 Live! Volume One — — 20
2004 Revenge of the O.C. Supertones — — 17
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