Their Show of Shows

Rising bands like to brag about the big names they’ve opened for, but the Orange County Supertones will soon own bragging rights that are downright spectacular:

“We opened for the pope and the president.”

John Paul II is scheduled to address a Catholic youth rally Tuesday at the Kiel Center arena in St. Louis, and President Clinton is expected to greet him at the event. Before the world’s leading spiritual and political potentates go on, the Supertones will entertain the audience along with two other popular Christian-rock acts, DC Talk and Rebecca St. James.

“It’s really exciting, and a great opportunity. It’s amazing how big this event is,” said Lori Lenz, the Supertones’ associate manager.

Lenz said the gig at the Light of the World Papal Youth Rally, expected to draw 20,000 inside the arena and tens of thousands more who will watch on monitors outside, was the fruit of an existing business relationship between the band’s Irvine-based management company and the concert promoter who advised the Archdiocese of St. Louis on which rock acts to book.

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The promoters liked the Supertones’ music, and event organizers at the archdiocese concurred, Lenz said. The Supertones’ brand of rock is catchy and upbeat but also sophisticated in capturing emotions that stem from a spiritual quest. A 1997 album, “The Supertones Strike Back,” has sold 263,000 copies and is the best album to have emerged from the profusion of Orange County ska-rock bands.

Like most, if not all, bands on the national Christian rock circuit, the Supertones are anchored in Protestant or nondenominational churches, and they play to audiences made up mainly of young people from those types of churches. Lenz said this will be the band’s first concert in a Catholic context.

“It’s just a whole new audience they’ve never played to before. They’re going to do the exact same show they always do,” she said, adding that when the band pauses for the preaching segments that are a standard part of its performances, “they may have to be careful” about matters of terminology and interdenominational tactfulness.

The Supertones do have some Catholic ties: bassist Tony Terusa was raised Catholic, and singer Matt Morginsky’s first exposure to religion occurred when, as a wayward 14-year-old looking for any sort of opportunity to play music, he landed a gig by happenstance as bass player for a worship band at a Catholic church, and found himself paying attention to the priest’s sermons.

With the Supertones’ third album, “Chase the Sun,” due to be released Feb. 23, the papal gig comes at an opportune time.

Using the show as a promotional launching pad “is not really our first goal,” Lenz said. “But since the [national] media is all there, we’re trying to take advantage of it by setting up interviews, and maybe getting [the band] on a morning show.”