Supernova (band)
Encyclopedia
Supernova is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...

 band formed in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in 1989. The band has released three full-length albums, numerous singles and EPs and were part of the original 1995 Vans Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...

 line-up. They are perhaps best known by wider audiences for their song "Chewbacca", which was featured on the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...

 1994 independent film Clerks
Clerks
Clerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...

.

Early years (1989-1994)

The original Supernova line-up formed in 1989, composed of bassist/vocalist Art Mitchell, guitarist/vocalist Hayden Theis and drummer/vocalist Dave Collins. The band quickly became a popular novelty act in the Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

 punk scene for their energetic and often silly space-themed live performances: the group would often dress in outlandish costumes, hand out tin foil
Tin foil
Tin foil, also spelled tinfoil, is a thin foil made of tin. Actual tin foil was superseded by cheaper and more durable aluminium foil after World War II, and aluminium foil is sometimes confused with "tin foil" because of its similarity to the former material.-History:Foil made from a thin leaf of...

 to their audiences to wear, write songs about topics such as drool, Oreos and math, and remained in-character as their alien personas during interviews. It wasn't until 1992 when they began releasing recorded material on 7" singles on various indie labels, some of which went on to receive regular airplay on college radio.

Supernova received significant exposure in 1994 when their song "Chewbacca" - a mostly instrumental piece featuring the band members growling like Wookiee
Wookiee
Wookiees are a species of bipeds in the Star Wars universe. The most notable Wookiee is Chewbacca, a companion to Han Solo.-Inspiration:...

s - was featured in the hit cult comedy Clerks
Clerks
Clerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...

and its respective soundtrack
Clerks (soundtrack)
Clerks is the 1994 soundtrack album to the film of the same name. The soundtrack features alternative rock songs performed by various artists, as well as audio clips from the film. Famously, the cost of licensing the songs on the soundtrack cost more than the film cost to make.-Track listing:...

. Later that year, however, Thais left the group, later to join two other sci-fi punk bands, Servotron
Servotron
Servotron was a science fiction-influenced rock band active from 1995 to 1999. Members portrayed a collective of robots whose chosen medium for dissemination of ideas was music...

 and Man or Astro-Man?
Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man? is a surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama, in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s like that of The Spotnicks with the new wave and punk rock sounds of...

.

Indie breakthrough (1995-2005)

With Jodey Lawrence now assuming guitar duty, Supernova released their first studio album Ages 3 & Up
Ages 3 & Up
Ages 3 & Up is the first album by Orange County pop punk band Supernova. It was released in 1995 on Amphetamine Reptile Records.A music video for "Math" featured footage from Last In Space, a failed television pilot Supernova produced in conjunction with the album.-Track listing:All lyrics written...

in 1995 on Amphetamine Reptile Records
Amphetamine Reptile Records
Amphetamine Reptile Records is a nationally renowned record label which was founded in 1986 by then-US Marine Tom Hazelmyer in Washington State, US The label is best-known for its roster of noise rock artists, and its Dope, Guns 'n' Fucking In The Streets series of compilations.-History:Hazelmyer...

, issuing a single ("Vitamins") which saw decent radio airplay. Following the release of the album, Supernova began touring regularly, appearing as part of the original Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...

 in 1995 (playing again in 1999) and acting as touring support for bands including The Buzzcocks, Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...

, The Presidents of the United States of America
The Presidents of the United States of America (band)
The Presidents of the United States of America, commonly referred to as Pot USA or "PUSA" or The Presidents, are a twice Grammy-nominated American alternative rock band. The band formed in Seattle, USA, in 1993. The three-piece group currently comprises vocalist and "basitarist" Chris Ballew,...

, The Supersuckers
The Supersuckers
Supersuckers are an American rock band. They are the self-proclaimed "Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World." Following the relative success of their 1997 foray into country music with the release of Must've Been High, they have also been known to play country shows under various names,...

, The Aquabats
The Aquabats
The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superheroes on a quest to save the world from evil through music...

, Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...

, and Boss Hog
Boss Hog
Boss Hog is an American punk blues band including the husband and wife duo of Jon Spencer and Cristina Martinez along with Jens Jurgensen , Hollis Queens and Mark Boyce...

. Supernova's second album, Rox
Rox (album)
Rox is the second album from Orange County pop punk band Supernova. It was released in 1998 on Amphetamine Reptile Records.-Track listing:All lyrics written by Supernova....

, followed in 1998. In 2001, the band released the compilation album Pop as a Weapon
Pop as a Weapon
Pop as a Weapon is a compilation album from Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released in 2001 by Sympathy for the Record Industry....

, which collected tracks from the band's earlier years that, up until then, had only been available on vinyl.

In 2003, OC Weekly
OC Weekly
OC Weekly, a sister publication of both LA Weekly and The Village Voice, is a free, left-wing weekly paper distributed in Orange County, California and also in Long Beach....

ranked Supernova #86 in their feature "The 129 Greatest OC Bands Ever". The reviewer described the band as "part of the wave of bands that brought the spotlight to OC for a bit", summarizing them as "one of the first and best of the slew of outer-space-themed rock bands".

