The Get Up Kids brought their mid-west rock to Masquerade Atlanta on July 19th with support from Ageist and Racquet Club. The emo kids may be all grown up now, but The Get Up Kids played to a packed house as the band is out still leading the scene and supporting their latest EP.
Ageist started out the show impressing the early crowd with their energetic pop punk sound with a sharp edge. The “4 dudes from Brooklyn”, Ageist have released one song, “Babyface” from their upcoming LP. The band sounded really tight and played well together, proving to be a band to watch out for as they release their music into the world.
The second band up was Racquet Club, a 4 piece indie rock band from LA , featuring former members of Knapsack, The Jealous Sound, and Samiam. Their self-titled debut came out in 2017. Racquet Club were a bit more subdued compared to the opener Ageist, but still definitely rocking. It’s Racquet Club’s lyrics that are worth really delving into. They have depth, emotion, hope, and maturity. One of my favorite lines from “New Granada” off of their album goes: “And all these self inflicted wounds are the hardest to mend”. Honest and instropective.
The Get Up Kids started out just as kids as the band formed while the guys were still in high school. The group got their start in Kansas City, Missouri and are considered very influential in their scene of the mid 90’s. The Get Up Kids are often credited with being major influencers and helping to promote the emo scene of the mid west, although the band is often known for not liking being grouped in with the emo genre. The sound of the band probably comes from the fact that they originated at the time when indie rock and punk rock were converging, giving way to emo. The Get Up Kids have been playing and putting out music since the 1990s and just recently released a new EP.
The indie/punk rock group released a new four song EP Kicker on June 8th via Polyvinyl Records. Kicker has been described as a full circle breakthrough for the band. The last release from these guys was their full length These Are Rules, released in 2011. It is fantastic that The Get Up Kids are out touring and promoting their new music even though they are grown-ups now with families. The show was solid. There was a great turn out, the band sounded tight, and The Get Up Kids looked great! The crowd sang along to the majority of the songs. There was even an entertaining moment when the crowd passed around what looked like a meatball sub. Matt Pryor, the lead singer, stopped to inquire about the sub and the crowd passed it up to him. Upon inspection the meatball sub was found to be a dog toy. This is definitely the funniest thing I have ever seen passed around at a show.
It was a great evening at The Masquerade with The Get Up Kids showing off a mix of old favorites and new material, while the opening acts were two up and coming bands worth watching. The Get Up Kids can be caught again at The Fest in Gainesville, Florida this October. ~ Christina Pradhan
All photos by Christina Pradhan
The Get Up Kids Online:
Website // Bandcamp // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter
