Catching Up with Summercamp

Imagine it’s the 1990s and Santa Barbara is in the midst of a rock ‘n’ roll renaissance. Young bands sprout left and right, music venues are packed, and there’s an ecstatic camaraderie between all musicians and listeners — folkers and punkers alike. Record labels pounce on the scene and a few small-town Santa Barbara musicians are launched into stardom. One of them being alternative rock band Summercamp with Tim Cullen, Misha Feldmann, Sean McCue, and Tony Sevener.

As the daughter of lead vocalist and guitarist Sean McCue, I grew up hearing about performing for a crowd of 30,000 people, playing pool with Keanu Reeves on tour, and the strangeness of having fans on tour that would follow them for an autograph. Now history comes full circle: on April 18 at 7 p.m. Summercamp will reunite for their first show in more than 25 years at the Lobero Theatre, joining Nerf Herder (the headliners) and Ridel High.

Ahead of rehearsal for the show, I had the opportunity to speak with the band. “I’m super grateful that Nerf Herder asked us to play,” said lead vocalist and guitarist Tim Cullen. He continued that it’s both a reunion for the bands in the show, as they were all “buddies” in the ’90s, but it is also a reunion with all the friends who are coming to see it. “A class reunion of sorts,” drummer Tony Sevener said.

Misha Feldmann (left) and Tony Sevener of Summercamp, 1997 | Photo: Courtesy

Despite the decades apart, nerves aren’t the issue. “It’s in your DNA. Those songs, they’re right there… So, I’m really looking forward to this weekend [for the first rehearsal]. All the inside jokes and all the fun just hanging with your friends. That feeling gets injected into the music,” McCue said.

McCue and Cullen first met in a Santa Barbara High School history class, where they bonded over guitar and began playing together at lunch. Cullen remembers being “blown away” hearing one of McCue’s songs on cassette. Around the same time, Cullen met bassist Misha Feldmann in the SBHS marching band, where they connected over a shared love of hard rock and metal. The three eventually formed their first band, Old Man. Sevener joined later, filling in on drums for mutual friend Eric Herzog in an Old Man show. After successfully learning the set in a day, he was invited to stay in the band permanently. 

The band speaks fondly of that time period. “It was a special time … everyone was good,” Cullen said. Cullen explained there was a culture of constant collaboration and support, with musicians regularly attending each other’s shows. “It was a ridiculous amount of talent for a town that small,” Sevener said.

As the local scene grew, so did Summercamp’s reach. Feldmann recalled the momentum they gained as they traded shows with friends in L.A. Soon, seven major labels were interested. They ultimately chose Maverick, drawn to its smaller size and connection to Warner Bros. and Madonna.

The band then recorded and published their debut album, Pure Juice. They toured North America a few times, performing alongside Snoop Dogg and Korn at Lollapalooza. Later, they toured in Japan, where they had a massive following. 

When asked if they had a “we’ve made it” moment, one story stood out. “I think that was the day our record dropped in Japan — that show at the first Fuji Rock Festival in front of, what, 30,000 people,” McCue said. The band was on the main stage alongside the Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band members recalled that there was a typhoon that day. “There was a very real threat that maybe we’d get electrocuted…. I mean, it was coming down,” McCue said. “Pretty much the coolest show ever,” Feldmann said. 

Although Summercamp’s second album was never released due to issues with their record label, the band members never stopped making music. In 2004, Cullen released his solo album Fun Razor and later toured Japan with Sevener and Feldmann. After that tour, Sevener continued to tour and record with several bands, including General Elektriks, spending more time on the road in Europe and Japan; he is now based in the Bay Area. Feldmann has spent the past two decades playing with the L.A.-based band Pen15 Club and more recently began writing and releasing music with Sevener under the name Red Rose Way. 

Meanwhile, McCue has remained in Santa Barbara, where he records and produces himself and other artists, most recently including Karla Bonoff, at his Coyote Road Studios. Cullen also currently lives in Santa Barbara, where he has been recently writing and recording music with McCue. 

“I feel like I’ve reclaimed music for just myself. And the music I do now is more akin to a spiritual practice,” Sevener said.  “I totally agree…. I continue to write and record music just for personal reasons,” McCue said.

Summercamp in 2026 | Credit: Hector Hurtado

In many ways it seems as though Summercamp’s journey is rebeginning. With an upcoming show at the Lobero and renewed attention from a viral video by comedian Ceci Hace — who recently discovered Summercamp’s “Drawer” after searching for it for 28 years — the band is finding a new audience and a major resurgence in monthly listeners on Spotify.

“We’re all still growing, we’re all still learning. We’re not dead yet. So, it doesn’t mean we have to just lie down and wait to die. There’s still plenty to chew on,” Sevener said.

See Summercamp alongside Nerf Herder and Ridel High on Saturday, April 18, at 7 p.m. Seelobero.org/events/nerf-herder.