I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 6, 2025] The Get Up Kids 

I have tried to se The Get Up Kids at least three times in the last few years.  They had been doing this tour for Something to Write Home About for a couple of years, including Union Transfer in Sept 2024 an Starland Ballroom in February of this year.

I was interested in this show for Wax Jaw, but heck, it was also a chance to finally see The Get Up Kids.  Midway through the set, lead guitarist and sometimes singer Jim Suptic said that they ha just played LA the night before and had a red-eye flight at 4:30 to go to Japan.  But they wanted to make sure they gave New Jersey a good show.  He said they loved playing NJ and that so far on this tour NJ has sung along the loudest.

I really had no idea what the band looked like and had no idea who had that totally recognizable singing voice.  So it was kind of a surprise to see Matt Pryor with a full beard.   Earlier Piebald had joked that The Get Up Kids weren’t kids anymore.

Bassist Rob Pope doesn’t sing, but he does come up front to the edge of the stage from time to time.  And drummer Ryan Pope was excellent.  Keyboardist Dustin Kinsey wasn’t on every song but I appreciated his contributions.

So they played the full album, which I thought I knew better than I did.  I guess I need to listen to it more because it was a lot of fun to hear live–and to recognize some of the songs.  Pryor’s voice sounds the same and the band had a ton of energy.

Pryor joked about there being so many beach balls (from Piebald) and that he had never seen so many on one place.  Jim joked that Matt was a lake guy not a beach guy.

About five songs into the set it started to rain.  Not very heavily, but steadily.  We were all pretty wet by the time the album was finished and the band seemed pretty delighted that so many people stuck around (but you’re all too drunk to care, right?)

When they finished the album, the left the stage.  I had seen on previous setlists that they played about eight songs after the album.  I was really hoping they’d play Mass Pike–my favorite song of theirs, but they haven’t been lately (although the did at the UT and SB shows).

The opened with a gentle acoustic song sung by Jim called Campfire Kansas.  Then the rest of the band came out and they played a couple songs from previous albums.  With the most coming from Four Minute Mile.  The crowd really got into these songs and sang along very loudly.

They said they’d gotten a request for a song (and I hoped it was Mass Pike) but it turned out to be No Love, which they said they hadn’t played in a long time and which the crowd really appreciated.

Despite the rain, it was a really fun said and I enjoyed it immensely.  It also makes me feel less bad about missing those other shows since the setlist is the same (minus Mass Pike).

It was a really fun night.  I wouldn’t have minded going on the second night (photos showed the skateboard ramp was now in use) but I didn’t know any of the bands, so it was nicer to just stay home.  But I hope they have another music festival next year.  It’s close and the venue (parking lot) was really nice!

∇ On a Wire (2002)
♦ Red Letter Day EP (1999)
€ Something to Write Home About (1999)
≡ Four Minute Mile (1997)