So maybe the Get Up Kids represent some of the dweebier aspects of emo music: overwrought singing and melodramatic lyrical material. But when they first started doing their thing back in the mid-'90s, the genre hadn't become so saturated with poseurs. And by the time the band released 2002's On a Wire, it was clear they had matured. They also ended up producing some nifty Beatlesesque numbers (side note: “Overdue” is an amazing, heartfelt strummer). Singer Matt Pryor recently embarked on a tour with some other heavyweights of emo. The Where's the Band Tour let Dustin Kensrue of Thrice and Jeff Conley of Saves the Day play stripped-down versions of their respective bands' songs. Pryor, however, focused more on his solo material, which sadly isn't as compelling as the Get Up Kids' stuff. Now that he's back with the band, he's hopefully ready to atone for some misguided artistic endeavors.
Fri., Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m., 2011
