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Break-ups: The Get Up Kids (1996-2005)

Contributed by TheAltamonts. Posted by adam on Tuesday, March 8, 2005 at 9:53 AM (EST)

The Get Up Kids are calling it quits. Here's the confirmation from their website:

Ladies and gentlemen, the rumors are true. After ten years, close to a hundred recorded songs and several trips around the world, The Get Up Kids will be playing their last shows this summer. We're celebrating the release of our as-of-yet-untitled live record and we're coming around one final time. We'll be playing gigs in the west, in the east and in the middle of the US. Our very last show will be in Kansas City, MO (our hometown) Fourth of July weekend 2005.

As a group we'd like to thank each and everyone of you for supporting us over the years. Whether we slept on your floor in '97 or you drove all the way to Lawrence to see us play in '05, we are forever grateful. We feel it's best to let the last ten years speak as a document for what the band was. We can look back and say that we are proud of everything that we accomplished. In the end, we will always remember this as a good time; we hope that you remember it that way too.

See you this summer,
The Get Up Kids

The band released Guilt Show in 2004 on Vagrant Records. We'll post those final tour dates when they're announced.

Vagrant Records (139 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Seriously.

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hey_sailor (March 8, 2005)

I don't think this is a surprise to anyone...

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

It is about time they just ended it. I mean really. Yeah they had some good songs, but it was over years ago for these guys. Not fun anymore.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Agreed, I would say they un-officially broke up about 3 years ago...

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

this sucks.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

hate to say it, but since guilt show came out i've been kind of hoping this would happen

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Someone (December 17, 2005)

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I wish every time a crappy emo band like this breaks up, that a great hc/punk band woud reunite. That would truly rock

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

assfucker

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x414x (March 8, 2005)

Yeah dude! like.. Virus! oh man that would be soooo sweet if virus reunited! god i was really hoping that when that god awful emo queer stupid shit band hey mercedes band broke up that someone really good like... Oi polloi would have reunited!

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rkl (March 8, 2005)

rkl reunited a few months ago. fuckers only toured cali though

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Someone (April 29, 2005)

...and they sucked! CM BITCH!

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

virus didnt fuckin break up dumbass. that was a rumor

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x414x (March 8, 2005)

ahhh hah!!! you know something about the band virus! dork

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

i bet he doesn't have to live in assneck, i mean wisconsin

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x414x (March 9, 2005)

milwaukees not so bad, not that you would have to know anything before making a total judgement on it. douchebag

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Fuck you, and bye the way, Atreyu sucks. Hardcore my ass.

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Someone (March 21, 2005)

if you jumped off a cliff and broke every bone in your body, that would truly rock you fucking dumbass. and btw you suck.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I like that one song by them on the Rockagainstbush comp. Does most of there stuff sound like that????

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dontneedareason (March 8, 2005)

no not really. their older stuff is faster and more poppy. the newer stuff slowed down and got more depressing..

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Someone (March 11, 2005)

Their newest cd is not that slow, it's probably their best. On a Wire is pretty much all acoustic. Something to Write Home about is similar to the new one. These guys are not your typical emo band. These guys are really good.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I'm with you. I like that song too. I wish their other stuff was that good.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

On A Wire was their best, followed by Four Minute Mile

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Someone (April 18, 2005)

i strongly disagree. if you like on a wire the best, you clearly shouldnt like the get up kids. on a wire is very not get up kids-esque and way too poppy for anyone that actually likes the band and has followed them through the years. i hate you a lot

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

i was listening to four minute mile yesterday and thinking about what a great record that is. R.I.P.

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Pacer (March 8, 2005)

This band were only good when playing covers - pixies, cure etc.

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Someone (April 18, 2005)

you're a fucking idiot this is one of the dumbest comments ever made. tguk is the best band ever to walk the face of the earth the pixies suck and also a cover can only be as good as the band thats playing it, idiot. why dont you just stick to listening to crappy bands and leave the real music for the people that are awesome (i.e. not you)

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Aubin (March 8, 2005)

Four Minute Mile and Something to Write Home About still hold up well after all these years. I never got into the other records, but they were a terrific band. "I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel..." is still their perfect song, but they had quite a memorable tracks.

