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The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids
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Kansas City's Get Up Kids play melodic, pop-inflected emo similar to the Promise Ring and Braid, with whom the band released a split single in 1998. The influential group -- vocalist/guitarist Matthew Pryor, guitarist/vocalist Jim Suptic, bassist Robert Pope, and drummer Ryan Pope (Robert's younger brother, who replaced Nathan Shay early on) -- debuted in 1996 with a slew of 7"s, including Shorty on the Huey Proudhon label and All Stars on Doghouse Records. Both the Woodson EP and their debut full-length, Four Minute Mile, the latter which they recorded with Shellac's Bob Weston, were released in 1997. The well-received albums started a growing buzz around the indie rock scene, even causing the band to field offers from major labels, which they ultimately turned down. In 1998, the Get Up Kids toured extensively with bands like the Promise Ring and Jimmy Eat World and released more singles, including "I'm a Loner, Dottie, a Rebel," which also appeared on their classic 1999 album, Something to Write Home About. Released through Heroes & Villains/Vagrant, Something to Write Home About featured newly added keyboardist James Dewees and focused the scrappy energy of their promising debut into a visceral and intelligent collection of highly introspective and melodic songs that would go on to influence countless bands; the album garnered high critical and fan praise and made the Get Up Kids heroes of the emocore scene.

The band resurfaced two years later, re-releasing some of its early works as the album Eudora and hitting the road with Green Day, Hot Rod Circuit, and Weezer along the way. It wasn't until 2002 that a new album, On a Wire, surfaced, featuring more sparsely arranged and somber songs different than the stirring emo-pop of before. The relatively more upbeat Guilt Show, the band's fifth album and third effort with producer Ed Rose, appeared in spring 2004. The concert album Live @ the Granada Theater surfaced a year later, marking the band's tenth anniversary together. But 2005 also marked their final set of tour dates, as the guys announced around the same time that they would be calling it quits -- the last Get Up Kids date was held at their hometown's Uptown Theater on July 2, 2005. The bandmembers continued on with various individual projects, including Pryor with the New Amsterdams and his kids' music project, the Terrible Twos; Dewees with Reggie and the Full Effect; Suptic with his own Blackpool Lights; and the Pope brothers with Koufax. ~ Heather Phares, All Music GuideMore

Fan Comments

Sep 1st, 6:24pm Last edited Sep 1st, 6:38pm.
yup, good stuff and historical. Kids, if you wanna get deeper into emo roots listen to jets to brazil and then jawbreaker and you should be able to trace your way back to punk(or some version of it).
I was active in music when the term emo came around and it's funny cause my friends and I had an emo ska band....yeah it was kinda complex being so happy and sad at the same time. At that point in tie there was no 'emo kids' yet just music. certainly what we call 'emo kids' today and with that hair cut didn't exist
But emo originally was brought up to distinguish some of this punk and rock music from the rest because it had the hard style of the evolved punk but with bluer chords and lyrics. There needed to be a distinction because punk's roots are fuck everybody, not , 'let's take a serious internal look at ourselves'. So they distinguished this punk music as emotional punk. That was jawbreaker and early jets to brazil. This original junction is my personal favorite of the schism because soon after the emo movement went more and more (excuse the term) pussy/ not punk. I love pussy music, I'm just tryin' to show relevance. Eventually it got a little to p word and there was a reactionary schism created called screamo. I was out of the loop (old) by the time screamo came out but I love some of it.
I heard yellowcard in a grocery store a few years ago. it's no fun when the masses enjoy the youth's music. poor kids.
Aug 25th, 10:30pm
Dude these guys are awesome
Apr 1st, 12:33pm
you were one of the inspirations and influences of modern emo pop mainstream
Nov 28th, 2:41am
Oct 7th, 11:42pm Last edited Oct 7th, 11:42pm.
I love your music sooo much.
it makes me think about things, and most of it relates to some point in my life.
You guys are awesome and I wish y'all were still together
But. I'll enjoy the songs you have made, and will cherish them.
Hope y'all know y'all are amazing.