Smoking Popes Make Magic in Magic City
Chicago croonpunk quartet plays ‘Born to Quit’ for Miami faithful
Everybody understands the connection between drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. But the consuming need so many brilliant rock ‘n’ roll talents feel for life-changing religious devotion – Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Pete Townshend, Cat Stevens, Little Richard, Dave Mustaine, the guy from Korn — speaks to something even more fundamental about rock’s appeal. The need for transcendence.
Josh Caterer, the leader of Chicago croonpunk heroes Smoking Popes, became the subject of one of the greatest articles ever written about rock ‘n’ roll music. In May of 2000, the Chicago Reader invested 20,000 words detailing the singer’s sudden abandonment of rock ‘n’ roll, seemingly at the peak of the Popes’ career, so that he could fully embrace the Christian values that had been exerting a gravitational pull he could no longer ignore.
At the height of the band’s renown — just about 30 years ago when their sophomore album Born to Quit came out — the band was lucking into the pop punk movement. Green Day added them to a bill. And the unlikely combination of the tight punk chops of the band against Josh’s exquisite lounge voice soon had other influential acts citing them as an influence. Alkaline Trio loved them, Fall Out Boy kinda copied them, Bayside covered their song “Megan” with heartaching beauty. Even the movies Clueless (“Need You Around”) and Tommy Boy (“Lucky Day”) found room on their soundtracks for the Popes.
They released “I Know You Love Me” —the best song that pretends to be about romantic love but is actually about God since The Who’s “Bargain.” And then they packed it in.
Caterer and his wife became leaders in their Christian community outside Chicago and led musical activities at their church. They had a couple nice kids, at least one of whom I sometimes see singing beautifully with her dad on social media.
At the same time, Josh clearly missed rock ‘n’ roll, and eventually found himself with even more to say.
Turns out there’s still plenty of tread left on those pop punk tires. And the 75 or so people who crammed into the back room at Gramps in Miami witnessed exactly the transcendence of rock ‘n’ roll when performed by someone blessed by God.
When I used to see the Smoking Popes in the 90s in Chicago, part of the fun was the chemistry and inevitable tension of the three Caterer brothers. Josh on guitar and lead vocals, Matt Caterer on bass and Eli Caterer on guitar and backing vocals, anchored by their childhood friend Mike Felumlee on drums. On this tour, in which the Popes play Born to Quit in its entirety plus a bunch more songs, it’s Josh and Mike with two newcomers on bass and guitar. But whatever punk angst has evaporated as the guys hit their 50s has been replaced by twin-guitar chemistry worthy of the Thin Lizzy pin the new guitarist wears on his strap.
Josh Caterer is a plus songwriter, and his highs are up there with the genre’s greats. When Joey Molland died last week, I thought how the only bridge whose crunchy guitar chords can compare to his in “Baby Blue” are the ones the Popes pull off in “I Know You Love Me.” And there’s still something to say. The band just released a protest single “Allegiance” — they performed it Saturday night, and on the record Scott Lucas from Local H sings lead — to express their dismay over American politics in the Trump era.
Caterer is also an amazing and unusual singer, having earned the approbation of no less a champion of rock crooning than Morrisey, who called Born To Quit “extraordinary, the most loveable thing I’d heard in years.” Those notes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Judy Garland, plotted against rapid-fire punk backdrops, introduced hooks and melody almost in secret to people who just wanna pogo. And every time I see them, I’m reminded anew of what a terrific guitar player Josh is. With tons of taste, not just chops, he’s got a real feel for when to shred and went to sit back, and the interplay on songs such as “On the Shoulder” was so special.
Other highlights from last night included a cover of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.” As with Josh‘s best songs, you just get a sense from their re-arrangement—as well as from the tiny-but-powerful guest vocal from Tiff Hannay, the singer of opener Rodeo Boys—that the whole point of merging 50s balladeering with 90s post punk was to prove that a great song is a great song. They also covered “Pure Imagination” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and made it their own, at least as much as Timothée Chalamet or Gene Wilder ever did.
Miami has an amazing music scene. Fans of Latin music of all types can find excellence in whatever sub genres they prefer, the world’s greatest EDM festival, Ultra, was born here, and the two Symphony Orchestras kind of compete along classical versus experimental lines. But considering this is literally the place where Sam met Dave one day in O-town, rock in the Magic City is pretty dead. Miami isn’t on the way anywhere and indie bands don’t come through as much as I require, especially since Churchill’s succumbed to that most Miami of failings — a real estate beef.
Maybe that’s why you could just sense the gratitude and good vibrations of the entire crowd, which didn’t get a single person smaller for the Popes’ entire 90-minute set. But more probably, it’s just because seeing a skilled band work its way through excellent songs with maximum energy and lots of love is a holy experience. No matter what religion you practice.
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