Jim Suptic

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Jim Suptic
Jim Suptic.png
Jim Suptic performing with The Get Up Kids at the Riviera Theater in Chicago IL, December 2017.
Background information
Birth nameJames David Suptic
Also known asWicked Supti
Born (1977-10-14) October 14, 1977 (age 45)
Origin Olathe, Kansas, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, entrepreneur
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1994–present
Labels Vagrant, Curb Appeal
Website

Jim Suptic (born October 14, 1977) is an American musician and entrepreneur, best known for being the guitarist for the rock band The Get Up Kids.

Contents

Career

The Get Up Kids

Jim Suptic is best known for being the guitarist and sometime lead singer for the Kansas City band The Get Up Kids. He grew up in Olathe, Kansas. In the summer of 1994, he was in a band called "Kingpin" with future Get Up Kids bandmates and brothers Rob and Ryan Pope. After the band broke up due to internal conflicts, Rob and Jim re-formed with Matt Pryor (who had been playing with Secular Theme) and friend Nathan Shay. The band officially formed on October 14, 1995 (Suptic's 18th birthday). [1] Shay, unwilling to tour, was replaced with Rob's brother Ryan. The band recorded its first release, Four Minute Mile in 1996.

After touring throughout the midwest with Braid, The Promise Ring and Jimmy Eat World, the band signed to the then-unknown Vagrant Records to record their second album Something to Write Home About. The album was a hit, making Vagrant Records one of the largest independent record labels in the country. [2]

After the release of Something to Write Home About, the band toured for three years until the 2002 release of their follow-up album On a Wire. The band hired on Scott Litt to produce the album, deciding to take a drastic turn toward alternative, departing from their high-energy powerpop/emo roots. [3] After its release, the album flopped and Vagrant retracted much of the promotional push behind it.

In 2004, the band released their fourth studio album Guilt Show. The album was far better received than On a Wire, and the band embarked on an extensive world tour to promote the album. However, tensions began running high between the band members. Keyboardist James Dewees had recently gone through a bitter divorce (inspiration for the Reggie and the Full Effect album Songs Not to Get Married To) and lead singer Matt Pryor's wife had recently given birth to their first child, so he was upset at not getting to spend time with her.

In 2005, the band announced that they would embark on one final U.S. tour before breaking up. The band's final show on that tour took place on July 2, 2005 at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. The band continued to tour in 2010, playing the festivals in Reading and Leeds, UK.

Blackpool Lights

In 2004, after the band had finished recording their fourth album Guilt Show, Suptic formed Blackpool Lights, a side-project with former Creature Comforts drummer Billy Brimblecom and former Butterglory bassist Brian Everard. After The Get Up Kids broke up in the summer of 2005, Blackpool Lights drew his full focus. They released a five-track Self-titled EP in 2005. On July 22, 2006 the band released its first album This Town's Disaster. [4] After its release, the band went on to tour in support of the album with Supersuckers and Social Distortion. [2]

The band also gained some national attention. The band was named Spin Magazine's Artist of the Day. [5] They were also chosen by the Major League Soccer to write and perform the official theme song for the Kansas City Wizards, entitled "Ain't Nobody Gonna Stop Us Now". [6] After touring until 2007, the band has disbanded, along with Curb Appeal Records. [7]

Curb Appeal Records

Suptic is also an entrepreneur. He is one of the co-founders of Black Lodge Studios in Eudora, Kansas. The studio was formed as a joint venture between the members of The Get Up Kids and longtime friend and producer Ed Rose.

After the formation of Blackpool Lights, Suptic co-founded Kansas City-based indie label Curb Appeal Records. This Town's Disaster was the first album to be released on the label, and since then they have gone on to sign several other bands and artists, including The New Amsterdams, fronted by Get Up Kids bandmate Matt Pryor.

Discography

with The Get Up Kids


With Blackpool Lights

Personal life

Jim lives in the Kansas City area with his wife and two children.