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thirtyseconds (March 8, 2005)

Agreed. I love that song, it is their best one I've heard anyway. Sad to finally hear this officially. Think I'll go out and buy Four Minute Mile by the sounds of it.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

10 Minutes. Untouchable

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

"I'll Catch You".

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

holy shit, that's my favourite song by them too - weird

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

same here

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Someone (May 22, 2005)

The get up kids put a face to the word EMO. They are a band that brought many kids into the scene and many kids have turned their backs on them since popularity went deeper into the hardcore scene. You must remember your roots. The get up kids have recorded over a 100 songs that are all at a standard you expect from this band. They did indeed hit a unique twist with on a wire, but their others cd's showed consistency that no other band that i can recall....except Jimmy Eat World has come even close to acheive. This band calling it quits is not only a tradegdy to music, but an even worse blow to all of us that have grown up with TGUK. This was indeed my favorite band. So if you are on this forum, do not attack something because you dont like it. Respect this band and what they did, because not many others can last 10 years and put down the guitars and st

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Someone (March 18, 2006)

That was deep, dude.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I will miss TGUK, even if they did fall off recently. I guess I gotta go see them one last time... -Jer

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

no! I had to go to Dasboard to see them and Thrice. Dashboard. I truly am dissapointed. I loved Guilt Show, so I guess that makes me cool for like a band's later releases, or admitting that I was in attendence of a Dashboard Confessional show, even though I left after Thrice. The mark has been made. I'll really miss the Get Up Kids.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

you woulda been cool if you didnt feel the overwhelming desire to point out "i left after thrice" but you did. so youre not.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

damn. What can I do in the future so you think I'm cool?

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

"admitting that I was in attendence of a Dashboard Confessional show" dude, if i went to your high school or elementary school, i'd so kick your ass if i heard you say that.

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KirbyPuckett (March 8, 2005)

I will miss the Get Up Kids. Something To Write Home About was one of the first records I really enjoyed that wasn't straight up punk and will always hold a soft spot in my ears. - Kirby

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Same deal w/ me

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Hubitcherkokov (March 8, 2005)

Replace "Something..." with the EPs "Woodson" and "Red Letter Day" for me.

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

How fucking sweet was that packaging? I was so excited finally getting my own copy.

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mykindofmurder (March 8, 2005)

i grew up blasting my tguk and saves the day music 24/7 and although I had to sit through taking back sunday to do it, i did get to see saves the day live. i have yet to see the get up kids live, and all though I hear they are nothing special, i think i will try to fly out to at least one, maybe two of their last shows. i think i would even go as far as to fly out to kansas city during the 4th.

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

on a wire sounds great live. My 2 cents. Then again that was over 2 years ago.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

If you had to sit through TBS to see Saves the Day, then clearly I feel sorry for you...Not for TBS (whom I enjoy), but for the fact that you clearly saw Saves the Day after they began to suck.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Hey... Now that sucks really big time. I was really looking forward to their european tour in 2004 when it was cancelled... I really hoped to see them live... On A Wire is such a masterpiece, I really rate it very highly and its definately one of my all time favorites. :/ I want more of this kind of music.... And now theres no one there to deliver. Pity. :(

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

...what are you talking about? I saw them in europe in april 2004 in really intimate venues. You want more of this kind of music? Motion city soundtracks upcoming sounds like a coverband.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Where did you see them? MCS arent bad but nothing special. =/ I dont know, On A Wire had something magical which got me immediately when I listened to the first tunes of Walking On A Wire back in Spring 2002 when the album was streamed on their website. :)

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I agree with you - On a wire is an all time favorite.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

The New Amsterdams will deliver since it sounds just about the fucking same.

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

I always wonder if people listened to both NA and OAW when they say that.

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oceanblue (March 8, 2005)

Its sad to see such a good band break up. they will be missed.

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TheMarc (March 8, 2005)

One of the better live bands there is. This sucks.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Good band but I think they made the right decision. They lost whatever passion they had after the response to "On A Wire" and released the lackluster "Guilt Show" as a goodbye.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I agree.

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sickboi (chris) (March 8, 2005)

Bahahahahahaha. So fitting. Its snowing so me and a few coworkers ordered some subs. Good riddance, I won't miss your whining.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I won't either. They never really appealed to me whatsoever. Life moves on. Now I just have to wait for good charolette to break up. That would be awesome!