Resurgence and hiatus (2006-present)

In the mid-2000s, Supernova experienced a resurgence of popularity, highlighted by their appearances on the popular children's television series Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís...

in 2007, the band playing their song "Up & Down" and Lawrence being featured in a segment playing guitar alongside Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk of The Aquabats
The Aquabats
The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superheroes on a quest to save the world from evil through music...

. Following the release a live 7" single entitled ¡Diga Queso!
¡Diga Queso!
"¡Diga Queso!" was the seventh single by Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released on 7" by Rococo Records in 2007. The pressing was limited to 200 copies, each one autographed by the band....

- the band's first release in six years - Supernova played a number of high-profile festivals, including the 2006 and 2008 Bamboozle
The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual rain-or-shine, three-day music festival held in New Jersey. Every year, new bands compete for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the Skate and Surf Festival.- The Characters:...

 fests and the 2007 Warped Tour.

Jodey Lawrence left Supernova in August 2008. Courtney Pollock, former member of The Aquabats
The Aquabats
The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superheroes on a quest to save the world from evil through music...

 and longtime Supernova fan, was recruited as a temporary replacement, but immediately following his live debut with the band, it was announced that Pollock would become a permanent member, retaining his Aquabat nickname of "Chainsaw". Throughout 2007, Supernova was working on a new album and wrote a number of new songs, with titles such as "Poodle" and "Whiffle Bat". Following Lawrence's departure, the band announced plans on re-writing the album with Pollock. However, no further announcements regarding the album were made, and Supernova played their most recent show on January 29, 2010 before entering into a period of inactivity.

Band mythology and live shows

Similar to related bands Servotron
Servotron
Servotron was a science fiction-influenced rock band active from 1995 to 1999. Members portrayed a collective of robots whose chosen medium for dissemination of ideas was music...

, Man or Astro-Man?
Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man? is a surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama, in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s like that of The Spotnicks with the new wave and punk rock sounds of...

, The Phenomenauts and the Aquabats
The Aquabats
The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superheroes on a quest to save the world from evil through music...

, Supernova is noted for their science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 inspired theatrics anchored by a fictional backstory:

The origins of Supernova begin on the distant planet of Cynot 3, a world inhabited by kind aliens who spend their days relaxing and searching for valuable aluminum foil. One day in 1989, Cynot 3's arch-nemeses, The Smarmies (creatures bent on destroying the world with good will and love), blow the planet up in a supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...

. Three native Cynotians - Art, Jo, and Dave - escape just in time with their rock n' roll-powered tour bus spaceship and crash land in Costa Mesa, where they decide to start their very own rock band.

In 1995, Supernova produced a 25-minute television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...

 starring themselves perpetuating their mythology. Entitled Last In Space: A Show for Kids?, the pilot was an adult-oriented children's show chronicling the trio's adventures within their space van, complete with musical numbers. The show wasn't picked up, but copies were distributed on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....

 and are still being sold at shows.

At live shows, Supernova dress in silver jumpsuits and custom-made space helmets. Tin foil remains a major part of the Supernova experience: fans are encouraged to wear foil accessories (most venues offer ticket discounts for those who do) and, at the insistence of the band, try to pelt the members in the face with foil balls. Art's claim is that he has never been hit in the face ever even though he has been hit in what most would consider his face. When asked, Art explained his face is "anywhere I don't get hit." Dave and Jodey make no such claim.

"Rock Star" Dispute

In mid-2006, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 launched the second season of their hit reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 series Rock Star
Rock Star (TV series)
Rock Star is a television series produced by Mark Burnett in which aspiring singers from all around the world competed to become the lead singer of a featured group. It debuted on CBS on July 11, 2005, to mediocre ratings. The show was hosted by television personality and commercial spokeswoman...

, in which contestants compete to become the lead singer of a featured band. The band that was created for the season, which included musicians Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...

, Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...

, Gilby Clark and Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...

 was to be named "Supernova".

On 27 June 2006, the members of the Orange County Supernova filed a lawsuit against CBS, Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...

 and Rockstar Entertainment, seeking compensatory and punitive damages
Punitive damages
Punitive damages or exemplary damages are damages intended to reform or deter the defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit...

, as well as trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...

 protection of the "Supernova" name and the destruction of all Rock Star materials bearing the name "Supernova". One of the primary pieces of evidence was a MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

 message from Rock Star producer Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...

 in which he notes that the defendants had been informed of the existence of a prior band of the same name, but decided to proceed anyway.

The defendants did not believe that the plaintiffs had exclusive and enforceable trademark rights to the band name "Supernova" for a number of reasons, including that the Orange County Supernova band had not performed for years, that they were not the only band who used the name "Supernova", and that their trademark rights had never been very strong.

On 12 September 2006, the judge ruled in favor of the original Supernova, granting their request for a preliminary injunction. The injunction kept the producers and musicians of Rock Star from performing, recording, or selling merchandise under the name "Supernova" pending the outcome of the lawsuit. As a result, the CBS band was simply renamed "Rock Star Supernova". The lawsuit was dropped soon thereafter.

