popwreckoning

The Bottleneck is an oddly shaped venue. It’s kind of rectangular with a slightly raised level that overlooks the main floor and the back of the venue is divided into a second room that’s still somewhat open to the main room. Because of it’s configuration, the place never looks packed, which can be a bit intimidating for opening bands who already suffer from sparser crowds due to late arrivals. Yet for this particular show, the room looked as packed as it does for most headliners by the time of the first set. By the time the Get Up Kids triumphantly took to the stage, the Bottleneck looked as close to full as it had ever looked. Though there was still plenty of space for the crowd to mosh, dance and just rock out, which they, of course did.

Brian Bonz and the Major Crimes started the night off. Now the Major Crimes, Bonz’ backing band, has a rotating list of members. Touring isn’t cheap, so Bonz often performs alone or with friends. Tonight, some of the Major Crimes were members of fellow touring group, Miniature Tigers. The Crimes added a nice fullness to Bonz’ sound and some impressive harmonies that almost made you forget some of the more crass points of the lyrics. See that’s the thing with Bonz – his show isn’t just about the songs. It’s also about the banter. In between songs Bonz quipped about drugs, girls and life on the road. He even freestyled a rap that would be crap as legit music, but for the purpose of the evening, was funny and fresh and made everyone feel like Bonz was their best friend and not some random guy up on stage. Then after doing things like that and telling everyone to look him up on “Fuckface” or that he was about to perform a song about his “first time to a strip club in Queens,” Bonz would switch off the goofy crassness and switched into serious musician mode. 

Next were the oddly dressed Miniature Tigers. Seriously: oddly dressed. The singer was wearing a poncho and then the rest looked like they just stumbled out of an ugly sweater party. These guys seem to be quite popular with the ladies, which is probably due to the catchy lo-fi tunes they sing with big drum beats and clap-a-long moments. The sound mix was a bit off for this performance and the band seemed to be struggling with it during a few moments, but the audience didn’t seem to care. The songs are danceable and at one point, the singer even ventured into the audience to dance and apparently vacuum suck faces? Maybe the “schoop” sound and reaching your hand like a claw at another person’s face is the new dance rage, but let’s hope it doesn’t catch on in the Midwest. Let’s keep it a Mini Tigers thing. The highlight of their set was definitely “Cannibal Queen.” Not only is it one of the band’s strongest songs, but they turned it into a downright party. Bonz and the Major Crimes came back out on stage to add some percussion and then as an extra surprise, Spider-man came out to dance. Yeah, you read that right. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-man is a fan of the Miniature Tigers. Talk about a great endorsement!

The Bottleneck was noticeably more packed as people waited for local heroes The Get Up Kids to take the stage. People inched closer to the stage. The Get Up Kids hopped up on stage to triumphant music drowned out by the roars of the crowd. The room was electric with excitement. Kansas has sometimes been hit or miss with giving actual support to local bands, but tonight you had to be proud of Lawrence’s enthusiasm.

“Hello…home!” singer Matt Pryor announced with a grin before the band started with “Tithe” off their new album. This was the band’s last night of tour and they were ending it where everything started. Later in the show, Pryor even said that the Bottleneck was one, if not the first show. Then he reminisced with guitarist/vocalist Jim Suptic about Suptic’s 21st birthday at the Bottleneck. The hilarious anecdote about the band’s drunken escapade was cut short by a keyboard intro cuing the next song.

Speaking of birthdays and keyboards, perhaps the most noticeable difference in the band’s performance was the absence of keyboardist James Dewees, whose birthday also happened to be that day. The fill in keyboardist was ok, especially considering he hasn’t lived with the songs like the rest of the guys, but he lacked Dewees’ spunk, energy and humor. The band did give Dewees a shout out, but didn’t say where he was, but it’s safe to assume he’s probably off somewhere with My Chemical Romance. He’s being playing keys for them and touring with their most recent release.

