Spunj worthy

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

For Eugene, Ore. band Spunj, playing live is what it’s all about.

The quartet will perform at the free outdoor Sandpoint Summer Music Series at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22 in Farmin Park, with gates opening at 5 p.m. The series, produced by Mattox Farm Productions, invites touring bands to play free outdoor music shows for the community to enjoy. Along with live music, the Summer Series will feature Mandala Pizza and Opa! Food Truck, with 7B Origin serving up non-alcoholic beverages and Eichardt’s Bar handling adult drinks.

Known for their high-energy, multi-genre sets, Spunj incorporates classic songwriting with improvisation seamlessly sprinkled throughout as they weave from genre to genre, always staying true to their mission to get people out of their seats dancing.

Spunj, from left to right: Sage McCommas, David Richards, Josh Harris and Dan Underkofler. Courtesy photo.

“Energy is everything to us when we perform,” said keyboardist Dan Underkofler. “We’re all big fans of improvisational music, whether it be the Grateful Dead, Phish or jazz music. We thrive on the unexpected.”

Underkofler joins Sage McCommas on drums, Josh Harris on guitar and David Richards on bass and saxophone, with every member contributing vocals. Spunj’s sound is energetic and fun, with jam band elements infused with pop, jazz, indie rock and any other genre they feel like exploring. Think Sublime mixed with Umphrey’s McGee and a dash of Osees.

“Some artists on tour have an obligation to play certain material (i.e. radio hits) and often get tired of performing those songs over and over each night,” Underkofler told the Reader. “As a band that identifies within a genre that isn’t known for its airtime in the mainstream media, we have the liberty to play what we like, when we like.”

Spunj recently released an EP titled Snack Size, Vol. 3, featuring a collection of songs written by various members of the band.

“There’s always collaboration,” Underkofler said when asked to identify the primary songwriter in the group. “It’s very rare that one of us has a complete vision that remains unaltered after introducing their idea to the band. We do our best to create an open and democratic environment that encourages feedback and contribution when making new music.”

The four-piece plans to release Snack Size, Vol. 4 to coincide with their fall tour, which will add “five more songs to round out what we hope to be our very first vinyl release,” Underkofler said.

While they enjoy recording original music, Spunj is truly at home traveling the West Coast performing in front of others.

“In 2021 and 2022, Spunj brought a P.A. and a full light show to several places along the West Coast to perform renegade shows to thousands of passersby,” Underkofler said. “It’s these guerilla-style shows that created a huge word-of-mouth hype around the West Coast and ultimately allowed us to sell more tickets and move onto bigger venues and open for bigger bands.”

For those unable to catch Spunj at the Sandpoint Summer Music Series, they’ll return to Sandpoint for a gig at the 219 Lounge on Sunday, Oct. 27.

The Sandpoint Summer Music Series is made possible by sponsors including the Pend Oreille Arts Council, Washington Trust Bank, KPND, Selle Design Group, the Heartwood Center, The Novas at Evergreen Realty, the Reader, Spruce Property Care, Ting, the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, Connie’s Cafe, North Root Architecture, The Mycelium Collective and Misty Mountain Furniture.

Learn more about the Sandpoint Summer Music Series at mattoxfarm.com. Listen to Spunj at spunjmusic.com.