Even if you’re not super familiar with their work, there’s a decent chance that Smoking Popes are among your favorite band’s favorite bands. Artists ranging from Dashboard Confessional to Colleen Green to Morrissey have sung their praises, covered their songs and otherwise spread the gospel over the years. (No pun intended.)
Founded by brothers Josh, Eli and Matt Caterer in the Northwest Suburbs, the Popes are a true Chicago institution. Albums like Born to Quit and Destination Failure are required listening for anyone trying to understand the city’s alternative scene in the ‘90s, when major labels came sniffing around in search of the next big thing. But while the Popes toured with bands like Green Day and Jawbreaker, they didn’t really sound like other punk bands from that era. They combined crunchy guitars and punk intensity with Josh’s smooth, crooner-like vocals for a sound that’s totally unique.
If you couldn’t tell, they’re also one of our favorite bands! That’s why they’re returning for their fifth Riot Fest this year, performing on Sunday alongside The Cure, The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly and more.
Ahead of the big weekend, we caught up with frontman Josh Caterer to talk about their new music, Riot Fest over the years and what it feels like to have Morrissey as your most famous fan…
Into the Agony
- Simmer Down
- I Can Feel You
- Amanda My Love
- When You Want Something
- Get Happy
- No Tomorrow Tonight
- Little Lump of Coal
- Wish I Didn’t Love You
- Melting America
- Someday I’ll Smile Again
Smoking Popes @
Riot Fest 2023
The Cure, The Gaslight Anthem & More
Sunday, September 17
As one of the artists who has played the venue and park-based versions of Riot Fest, what has it been like watching it evolve over the years?
I love how Riot Fest has become an institution in Chicago. It has come to be part of the fabric of the city, similar to how Summerfest is part of Milwaukee. It’s a unifying event for the music scene here. The coolest part is that Riot Fest has maintained its sense of identity without feeling overly corporate, even though it has grown significantly through the years.
Your first Riot Fest performance was back in 2010, when you shared a bill with Cap’n Jazz and The Dopamines at Metro. Do you remember anything about that night?
Yes, I remember it was a great show, very fun crowd, and I remember the lead singer of Cap’n Jazz stage diving during their set. At that point, I had never done it, and I thought, “I’d like to stage dive sometime. I bet it would be fun!” So I tried it soon after that. It IS fun!
The video for “I Know You Love Me” was actually filmed up on Metro’s fourth floor, where the original Smart Bar used to be. What are some of your favorite Metro memories?
When we signed to Capitol in 1995, we all moved to Wrigleyville, just a few blocks from Metro, and we’d hang out there all the time. Joe Shanahan, who owns the club, was managing us in those days, so we were over at the club almost every day. We knew everyone who worked there and we pretty much had the run of the place. That’s probably my favorite memory of Metro, more than any particular show, it was that sense of being truly at home there, which gave us a feeling of stability during a crazy time in our lives.
In 2016, you played on the same day as Morrissey, who has cited Smoking Popes as one of his favorite bands and called Born to Quit “the most lovable thing I’d heard in years.” What was it like gaining him as a famous fan?
It’s pretty surreal. The Smiths were one of my favorite bands in high school, hugely influential to me. When I found out Morrissey was a fan of ours, it blew my mind! I actually didn’t believe it at first, but it turned out to be true because he invited us on tour with him in 1997. We toured the whole country with him and got to talk with him several times along the way. He was very kind to us and very supportive. Also, he’s a fascinating conversationalist!
We’re obviously massive Sincere Engineer fans, so your cover of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” with Deanna was right up our alley. How did that collaboration happen?
“Don’t You Want Me” is such a cool song and I’ve always thought we might be able to do an interesting version of it. When we finally got around to trying it, we immediately thought of Deanna to sing with me because her voice is so awesome and she’s just a really cool person. I reached out to her and asked if she was interested and right away she seemed really excited to do it. And the whole process was very fun, especially making the video, which was really a blast!
Of all the songs you could’ve covered together, why that one?
It’s a very interesting song with a surprisingly dark element to the lyrics. The guy comes across as a bit of a creep, a mixture of egotistical and desperately needy, with a hint of scary stalker thrown in. The girl calls BS on him when he tries to take responsibility for her success. She’s clearly over this guy and has moved on, but she still loves him. It’s a very complex relationship, all of which is communicated in relatively few lines. That’s great songwriting!
You guys also just released “Madison,” the lead single from your in-your-works album and your first original in five years. What made you decide to lead with this song?
We wanted to lead with a high-energy song, something that feels like a classic Popes tune but that also feels new, with a sense of urgency and freshness. “Madison” just seemed to check all those boxes, so we went with it.
We’re not going to bug you for details, but if you could describe the next Smoking Popes album in three words, what would they be?
IN YOUR FACE.
Besides you guys, who else should people check out at Riot Fest this year?
Our friends Bayside are playing, you should see them. Braid is also playing, they’re always great. And I’d like to catch the Breeders doing Last Splash.
Riot Fest 2023 Tickets + Lineup
Don’t miss Smoking Popes playing at Riot Fest 2023 on Sunday, September 17th. Also see The Cure, The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly and many more.
Haven’t bought your ticket yet?
No worries, here are some buttons to do just that.
The Related Rabbit Hole