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

im so glad you used such a clichie joke

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Or we can wait for that guy from alkaline trio to join them full time, so that goth dude and him can start writing "dark" punk.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I guarantee they are beter than your favorite little Shit Dynamite band you get so defensive about. It's just too bad you're fuckin 40 years old sick boi. What, does your pussy hurt?

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sickboi (chris) (March 8, 2005)

Oh, how I wish you'd get a username. It sounds to me like your pussy hurts. Why do you always bring Kid Dynamite into this? Yes, I love that band, but I my defense isalways more of a questioning nature. You sound like some retarded teenager. I'm done with you. (PS- Spelling and grammar kick ass, get off the net and back in class you twit)

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TheOneTrueBill (March 8, 2005)

This is obviously the ravings of a lunatic 40 year old!

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

haha i always wondered who told mathew pryor he could sing...but they're one of the few bands i could always fall back on and enjoy.

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Anchors (March 8, 2005)

I don't listen to these guys much anymore, but 'Campfire Kansas' will remain one of my favorite songs for a while I'm sure. In fact, I'll listen to 'Campfire' right now. Still so good. They had a good run.

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x414x (March 8, 2005)

i think its really funny that whenever anyone sees that an "emo" band broke up they apparently find it necessary to say "now if only *other pop punk band here* would break up, that would rule!!" that being said i'll miss this band alot. something to write home about makes me jealous i didn't write that album

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shadydeals (March 8, 2005)

Four Minute Mile and STWHA are classics and are must listens to understand the evolution of emo. I'm sad to see them go, but excited to hear what the band members will be doing next.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

You already know what they're doing next. They've all had side projects for years bunghole.

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shadydeals (March 8, 2005)

Yes, I know they are all doing their own things, but I want to know what they will do next knowing they won't be "saving" a riff for the songs they wrote for TGUK, etc.

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Daegan (March 8, 2005)

James will continue to write the best music of his career as reggie and keep pestering the guys in coalesce to keep doing reunions. No one else matters. ;D

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PsychoOS231 (March 8, 2005)

Coooooooooool!

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ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (March 8, 2005)

Come to britain you fags!

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sickboi (chris) (March 8, 2005)

Why are you calling them "cigarettes"? Isn't "fag" the word you limeys use for smokes?

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ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (March 8, 2005)

come on, you could have fit in a joke about 'smoking' somewhere in there..

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PsychoOS231 (March 8, 2005)

Someone tell this cigarette to shut up

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maverick (scott) (March 8, 2005)

I watched that episode of Famly Guy last night... Classic. -Scott

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bagdad (March 8, 2005)

this really is one of the saddest days in music in quite some time!

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Almost as sad as when they formed

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

zinga

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glamcore (March 9, 2005)

hahah classic...even though i enjoy the get up kids i still laughed..well done.

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UberShep (March 8, 2005)

w00t!

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

yo, this isn't cool.

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killyouridols (March 8, 2005)

i could see this coming. shit. first hey mercedes, now tguk. man.. =

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oceanblue (March 8, 2005)

dont remind me about hey mercedes :(

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Im baking a cake.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

And here I was thinking that saying I loved the Get Up Kids was a bold statement. While I'll miss them, I'm worried about the emoness of punknews.org

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

this makes me upset, mostly because the girl who i let borrow something to write home about moved to arizona. i want my CD back goddamnit.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I remember when these guys started getting popular in like '97-98, all the ladies liked them. How annoying.

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Hubitcherkokov (March 8, 2005)

Granted I wasn't that big of a fan of their last two studio efforts, I'm still upset. Let's hope the fare well tour hits Cleveland and remember that they LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE REUNION SHOWS! THIS IS NOT A SWAN SONG, BUT IT GOES.......!

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Get Up Kids may be dead but their music will live on, continuing to inspire generations of histrionic middle-class girls and emasculated pubescent boys everywhere. Truly music for the ages.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

somebody took a psychology class!

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CrookedSuperhero (March 8, 2005)

Oh well.