Despite Dewees absence, it was a solid set with a good mix of songs off the new album and many of their older songs. The only complaint might be that they seemed to skimp on Guilt Show. The songs off There Are Rules, the band’s January release, weren’t as familiar to the audience as many of the older songs – the moving mouths shouting the words noticeably stilled for those tunes, yet the bodies kept moving and dancing along, patient until a song such as “Mass Pike” let them belt out again.

As much as the crowd seemed to like jumping up and down and moshing, perhaps the most well-received songs of the night were the slower, more romantic numbers. “Campfire Kansas” and “I’ll Catch You” saw plenty of couple’s reaching for the hands of their date and the singles in the room reaching for lighters or phones.

Another highlight was a 3-piece performance of The Replacements‘ “Beer for Breakfast.” The Pope brothers and Suptic made it back to the stage well before the stand-in keyboardist and Pryor did after the cheers for an encore. Suptic joked that Pryor had a nervous breakdown and the band was no a 3-piece before the surprise tune. But fret not, the breakdown bit was a joke and Pryor came out of the green room about halfway through the song and happily watched from the side of the stage. When the band followed that song up with “Holiday” the crowd erupted with an energy unmatched during the whole show. It seemed like they couldn’t get more into a song, but by “Ten Minutes,” the final song of the night, it looked like the band was about to wish they had a barricade. Arms were in the air and bodies pressed against the stage as people screamed their lungs out with the band.

A lot of bands seem a little lackluster after ten years in the business. They slow with age and almost seem to go through the motions. Their songs from their early years seem outdated. The Get Up Kids’ music seemed timeless and seamless. They were confident and lively. This show managed to be the exception to the rule.

Set List:
Tithe
Action & Action
Regent’s Court
I’m a Loner Dottie, A Rebel
Automatic
Mass Pike
Love Me
Overdue
Shatter Your Lungs
Red Letter Day
Woodson
Pararelevant
Shorty
Close to Home
Holy Roman
Campfire Kansas
Rememorable
Don’t Hate Me
Walking on a Wire
—
Beer for Breakfast (Replacements cover)
Holiday
I’ll Catch You
Ten Minutes

Get Up Kids‘ new video for “Automatic” shakes things up at the car wash.

The video features a sleeping child in a driverless car going through an automatic car wash. Reality’s lines get blurred and wavy in the wash and suddenly the child’s eyes burst open to a wave of colors and oils swirling on the windshield.

Unlike most music videos, the band doesn’t appear in this video and in another twist from the norm, this song features Jim Suptic on lead vocals rather than Matt Pryor.

You can check out the full video below. The band is currently on tour and will be returning to their hometown on March 13 at the Bottleneck. Full dates can be found here.

The Get Up Kids are back with new record There Are Rules, but for a band that has long been touting ‘kids’ in their name, this is a testament that they’ve grown up. Lyrical themes focus on experiences and the wisdom that comes with age and reflection. Now, this is still the Get Up Kids fans first fell in love with, especially when listening to the frequent driving drum beats over fuzzy guitars and characteristic vocals, but these battered music veterans have a new perspective.  

There Are Rules is the band’s fifth studio album, and the first lp since 2004′s Guilt Show and the much bemoaned hiatus/break-up. With There Are Rules, the band returned to longtime producer Ed Rose and Bob Weston, who produced their 4 Minute Mile debut fifteen years ago. After some label struggles in the past, the band worked to put this record out on their own Quality Hill Records.

