In 2024, The Get Up Kids celebrated the 25th anniversary of their seminal pop-punk/emo record, Something to Write Home About. In conjunction with the milestone, the band teamed up with another mainstay of the scene with Smoking Popes. The tour hit several North American cities and was so successful that they’ve continued to book Something to Write Home About dates through March of 2025.
The Get Up Kids were set to bring the show to Minneapolis in October of 2024, but unfortunately had to cancel due to Matt Pryor losing his voice. Thankfully for those of us in the Twin Cities, the group booked a makeup date on January 28th at the Fine Line.
The Fine Line is a fantastic venue that’s part of the famous First Avenue set of locales. The club features an eclectic mix of artists from all genres playing in one of the greatest music cities in America. This isn’t the first time we’ve covered a show at the Fine Line (check out our Chat Pile gallery & review), and it’s quickly becoming a favorite. The Get Up Kids show was another highlight as both bands treated the audience to some good old-fashioned pop-punk, emo and indie rock.
Smoking Popes
Since 1991, Smoking Popes have been playing their signature brand of melodic pop punk, indie rock and emo. Hailing from the Chicagoland area, the band has carved out an impressive place for themselves in the scene which includes a dedicated fanbase and several acclaimed projects. They were a perfect opener for the Get Up Kids on this night as well, setting the tone on a night of emotional melodic pop punk and emo.
Smoking Popes played a mixture of new and old material, showing off the quality that exists throughout their decades-old discography. The lion’s share of the setlist came from their seminal records, Born to Quit and Destination Failure. A particularly popular moment in the set came when the band played an interlude of the Replacements “Can’t Hardly Wait” during their own song “Gotta Know Right Now.” The interlude is a regular part of Smoking Popes’ set, but it was especially appreciated in Minneapolis where the Replacements are king.
The band played for roughly 45 minutes and was a perfect opener for the night’s festivities. Smoking Popes are a staple of the Great Lakes Scene and are always well-received at live performances. While the crowd received their old material well, it was also exciting to hear new music. The band is putting out a new album in April titled Lovely Stuff. If the songs they played at this show are any indication, fans of the band are in for a treat when that album drops.
The Get Up Kids
“What became of everyone I used to know? Where did our respectable convictions go?”
The opening lines of “Holiday”, the opening track of Something to Write Home About, hit as hard now as they did when they first hit the airwaves in September of 1999. “Holiday” is a perfect opening track to the record as it sets the tone of cold longing and morosity that defines the album. It also is a well-constructed melodic song that is a real earworm. In both of those ways, it also functioned as an excellent opener for the band to play live as they started their set with a full playthrough of Something to Write Home About.
While “Holiday” is among the band’s most popular songs, a full album playthrough of Something to Write Home About allows for a set full of crowd pleasers. The crowd was behind all of the Get Up Kids material, but especially enjoyed tight renditions of “Valentine,” “Ten Minutes” and “I’m a Loner Dottie, a Rebel”. When revisiting Something to Write Home About, it’s clear how it became such a touchpoint for the pop punk and emo movements of the early 2000s. The writing is crisp, the hooks are addictive. It’s anthemic, but personal. The album is also perfect for a live format with several ebbs and flows of high energy fun songs, interspersed with emotional tracks too.
The main attraction of the night was the band playing their seminal hit album, but the Get Up Kids had more tricks up their sleeve as well. The band played excellent renditions of “Don’t Hate Me”, “Shorty” and “Stay Gold, Pony Boy”, all standout tracks from their celebrated debut record Four Minute Mile. The Kansas City outfit also reached deep into their discography for a couple of rarities as well including “Let the Reigns Go Loose” (first time playing since 2015 according to setlist.com) and “Martyr Me” (First time since 2019). From playing the classics to some of their lesser-known material, the Get Up Kids prove they are still as powerful in their lane as ever. Their show at the Fine Line was an excellent night of music. One that is certainly worth writing home about.