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Longshot (March 8, 2005)

this is one my favorite bands of all time. something to write home about is my favorite record of all time. their songs were near perfect and they supplied the soundtrack for some of the best times in my entire life. i hate to be sentimental, but this is the shittiest news i've ever heard in a while. i've never seen the get up kids live. now begins my savings for whatever road trip i make to see them on their last tour. R.I.P. to the band that emitted emotion and honesty before it was raped by trend, fashion and psuedo-intellectualism.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Are the emo kids gonna cry now?

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ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (March 8, 2005)

as if they weren't already, at the cruelty of life in general

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

4 minute mile is good. lots of breakups going down. -TOBB

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thefirstfive (March 8, 2005)

Scott Make AP write a story about Get Up Kids before they die. Yours thefirstfive

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maverick (scott) (March 8, 2005)

Sorry, we're too busy working on our Lifetime retrospective to do this one right now. Maybe in a few issues. -Scott

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

sounds delish. New Brunswick basement shows live on!

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

Fuck Scott quit giving me reasons to buy that shitty thing. FUCK Barkley

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

A quintessential emo band and one of the trend-setters of the genre dies and symbolizes the downfall of emo itself. "glam rock" - 1982-1989. RIP "grunge" - 1990-1994. RIP "ska" - 1995-1998. RIP "emo" - 1997-2005. RIP I don't know where this road Is going to lead All I know is where we've been And what we've been through. If we get to see tomorrow I hope it's worth all the wait It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. *sniff, sniff*

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

And i'll take... Take with me the memories!!!!

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

seriously what the fuck are you talking about? The Get up kids didn't invent emo and weren't really the embodiment of the genre either.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Nirvana didn't invent grunge either. You can't say that either weren't important though.

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

A critic heard Nirvana and labeled it as grunge so I guess they (allthough unintentionally) kind of did invent grunge. Plus I'm just saying, the original emo movement was over long before the get up kids formed and they were in my opinion one of the last good bands to jump on the indie emo bandwagon of bands like Sunny Day realestate, Mineral, and the promise ring.

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Longshot (March 8, 2005)

can't remember what song that is...

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

boyz 2 men mofo!

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

Did Ska on the radio really last 3 years? I don't remember it lasting 6 months...definitely not long enough to constitute its own period. I'd say the shitty rap/rock bands held that era.

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

this tour is going to be lots of fun. See you guys there.

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

I'm glad I don't feel the need to listen to their entire discography. Fuck that would take along time. How many of you are actually doing that?

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

me, i have all of their songs on my ipod. so now all of their songs are on shuffle... from the breathing method to their itunes EP... There is only one good thing that will come of this and that's finally getting an updated albeit live version of "No Love" which will hopefully make the tracklisting on their live cd.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

There is nothing sad about this.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

now i'm waiting for that alkaline trio thing to break up.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

4 minute mile is a collectors item.

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

love that album.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

When somebody told me that the "Ghetto Kids" were a pretty good pop-emo band, I turned my head and shrugged... Then I got a copy of "Something to Write Home About" and I've been hooked on the "Ghetto Kids" ever since. I loved their "Red Letter Day" ep the best, though. I'll miss those "Ghetto Kids" for sure... Phil Angelides California State Treasurer

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InaGreendase (brian) (March 8, 2005)

Goddammit. I feel bad for Vagrant, though..

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

I don't know who came up with the word 'emo' or why anyone cares about stupid genres in the first place. GUK played straight up rock and roll music and i bet if you ask any of the band members, they'll probably tell you they never intended to be 'emo' Being in a band isn't about stupid genres and what kind of music you play. It is just about the music and people who try and distinguish 'scenes' or 'genres' are stupid and probably don't know how to play music (yes a stereotype, like the 'emo' bands). Now go out and listen to the band that started all of this, which i'm sure HALF (not exaggeration) of you have never listened to (and probably don't even know who i'm referring to). Well, I'll tell you that it is the Beatles. I bet very few of you have ever heard the song 'We Can Work it Out' or maybe even 'Helter Skelter'? Because if you haven't, i dont think

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

nah, i'm sure the members of GUK were all getting high istening to Jawbreaker and Cheap Trick and then heard a Promise Ring record and were like, "hmm we could do this shit."

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Benjasaurus (March 8, 2005)

The one "emo" band that I actually cared about. Please play Norfolk on the farewell tour. Better to break up after a bad album than to drag the name into the mud I suppose.

