With a catalogue of 1990s rock classics from artists such as Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alanis Morisette, and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, SuperNostalgic hits the stage for their biggest show yet next week.
The Sequim-based group plays a 5 p.m. set on Thursday, July 4, at the The James Center for Performing Arts bandshell just north of Carrie Blake Community Park for the City of Sequim’s Independence Day celebration.
The band has a self-imposed guideline for itself, the music they play has to have been released strictly within the 1990s. Beyond that, the music is generally grunge, rock, and alternative. Then it starts getting a bit more nuanced, the music must meet a “feeling criteria” that the band continue to work out as they add more tracks to the list.
Among other things, band members are drawn to tracks that feel high energy and catchy. More than anything, they want for their audience to have a good time, and to feel moved by the music.
Jeremy Pederson and Sadie Sprenger trade off lead vocals, backing each other up and providing relief during their sometimes three-hours long sets.
Sequim Gazette photo by Elijah Sussman / Jeremy Pederson of SuperNostalgic sings at the Sequim Elks Club on May 4.
The Bettger brothers play guitars, with Branden (the older of the two) on electric guitar and Adam on bass. The two had the same duties in their early 2000s band Zeo Doxa.
Though they never stopped jamming music together, this is their first serious music project together since the dissolution of the band.
Branden was focused on academia for a while, living in Scotland. Adam started a family, and produced an eclectic range of genres from home in his free time.
Drumming for the band is Michael Echternkamp, who some may recognise as the drummer on the spinning float in the Sequim Irrigation Festival parade.
A band is born
Pederson initially conceived of the band, saying that he’s been a huge fan of grunge bands for many years, singing songs from the grunge cannon at karaoke nights, always trying to replicate their vocal tones.
He had made a few non-starter attempts at pairing up with guitarists before reaching out to Branden, who had himself explored the idea of a ‘90s cover band in the past.
Sequim Gazette photo by Elijah Sussman / Sadie Sprenger and SuperNostalgic entertain the Sequim Elks Club crowd on May 4.
Pederson and Adam were also meeting up weekly at the time, Pederson working out vocal parts to original instrumental arrangements Adam composed. It didn’t take long for Pederson and Branden to invite Adam to join SuperNostalgic. This is when they decided to reach out to drummer Echternkamp. When they called Echternkamp was on a vacation in Hawaii, he immediately agreed to join the band.
When she learned that the band had formed, Sprenger made sure to let them know that she would be willing to lend her vocals to the project. When Pederson was absent from band practice one week, she stepped up, and has been a full and permanent member ever since.
As for the name, Brandon and wife Maggie Bettger had Pederson over for dinner one night and after listening to some classic grunge records, he Brandon reflected that the music was “super nostalgic” — and the name stuck.
Musical limitations
Their approach to playing the songs is to cover the songs closely as they possibly can while embracing happy accidents, which they might stumble across in practices, or while playing live. Brandon said he gives himself leeway for making small changes to the arrangement as many of the songs they play have multiple guitars and synthesizers in their recorded versions.
Sequim Gazette photo by Elijah Sussman / Adam Bettger and SuperNostalgic rock the crowd at the Sequim Elks Club on May 4.
He tries to play the most essential parts, and might fill out missing parts with guitar effects.
The band are already achieving many of the goals set out for themselves. For Echternkamp, it was a success to book their first shows, and they have continued to add shows to their schedule.
“My goal was an outlet for me to sing the type of songs I like to sing without being held back. I can push it as far as I want,” Sprenger said.
Next for the band is expanding slowly into other 1990s sounds, they hope to explore industrial and nu metal. Eventually, they may move beyond an exclusively ’90s set-list.
Pederson muses about covering bands like Led Zeppelin. As it is, they are finding plenty of space to explore and grow as a band within their self-set limitations.
Sequim Gazette photo by Elijah Sussman / SuperNostalgic draws a full crowd on the Sequim Elks dance floor in early May.
The band is still young, but the first shows have seen nothing but enthused audiences and feedback. For SuperNostalgic, at the end of the day, they are just trying to deliver an undeniable musical experience, for themselves, and whoever might be in the room with them.
SuperNostalgic concert dates
• 6:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 2843 E. Myrtle St., Port Angeles (tickets $10, members $8)
• 5 p.m. Thursday, July 4, The James Center for Performing Arts bandshell, 606 N. Blake Ave. (free)
• 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at The Port Angeles Pier (free)
For more more info, show announcements and recordings follow the band on Facebook and Instagram.
