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Smoking Popes

Smoking Popes Tour Dates and Upcoming Concerts

Welcome to the official artist page for Smoking Popes – your premier destination for the latest concert tickets, tour announcements, and exclusive shows near you. Dive into the music, explore the artist’s reviews and photos, and never miss another concert moment. Stay updated, stay connected, and be the first to grab tickets for an unforgettable musical experience.
On tour Yes
Followers 23,664
Category Pop, Pop Punk
Concerts
Feb
28
Off Broadway
St. Louis
Tickets
Mar
01
Growlers
Memphis
Tickets
Mar
02
The EARL
Atlanta
Tickets
Mar
06
The Orpheum
Tampa
Tickets
Apr
22
Turf Club
St Paul
Tickets
Apr
23
High Noon Saloon
Madison
Tickets
Apr
25
The Castle Theatre
Bloomington
Tickets
Apr
27
HI-FI
Indianapolis
Tickets
May
14
Madison Live!
Covington
Tickets
May
15
Ace of Cups
Columbus
Tickets
May
16
Bottlerocket Social Hall
Pittsburgh
Tickets
May
17
Ukrainian American Citizens' Association (Ukie Club on Franklin)
Philadelphia
Tickets
May
18
Songbyrd Music House
Washington
Tickets
May
20
TV Eye
Ridgewood
Tickets
May
21
Space Ballroom
Hamden
Tickets
May
22
Cafe at the Somerville Armory
Somerville
Tickets
May
23
Rec Room
Buffalo
Tickets
May
24
Mahall's
Lakewood
Tickets
Jun
06
Summit Music Hall
Denver
Tickets
Jun
07
Summit Music Hall
Denver
Tickets
Jun
08
The Depot
Salt Lake City
Tickets
Jun
09
The Depot
Salt Lake City
Tickets
Jun
11
The Showbox
Seattle
Tickets
Jun
12
The Showbox
Seattle
Tickets
Jun
16
August Hall
San Francisco
Tickets
Jun
17
August Hall
San Francisco
Tickets
Jun
19
House of Blues Anaheim
Anaheim
Tickets
Jun
20
House of Blues Anaheim
Anaheim
Tickets
Jun
21
Fremont Country Club
Las Vegas
Tickets
Jun
22
Fremont Country Club
Las Vegas
Tickets
Jun
24
The Nile Theater
Mesa
Tickets
Jun
25
The Nile Theater
Mesa
Tickets
Jun
27
Emo's Austin
Austin
Tickets
Jun
28
Emo's Austin
Austin
Tickets
About Smoking Popes
Smoking Popes is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1991. They play pop-influenced punk music with crooning vocals and sappy, romantic lyrics. The core of the group is composed of brothers Matt Caterer (b. 1968), Josh Caterer (b. 1972) and Eli Caterer (b. 1975). The Caterer brothers were raised on rock 'n' roll and crooners like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. In 1980 Matt got a guitar, Josh a bass guitar and Eli a drum set and they began to play together. Soon after, their eyes were opened to the world of the Ramones and punk rock. Other early musical influences included Mel Tormé, Tom Waits, The Replacements, The Smiths, early AC/DC, The Cars, and Dinosaur Jr. In 1990 Matt and Josh, calling themselves Speedstick, got a gig at a party and played approximately 10 original punk-style compositions. About this time, Matt switched to bass and Dave Martens joined as drummer. Josh became an Elvis Costello fan and his style, accordingly, became more pop influenced. Speedstick recorded 10 songs in their first studio session, including "Brand New Hairstyle," which would become a staple of the Smoking Popes repertoire. They changed the band's name, taking "Smoking" from Matt and Josh's penchant for excessive cigarette smoking and "Popes" from the movie "The Pope of Greenwich Village." (The band's original name was simply the "Popes", but it was decided to add the adjective to distinguish the band from the Chicago gang The Popes.) Martens, disenchanted with the band's musical direction, stopped attending rehearsals and the Caterers recruited Mike Felumlee of Article One to replace him. In 1991, the band released five tracks recorded during their Speedstick days as the Innoculator EP, with local indie label Radius Records. With the proceeds and what other funding they could scratch together, the Smoking Popes bankrolled the recording of the Break Up EP in 1992. In February Eli Caterer joined as a second guitarist and in October Break Up was released. They played as often as possible in the Chicago area and ventured occasionally to small venues in Indiana and Tennessee. In 1993 the band recorded their best-yet compositions on the 2 EP. They also recorded a split 7" single with Groovy Love Vibes. GLV vocalist Erik Pertl guested on the Popes' track "Leather and Lace" and Josh guested on the GLV track "Goodtime Music." The band got a break when pop punk icon Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel became a fan and used his connections to recruit Mass Giorgini of Squirtgun to produce the Smoking Popes' first LP, Get Fired. With their improved status, the band scored a three-week tour with The Bollweevils and played to bigger audiences. That year also saw the release of two Popes tracks from the same sessions as the Break Up EP. "Run Away" and "Let's Hear It for Love" appeared on the "It's a Punk Thing... You Wouldn't Understand" compilation on Shakefork Records. For the follow-up to Get Fired the band worked with producer Phil Bonnet, who also produced much of their early material. "Need you Around," which would later launch Smoking Popes to a huge audience via the soundtrack to the movie Clueless, was recorded in December. In early 1994 the band opened for Green Day, who extended the invitation after hearing Get Fired. In mid-1994 the Popes finished their new album, Born to Quit. After "Need You Around" took off on alternative radio, they opened for Elastica and gained the attention of record label scouts. They signed with Capitol Records, which rereleased Born to Quit. In a promotional blitz, they toured America with the Goo Goo Dolls and Tripping Daisy. In 1996 The Clueless soundtrack was released in the UK and "Need You Around" was dropped as a single to capitalize on their newfound popularity there. It was promptly designated "Single of the Week" by the New Musical Express. They toured England and Scotland for a couple of weeks, then crossed back over the Pond to tour with Jawbreaker. Despite the touring, album sales didn't meet Capitol's expectations and it became clear that the band had to deliver a hit. Producer Jerry Finn, who had added gloss to the sound of Green Day and Rancid, was brought in to do the same for Smoking Popes. In September they toured with labelmates Jimmy Eat World. The start of 1997 brought dissatisfied label execs who insisted they didn't hear a single among the tracks Smoking Popes submitted for the new album. The band spent six months writing and demoing songs until Capitol was finally determined that new song "I Know You Love Me" had commercial potential. However, the label fired the Popes' A&R representative and the new album was shelved. After negotiations, Destination Failure was released in August. At this point Tom Counihan, a.k.a Tom Daily, joined the band as a touring guitarist. In October they began to tour with alternative icon Morrissey, who said of Born to Quit, "[it's] extraordinary, the most lovable thing I'd heard in years." Album sales picked up and the band garnered new fans at every stop. Still, the label couldn't be convinced to devote significant resources to promotion. In 1998 the band toured with Triple Fast Action and Menthol. Afterward, the band decided to record a covers album, which would fulfill their contract with Capitol. Around this time Josh became very involved in Christianity and wanted to devote his work to his faith. The label rejected the new album but released Smoking Popes from their contract. The band played several large shows before Josh quit, effectively breaking up the band. In a later interview, Josh commented about this time "I became a Christian in May 1998 and I quit the Popes in January 1999. I tried to incorporate my faith into what we were doing in the Popes, but it just didn't seem like a good fit." In 2001, record label Double Zero finally released the covers album The Party's Over. In November of 2005 the Smoking Popes reunited for a packed and much-anticipated show at the Chicago club The Metro with Rob Kellenberger replacing Mike Felumlee on drums. The tickets sold out in a mere 36 minutes. In that show — immortalized on a DVD called At Metro, bundled with a CD of the performance — Josh, Matt and Eli were conspicuously happy and energized. Eli remarked that he hadn't had that much fun in seven years, a reference to the time since the band's previous break-up. Josh has become somewhat more accepting of much of the music of his former band, and the Popes have decided to reunite on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. They embarked on a U.S. tour in early 2006 with the band Bayside. Several older, pre-1999 songs in the band's repertoire Josh retired from their set list, owing to their expression of views incongruent with his Christianity. During this time, the Popes have acquired a new drummer, Ryan Chavez, who replaced Kellenburger, who had prior commitments. Chavez now seems to be the permanent replacement. During August 5th of Lollapalooza 2006 in Chicago, Josh introduced and played two new songs which he announced would be on the forthcoming Popes album, though no release date or album title was given. The new songs, entitled "If You Don't Care" and "Stay Down", are now available to hear on the band's MySpace page.
Follow on Bandsintown
Genres
Pop, Pop Punk
Photos
concert photo concert photo
What fans are saying
JBN
5 / 5
Awesome performance!!
Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL
Nov 14, 2022
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Smoking Popes Tour Cities
Somerville, MA St Paul, MN San Francisco, CA Columbus, OH Mesa, AZ Bloomington, IL Tampa, FL Lakewood, OH Salt Lake City, UT Austin, TX Washington, DC St. Louis, MO Buffalo, NY Pittsburgh, PA Covington, KY Denver, CO Anaheim, CA Memphis, TN Philadelphia, PA Indianapolis, IN Las Vegas, NV Madison, WI Seattle, WA Atlanta, GA Hamden, CT