As previously mentioned, wisdom from experience is a prevalent theme on this album. And with that theme come some other motifs such as lies and feelings of doubt and betrayal. While others albums might have focused more on relationships and surroundings, this album is more reflective on past interactions and their repercussions on the future. Several of the songs seem to specifically focus on the band’s break-up and the events that brought that about. On “When It Dies,” Matt Pryor sings “Let it go, when it dies,” which is basically like saying don’t drag something out when it isn’t working – part of the reason for the band’s absence for the last five years. Then on “Rememorable,” Pryor sings, “Look how far we’ve come and you’ll send us 10 steps off.” The plural subjects makes it pretty obvious that this isn’t a song about the group of the guys getting discouraged over time. But the reflective narration fights to the end of the song on a wave of fuzzy guitar riffs before entering a prose that could be a self-conversation or a conversation to fans or peers. “Wish this was over,” and then the narrator seems to retort a “no”: “We’re in it for the long haul.” Yet another response, “Why don’t you go away?” The challenging struggle to keep making music even when support isn’t always apparent? That’s just one of many possible interpretations.

Aside from the lyrical theme being a major change for the band, the other thing that stands out is James Dewees has really stepped into his role in this band. The fuzzy guitars and heavy reverb were always common for this band, but the synths are more apparent on this album than Guilt Show. The opening track “Tithe” could have easily worked as a Reggie and the Full Effect tune.

If you listen to any song off the album, it should be “Rally ‘Round the Fool.” This is the one that you won’t be able to get out after your head long after you hit the stop button on whatever device you’re using for listening. This song is so great not just because it is catchy, but because it seems to be a culmination point – a rally point, if you will – for the album’s themes. Remember that the theme about wisdom that comes with age and experience? Yep, that’s here in full force as Pryor’s voice darkly sings, “Rally ’round the fool, we all fall.” There’s lots of ways to envision that line. In a more metaphorical interpretation, I picture the innocent children’s game of Ring-around-the-Rosie. Now picture it if it weren’t so innocent. Like maybe the kid’s are playing it on a volcano’s edge. There’s a danger there that is only present to those watching, while the kids playing are completely blind to it. It’s a lot like life. You can be drawn into something blindly and see no harm, but it could lead to your downfall. This reflection could be carried over into different parts of the band’s career, and now with the wisdom of experience, they recognize the various fools. “It’s all over,” Pryor repeats at the end over a galloping rhythm guitar and a wailing bass drum. Not only is it great to listen to on recording, but it will undoubtably be the ace in the pocket for their live show.

Now, there are bound to be some haters – you know, those people who cling to a band’s first release and consider everything else crap – but give this record a chance. There’s a surprising amount of diversity on it (“Shatter Your Lungs” was a bit of an instrumental surprise” and “Automatic” felt like something off a John Hughes soundtrack), so no matter when you got into the band, you’re bound to find something you like.

Whatever people say though, this reviewer is glad that the Get Up Kids are back.

Track Listing:
1. Tithe
2. Regent’s Court
3. Shatter Your Lungs
4. Automatic
5. Pararelevant
6. Rally ‘Round the Fool
7. Better Lie
8. Keith Case
9. The Widow Paris
10. Birmingham
11. When It Dies
12. Rememorable

“Returning to the scene of the crime,” is how the Get Up Kids phrased it, but really the only injustice was that it had been a 3-year wait for that November 2008 show. Fortunately, since that first reunion show at the Record Bar, the band was kind enough to give the Kansas City metropolitan area a Lawrence and a North Kansas City show before ending their reunion with a two night stand where it all began. And since I saw them at the very first reunion show, it was only fitting that I would see them at their last.

There seemed to be some confusion about the show start time, so a lot of the crowd was still coming in during Louisville band Mansions set. “Talk Talk Talk” came early in the set and while listening to the biting lyrics, I was torn between loving the band for their passionate sound reminiscent of Manchester Orchestra or Brand New and hating them for being so passionate that my mood dropped as they struck some chords a little too close to heart for comfort. The ended the set with “The Worst Part,” another song with strong lyrics of a bit of a depressing nature. These guys are super talented, but I think as an opener, it was a bit hard to warm up to for some in the audience with their cold tone.

