The Get Up Kids

The Profile

The Get Up Kids are an American emo and indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, formed in 1995. They helped define Midwest emo with Four Minute Mile (1997) and the acclaimed Something to Write Home About (1999), and later released albums including On a Wire, Guilt Show, There Are Rules, and Problems.

Members have included Matt Pryor (vocals, guitar), Jim Suptic (guitar), Rob Pope (bass), Ryan Pope (drums), and James Dewees (keyboards). The band is associated with Vagrant Records and is noted for blending punk energy with melodic songwriting and keyboards.

Three positive DeBaser reviews focus on The Get Up Kids’ core era: Four Minute Mile and Something to Write Home About. Writers praise the band’s punk urgency, melodic hooks, and emotive keyboards, citing standout tracks like Holiday, Action & Action, and Shorty. Influences mentioned include The Replacements, The Smiths, and The Cure (with a nod to their Close to Me cover). One reviewer criticizes On a Wire as a step down.