Frequently Asked Questions About Smoking Popes

Concerts & Tour Date Information

Is Smoking Popes on tour?

Yes, Smoking Popes is currently on tour. If you’re interested in attending an upcoming Smoking Popes concert, make sure to grab your tickets in advance. The Smoking Popes tour is scheduled for 34 dates across 25 cities. Get information on all upcoming tour dates and tickets for 2025-2026 with Hypebot.

How many upcoming tour dates is Smoking Popes scheduled to play?

Smoking Popes is scheduled to play 34 shows between 2025-2026. Buy concert tickets to a nearby show through Hypebot.

When does the Smoking Popes tour start?

Smoking Popes’s tour starts Feb 28, 2025 and ends on Jun 28, 2025. They will play 25 cities; their most recent concert was held in St. Louis at Off Broadway and their next upcoming concert will be in St Paul at Turf Club.

What venues is Smoking Popes performing at?

As part of the Smoking Popes tour, Smoking Popes is scheduled to play across the following venues and cities:

2025 Tour Dates:

Feb 28 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Mar 01 - Memphis, TN @ Growlers
Mar 02 - Atlanta, GA @ The EARL
Mar 06 - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
Apr 22 - St Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Apr 23 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Apr 25 - Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre
Apr 27 - Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI
May 14 - Covington, KY @ Madison Live!
May 15 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
May 16 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket Social Hall
May 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Ukrainian American Citizens' Association (Ukie Club on Franklin)
May 18 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Music House
May 20 - Ridgewood, NY @ TV Eye
May 21 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
May 22 - Somerville, MA @ Cafe at the Somerville Armory
May 23 - Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room
May 24 - Lakewood, OH @ Mahall's
Jun 06 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
Jun 07 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
Jun 08 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
Jun 09 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
Jun 11 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Jun 12 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Jun 16 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Jun 17 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Jun 19 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
Jun 20 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
Jun 21 - Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club
Jun 22 - Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club
Jun 24 - Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theater
Jun 25 - Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theater
Jun 27 - Austin, TX @ Emo's Austin
Jun 28 - Austin, TX @ Emo's Austin
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