For those that pay attention to the lyrics of Kevin Devine, he too has lyrics that are biting commentaries and often downer-sounding self-reflections, but unlike Mansions, his set had a different feeling. Instead of falling deeper into a whirlpool of sadness, Kevin made me happy and simply impressed. There are two reasons for that. Usually, I do focus on his lyrics and his voice because it is hard not to. He presses his face up against the microphone for some of the softer verses, but when he steps away from microphone and yells a chorus or a line or even a ba-da-da-dah-da, all eyes are on his face, which has veins enlarged into a map of his energetic passion for the piece. I’ve heard him compared to Conor Oberst, but I would be bold enough to say that Kevin might have more to offer, at least in his live show, than the Bright Eyes frontman. This time, thanks to a gentleman next to me calling out, “When will we see you on Guitar Hero?” I watched his hands racing on the instrument. Damn, was he good, and maybe he should be on the game. I felt alive just watching him play the arpeggiated riffs. And this brings me to the other reason why his set was uplifting: he has fantastic audience interaction. “The question on the floor is when will I be on Guitar Hero. I would love to be on Guitar Hero. I work for that every day,” said Kevin. “I’m just not that good.” At another point he bent down close to two little boys in the front row and asked, “You don’t have ear plugs? Will you be ok? It is going to get loud.” So modest and sweet. He isn’t only a great performer, but a great person. What a package in an artist these days! I was so happy with him and his set, which featured tunes such as “Brother’s Blood,” “Fickle Friend,” “Cotton Crush,” “No Time Flat,” a Nirvana cover and more, that I could have left the show then. Although, what a poor Kansas City citizen I would be if I left before one of our biggest acts?

Last time I saw the Get Up Kids in this venue, they played “Something to Write Home About” in order. During the encore, they played a few other fan favorites. Now tonight was not a rehash of that same show. While the set was heavy with those songs as they started the night with “Holiday,” they interspersed songs from other albums throughout it such as a new song from the forthcoming album, “Walking on a Wire,” “Martyr Me” and the rounded out the night with their cover of The Cure‘s “Close to Me.”  They even jammed a bit before “Martyr Me.” Check it out:

One of my favorite moments of the set was during “Out of Reach” when the crowd came in with the “Oh oh ohs” and guitarist Jim Suptic and bassist Rob Pope exchanged a look of “OMG.” I wasn’t sure at first if they were impressed by how boisterous the crowd’s singing was or if they were shocked by how off we were. Turns out it was the latter. “How many girls were singing on that?” asked singer Matt Pryor. He shook his head as the girls yelled back. “That was a choir of dudes. Really out of tune dudes.”

Another set highlight was when Suptic took the vocal reigns and grabbed an acoustic guitar for “Campfire Kansas,” which of course held a special meaning for the Kansas City crowd. While he was singing, Pryor went over to the aforementioned kids in the front row and invited the two boys on stage to play tambourine. It made a sweet song extra adorable. However, the boys must have rocked so hard on that acoustic number, that it blew out all their equipment. When the rest of the band came back the only thing left working were the microphones. The Record Bar employees debated how to fix the problem when sparks came flying out of an amp and throwing the breaker just resulted in the same problem. Suptic and Pryor bantered about how this was or was not fitting for the final night of the tour and then they tried to get drummer Ryan Pope to jam out for the audience. Pope seemed hesitant, so it opener Kevin Devine to the rescue. With a beat from Pope and some extra help from Suptic, Devine graced the audience with an amazing and strange rap. Yes, Kevin Devine raps. And it is wonderful.

The Get Up Kids mentioned that Kansas City seems to have a love/hate relationship with them. I’m glad to be on the side that loves them and I’m glad that they are finally just doing their own thing and not worrying how people choose to embrace them.

Oh, and reuniting must have felt so good that the band promises we’ll see another show in 2010 after the new! record comes out. Now that’s something to write home about.

Get Up Kids: website | myspace | @ record bar | @ blender theater | under cover pt. 1 | under cover pt. 2