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

It was a slow and painful death... they should have signed to a major when they had a chance in 99 instead of letting a bunch of shittier bands rip off their style...werd?

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

and why should they have signed to a major exactly? because major labels have had such success selling indie rock?....

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Kenjamin (March 8, 2005)

this band could have been waaaay bigger. Now they're just 30 year old dudes with kids playing in a band called The Get Up Kids. Anyways, it seems they were smart with their investments and had a really good run...and a monster of rock tour bus.

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maverick (scott) (March 8, 2005)

Fuckin' hell. Yeah, we all pretty much saw it coming, but it still hurts. I only got to see these guys twice. Once was opening for Weezer in March 2001, and one was headlining at the tail end of their On A Wire tour with Hey Mercedes in November 2002. Both times, the band was spectacular. I can only hope I'll get to see them one last time before they call it quits. If it wasn't for this band and Braid, I have no idea where I'd be in life. RIP TGUK. -Scott

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

I was hoping you would have something nice to say

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

heh...more like ...The...Broke Up...Kids.

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

Worst attempt at humor, ever. -Comic Book Guy

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Tahoejeff (March 8, 2005)

Awesome! Now this is something to write home about!!!

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Someone (March 8, 2005)

One of our fine town's many embarassments... Along with Alert! Alert! (who let them open for Seven Seconds?) and a plethora of bland, uncultured street punk... Very strictly; I must apologize on the behalf of the midwest for the boring crap music we've been shoving at you for so long... It's because all of the kids love raves and getting raved out and taking ex and hugging their friends on drugs... Real punk spirit requires too much to believe in for today's apathetic teens to see it as anything other than a temporary fashion. -BSD

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Someone (March 10, 2005)

bsd you are officially the biggest dork to ever live

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Tesseract (March 11, 2005)

Hahahahahahahaha. I can't stop laughing. You are a complete and utter moron. I thought that by leaving punknews for a while, I could come back and tolerate all the failures that oh so love to bash anything and everything that isn't "30 miles underground hc punk." Guess not. "Real punk spirit requires too much to believe in for today's apathetic teens to see it as anything other than a temporary fashion."

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jamespastepunk (March 9, 2005)

Well, I've never seen them before, but hey, if they're hitting Chicago, I know where I'll be. After this tour, RIP.

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Someone (March 9, 2005)

If this happened in 1999... heck... 2001... even 2002.... I might be sad. But now? Marinated eggplant, tomato, lettuce, a dash of balsamic, mozzarella, on a roll.

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Someone (March 13, 2005)

exactly

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Archangel (March 9, 2005)

A New Found Interest in Massachusettes is still one of the best songs ever. I wish I had gotten to see them.

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Tesseract (March 11, 2005)

Hahahahahahahaha. I can't stop laughing. BSD, you are a complete and utter moron. I thought that by leaving punknews for a while, I could come back and tolerate all the failures that oh so love to bash anything and everything that isn't "30 miles underground hc punk." Guess not. "Real punk spirit requires too much to believe in for today's apathetic teens to see it as anything other than a temporary fashion."

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Tesseract (March 11, 2005)

Anyway, as a fan since the Red Letter Day EP, I can say that I'm pretty damn sad, but everything comes to an end. They really should have tried to bust out one last album that returned to their roots, but alas, I guess the issue of "creative differences" was too strong. By the way, to the guy that can't wait for Alk3 to break up, I'm just curious to know if you had a childhood/early teenage years, or did you pop out in your late teens loathing the world and jerking off to Pitchfork?

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Someone (March 13, 2005)

its about damn time i'm as big a fan of them (their older stuff) as anyone...but seriously their last few records were shitty...they weren't making any thing new, inspiring or innovative, this should have happened years ago...especially since i've seen them a half dozen times.

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Someone (March 23, 2005)

I acually lived down the street and grew up listening to them before they had a name I have followed their career from their show at our high school parking lot to gee coffe all the way to lawrence. Never would anyone have guessed they would sell out the bottle neck yet alone tour with weezer and greenday. I am truly upset by this but understand. the best album would have to be 4 minute mile all i have to say is cant wait 4 the show and who the hell is reggie