Moonlighting: The Get Up Kids

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By their nature, musicians are creative. Just because they find success doesn’t mean they don’t like to explore new genres or shake things up. Sometimes their new music doesn’t gel with their current band. Sometimes a band goes on a Ross and Rachel type of break, but the music has to keep flowing. Moonlighting is all about the side projects, the passion projects, the weird and wacky that branch out from the original act.

The Get Up Kids are your older brother’s emo. In their early years, the band members looked like they walked on stage immediately after bagging groceries or tutoring middle school kids. This was long before emo became associated with Hot Topic or bangs. Matt Pryor certainly has some growl to his vocals, but overall the band’s music is approachable, agreeable, heart-on-your-sleeve rock. This is music you wouldn’t be afraid to play in front of your mom. With a catalog featuring grainy distortion (“Coming Clean”), acoustic sing-alongs (“Campfire Kansas”), and new-wavey exploration (“Shatter Your Lungs”), it’s clear The Get Up Kids have never been worried about creating one type of music. The other projects from these members reflect that versatility.

Reggie and the Full Effect (1999 – 2013)


Primary member: James Dewees

James Dewees has always seemed like the Kramer of The Get Up Kids, so it’s not surprising that his project is eclectic. It’s pop punk, dance synth, light piano, screamo, Schwarzenegger inspired goofiness with plenty of drunk skits in-between the songs.

Reggie and the Full Effect is all about amusement. I doubt that Dewees had any qualms about mixing genres or inserting humor when putting together the Reggie discography. The guy made an album called Under the Tray, and he literally hid the CD under the tray of the case. People called stores to complain about empty CD cases. Classic.

Musically, this project is further away from The Get Up Kids than any other on the list. Dewees sneaks sincere, emo adjacent tracks like “The Return of the Bling” onto his albums, but clownishness reigns king. And that’s okay. Because clownishness created “To the Fruit Wizards of Donnington,” an ode to those assaulted by trigger happy Gandalfs:

Hey wizards, it’s hard to believe, how much fruit you can fit up your sleeve. Hey wizards, would you kindly let me know, when you’re running out of fruit, so we can move on with the show?
​

The song is too damn catchy, and it should be a featured track on the Castle Crashers 2 soundtrack (make a sequel already!).

Listen: “Get Well Soon” – “Congratulation Smack And Katie”

The New Amsterdams (2000 – 2013)


Primary member: Matt Pryor

I’m betting Matt Pryor started The New Amsterdams at least partially because he wanted to see what he could accomplish with his voice, an acoustic guitar, and little else. His early albums are folk inspired with a serious, earnest tone. Yes, this is a pretty far cry from Reggie and the Full Effect.

There’s more liveliness on Worse for the Wear, with added instrumentation fleshing out the songs. It’s a change for the better; Pryor’s voice sounds best accompanied by more than just some strumming. After The Get Up Kids broke up in 2005, Jim Suptic released an upbeat album (more on that soon), while Pryor nailed his inner demons to the wall with Killed or Cured, an interesting concept that features two versions of each song on the album.

The New Amsterdams released quite a bit of material, but I’m going to focus on At the Foot of My Rival to end this piece. In 2007 wrote a review of the album for AbsolutePunk.net, and it’s the only review I regret writing. Here’s the conclusion of that review: “Some albums become as close as old friends while others are scattered and lost throughout the years, forgotten. It’s a shame At the Foot of My Rival seems destined to fall into the latter category of my album collection.” I was wrong. Buy the album, because it’s some of Pryor’s best work.

Listen: “Turn Out the Light” – “Stay on the Phone”

Blackpool Lights (2005 – 2010)


Primary member: Jim Suptic

If you find yourself watching a Matt Pryor solo show, please don’t holler out asking him to play “Ten Minutes.” It’s one of The Get Up Kids’ most popular songs, and it was written and sung by guitarist Jim Suptic. With The Get Up Kids in his rear view mirror, Suptic focused on new music with his band Blackpool Lights.

Blackpool Lights only released one full-length, but Suptic and his new bandmates created an alright record. This Town’s Disaster is good pop rock even if it doesn’t feature many standout tracks. “Empty Tank” has a fun hook, and Suptic shows decent range on “It’s Never About What It’s About,” adding a bit of raw edge to his vocals.

“Maybe Just Maybe” is the track that has always stood out for me, though. If you’re single or in a healthy relationship, you’d probably roll your eyes at the lyrics:

I’m reading through your lies, I can see it in your eyes. All your words untrue. Oh maybe, just maybe we’ll pull on through.
​

But misery loves company, and when you’re down, commiserating with Suptic feels pretty good. The lead guitar, heavy on sustain, meanders into and out of the song like a lost puppy, emphasizing the defeatist tone. Thanks for sharing the pain, Jim.

Listen: “It’s Never About What It’s About” – “Blue Skies”

The Terrible Twos (2007 – 2008)


Primary member: Matt Pryor

Well ain’t this just adorable? When I heard Matt Pryor had started making children’s music, I thought the idea was cute, but I doubted the music would appeal to me. I was sort of wrong. Though I don’t need help with my numbers (“two plus two is four” is a lyrical example), The Terrible Twos make fun, boppy music. It’s the kind of music that brings to mind the rainbow colored xylophones kids like to whack at.

One problem I’d expect with children’s music is extreme repetition. How many parents want to listen to lyrics like, “the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round?” I don’t care about that school bus or its occupants. The Terrible Twos mostly avoid this problem by keeping their songs short and sugary sweet. Most are less than two minutes long.

The best part about The Terrible Twos is hearing Pryor sing about wanting cookies, never wanting to grow up, and, of course, varying sizes of poop. And he sings from a child’s perspective without sounding patronizing. Pryor has a son, after all, so it probably wasn’t too difficult for him to tap into his own inner child when crafting these songs. If you have kids, you should definitely check this out. And if you prefer your poop songs sung by emo icons, check it out!

Listen: “We Can All Get Along With Dinosaurs” – “Grumpy Bug”

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