Smoking Popes Celebrating 30th Anniversary of Their Debut Album

This year, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their widely revered debut LP Get Fired, Smoking Popes will be touring the MidWest and NorthEast commencing August 17 in conjunction with a special 12” LP vinyl reissue of the album on the first date of the tour.

They’ve also been busy in the studio, cooking up a fresh batch of songs, including a pair of digital singles coming this summer; a punchy new version of the Human League classic “Don’t You Want Me” featuring Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer on vocals, released June 30th, and an incendiary new original song called “Madison,” available tomorrow, July 21st.

These singles are the first new Popes releases since 2018’s Into The Agony album and will be the first offerings from their next full-length album, expected sometime in 2024. I hope you'll consider covering the group with an interview, feature, news story or album review. Let me know if you need a download.

From their early indie releases to their critically acclaimed major label albums, Smoking Popes developed a unique blend of buzzsaw guitars, caffeinated rhythms and heartfelt crooning vocals, combining the angst of punk with the smooth sophistication of Frank Sinatra, creating music both urgent and timeless, and influencing a generation of musicians in their wake.

The Los Angeles Times said, “Ever wonder what a traditional lounge singer would sound like backed up by a punk band? The Smoking Popes take that concept one step further: They’ve created a unique kind of music that some listeners are describing as ‘hyperkinetic tear-jerkers’.”

Smoking Popes began in 1991as a modest project of the three Caterer brothers, Josh, Eli and Matt, based in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, infusing romantic melancholy and angst-ridden introspection into a truly midwestern style of pop-punk. Since then, they have grown into the very definition of a cult classic band, touring with some of pop-punk’s most archetypal acts, such as Descendents, Dinosaur Jr, Jawbreaker and Jimmy Eat World.

Throughout the 90’s and 2000’s, they released a series of critically acclaimed studio albums, landing their songs in movies like Clueless and Tommy Boy, all the while maintaining the edgy and earnest sound that helped earn them their status as emo pioneers.

Thursday, August 17, 2023 Badger State Brewing Green Bay, WI%

Friday, August 18, 2023 Davenport, IA (Alternating Currents Fest)

Saturday, August 19, 2023 Turf Club St Paul, MN%

Sunday, August 20, 2023 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI%

Wednesday, August 30, 2023 Space Ballroom Hamden, CT#

Thursday, August 31, 2023 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA*

Friday, September 1, 2023 Tellus360 Lancaster, PA*

Saturday, September 2, 2023 Meadows Brooklyn, NY#

Sunday, September 3, 2023 Brighton Music Hall Allston, MA#

% = w/ the Brokedowns

# = w/ Future Teens + Taking Meds

* = w/ Iron Chic + Future Teens