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Live: The Get Up Kids @ Record Bar, Kansas City

17th November 2008 | by Aidan Williamson

Call it a phase; call it a pattern; call it a zealous thank you to fans. Whatever the cause, reunions are the welcome trend of the 21st century. A chance for people who may have missed them the first time around to witness greatness first-hand; or a chance for lifelong fans to renew their vows with the band in question.

There's no denying that Missouri's The Get Up Kids meant a great deal to a lot of people. Having been a stalwart of the early emo scene before the word become synonymous with 'trash flavoured trash' the boys influenced legions of fans to pick up guitars, or for those already fluent: they presented a compelling new way to present intense emotional resonance without resorting to crying in front of the microphone.

Sunday November 16, 2008 marked the boys' first show since their split in 2005 and will hopefully be a new beginning for the band as opposed to a brief nostalgia trip. For all the psychiatrists, self-help books, drugs, hobbies and crime sprees: all people need is time. It heals all wounds - except for rashes, you should get those seen to right away.

Our friends over at Pop Wreckoning stopped by the Record Bar in The Get Up Kids' hometown of Kansas City to witness the resurrection.

"Opening energetically with Holiday, followed by Action & Action, the band took little time to brush the dust off themselves, presenting a very tight and chiseled sound. 'Some of these songs are pretty easy, and some of them we’ve never really played,' [Matt] Pryor huffed of My Apology, 'this is one of the latter.' Yet, one would have a hard time believing this band had been apart for the better part of three years, had tours and albums from New Amsterdams, Spoon and Blackpool Lights not been surfaced as the hard proof."

"The energy and chemistry belonged to the Get Up Kids of old. Watching Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic candidly smile while performing the set, consisting of their album Something to Write Home About, played in order, as well as a five song encore, was uplifting and inspiring in terms of hoping for a future for the band. 'This is the healing show,' joked Pryor, regarding the tension between the members of the band towards the end of their careers. 'I mean, I haven’t seen James (DeWees) in two years,' added Suptic later."

To read the entire article including additional photos head on over to the Pop Wreckoning: Get Up Kids live review page.

SET-LIST: The Get Up Kids - Live @ Record Bar, Kansas City