Rock Star Supernova disbanded in 2008 after only two years of performing, releasing a single album
Rock Star Supernova (album)
-Personnel:Rock Star Supernova*Lukas Rossi – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Gilby Clarke – lead guitar*Jason Newsted – bass*Tommy Lee – drumsAdditional musicians*Butch Walker*Scott Humphrey*Chad Stewart*Josh Freese*Jason Freese...

 to universally negative reviews and commercial disappointment.

Discography

Studio albums
  • Ages 3 & Up
    Ages 3 & Up
    Ages 3 & Up is the first album by Orange County pop punk band Supernova. It was released in 1995 on Amphetamine Reptile Records.A music video for "Math" featured footage from Last In Space, a failed television pilot Supernova produced in conjunction with the album.-Track listing:All lyrics written...

    (1995, Amphetamine Reptile Records
    Amphetamine Reptile Records
    Amphetamine Reptile Records is a nationally renowned record label which was founded in 1986 by then-US Marine Tom Hazelmyer in Washington State, US The label is best-known for its roster of noise rock artists, and its Dope, Guns 'n' Fucking In The Streets series of compilations.-History:Hazelmyer...

    )
  • Rox
    Rox (album)
    Rox is the second album from Orange County pop punk band Supernova. It was released in 1998 on Amphetamine Reptile Records.-Track listing:All lyrics written by Supernova....

    (1998, Amphetamine Reptile Records)


Compilations
  • Pop as a Weapon
    Pop as a Weapon
    Pop as a Weapon is a compilation album from Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released in 2001 by Sympathy for the Record Industry....

    (2001, Sympathy for the Record Industry
    Sympathy for the Record Industry
    Sympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...

    )


EPs
  • More Songs About Hair (1993, Oddessy Records)
  • Live at the Lava Room (1997, What Else Records)


Singles
  • Long Hair & Tattoos
    Long Hair & Tattoos
    "Long Hair & Tattoos" was the first single by Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released on 7" by Odyssey Records in 1992.All three tracks were included on the 2001 compilation CD Pop as a Weapon.-Track listing:All lyrics written by Supernova....

    (1992, Odyssey Records)
  • Calling Hong Kong
    Calling Hong Kong
    "Calling Hong Kong" was the second single by Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released on 7" by Goldenrod Records in 1993.Tracks 1 & 2 were included on the 2001 compilation CD Pop as a Weapon.-Track listing:All lyrics written by Supernova....

    (1993, Goldenrod Records)
  • Electric Man
    Electric Man
    "Electric Man" is a song by Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released on 7" by Sympathy for the Record Industry in late 1993.All three tracks were included on the 2001 compilation CD Pop as a Weapon.-Track listing:...

    (1993, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  • Costa Mesa Hates Me
    Costa Mesa Hates Me
    "Costa Mesa Hates Me" is a song by Supernova, released as their fourth single on 7" by Tres Hombres Musica in 1994.Tracks one and three were included on the 2001 compilation CD Pop as a Weapon....

    (1994, Tres Hombres Musica)
  • Monsta!!
    Monsta!!
    "Monsta!!" is the fifth single by Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released on 5" by Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1995.-Track listing:All lyrics written by Supernova.Side A:*MonstaSide B:*Coach-Personnel:...

    (1995, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  • How Much More
    How Much More
    "How Much More" is the sixth single by Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released on 7" by Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1996.The title track is a cover of a Go-Go's song, from their 1981 album Beauty and the Beat, written by Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin.-Track listing:Side A:*How...

    (1996, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  • ¡Diga Queso!
    ¡Diga Queso!
    "¡Diga Queso!" was the seventh single by Orange County pop punk band Supernova, released on 7" by Rococo Records in 2007. The pressing was limited to 200 copies, each one autographed by the band....

    (2007, Rococo Records)


Non-album tracks and compilation appearances
  • "Chewbacca", Clerks: Music from the Motion Picture (1993, Sony Records)
  • "Math", AmRep Motors 1995 Models (1995, Amphetamine Reptile Records)
  • "Math", Tromeo and Juliet
    Tromeo and Juliet
    Tromeo and Juliet is a 1996 independent transgressive comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment...

     (Soundtrack)
    (1996, Oglio Records)
  • "Vitamins", Dr Marten's Capitol Records Music Sampler (1996, Capitol Records
    Capitol Records
    Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

    )
  • "Calling Hong Kong" Super Mixer: A Goldenrod Compilation (1996, Goldenrod Records
    Goldenrod Records
    Goldenrod Records was a record label formed by Tod Swank in 1991 in San Diego, California to release the first 7" record by Custom Floor, a band consisting of skateboarders Garry Davis, Phil Esbenshade, and Miki Vuckovich. After the release of the Custom Floor record, Swank's other project,...

    )
  • "Gates of Steel", We Are Not Devo (1997, Glue Factory Records)
  • "Vitamins", AmRep Equipped (1997, Amphetamine Reptile Records)
  • "Sugar Coated Stucco", Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking in the Streets (1997, Amphetamine Reptile Records)

External links

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