Related Research Articles

<i>Something to Write Home About</i> 1999 studio album by The Get Up Kids

Something to Write Home About is the second studio album by American rock band the Get Up Kids, released on September 28, 1999, through Vagrant Records and the band's own label Heroes & Villains Records. Following the promotional tours for their debut album Four Minute Mile (1997), the band were in discussion with Mojo Records. During this period, James Dewees joined as the band's keyboardist. As negotiations with the label eventually stalled, they eventually went with Vagrant Records. They recorded their next album at Mad Hatter Studios in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, co-producing it with Chad Blinman and Alex Brahl. Described as an emo, emo pop and pop-punk album, Something to Write Home About expands on the harder edge of its predecessor, with frontman Matt Pryor citing the works of the Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World and Wilco as influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Get Up Kids</span> American rock band

The Get Up Kids are an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-1990s Midwest emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music. Their second album Something to Write Home About remains their most widely acclaimed album, and is considered to be one of the quintessential albums of the second-wave emo movement. They are considered forefathers of the emo genre, and have been widely credited as being an influence, both with contemporaries like Saves The Day and later bands like Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and The Wonder Years.

The New Amsterdams is an American band featuring Matthew Pryor of The Get Up Kids. In a certain sense, they represented the acoustic counter-project to The Get up Kids. In contrast to The Get Up Kids, this project features acoustic guitars, the accordion, wind instruments, strings, and mature elements of American folklore. Among the members were also numerous musicians and contributors of The Get Up Kids and other friendly bands.

<i>Four Minute Mile</i> 1997 studio album by The Get Up Kids

Four Minute Mile is the debut studio album by American rock band The Get Up Kids.

<i>On a Wire</i> 2002 studio album by The Get Up Kids

On a Wire is the third studio album by American rock band The Get Up Kids on Vagrant Records. Released three years after their breakout sophomore album Something to Write Home About, On a Wire was a massive departure from the band's established sound, eschewing the brighter pop-punk that helped define emo as a genre in favor of a darker, more adult sound inspired by 70's rock bands like Led Zeppelin.

<i>Guilt Show</i> 2004 studio album by The Get Up Kids

Guilt Show is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Get Up Kids. It was released on Vagrant Records on March 2, 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Dewees</span> American musician

James Matthew Dewees is an American musician best known for his work with The Get Up Kids, Reggie and the Full Effect and My Chemical Romance. He has also been involved in other musical projects including New Found Glory, Coalesce, Leathermouth, and Death Spells.

Blackpool Lights is an American indie rock band founded in Kansas City, Missouri, by The Get Up Kids guitarist Jim Suptic, bassist Brian Everard, and drummer Billy Brimblecom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Pryor (musician)</span> American musician (born 1978)

Matt Pryor is an American musician who lives in Lawrence, Kansas. He is best known as a founding member and the lead vocalist of The Get Up Kids, one of the most influential acts of the second-wave emo music scene.

<i>This Towns Disaster</i> 2006 studio album by Blackpool Lights

This Town's Disaster is the first studio album by American indie rock band Blackpool Lights. Released in June 2006, it is the first album to be released on Curb Appeal Records, the indie record label co-founded and owned by the band's lead singer/guitarist Jim Suptic. The album was recorded a year before its release in 2005, but could not be released until Curb Appeal was fully functional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Pope</span> American musician

Robert Pope is an American musician, best known as the bassist for Spoon and The Get Up Kids.

Billy Brimblecom, Jr. is a drummer from Kansas City, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Pope</span> American musician

Ryan Pope is an American musician who lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

Curb Appeal Records was an American record label founded in Kansas City, Missouri by The Get Up Kids guitarist and Blackpool Lights frontman Jim Suptic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ten Minutes (The Get Up Kids song)</span> 1999 single by the Get Up Kids

"Ten Minutes" is a song by the Get Up Kids. The single was released as part of the Sub Pop Records Singles Club. 1300 pressings were black, with only 100 pressings of the single on clear vinyl. A re-recorded version of it appears on their album Something to Write Home About. On July 2, 2005 The Get Up Kids performed for the last time before their hiatus at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, MO. "Ten Minutes" was the last song they played.

Shorty (song) 1996 single by The Get Up Kids

"Shorty" is a song by American rock band The Get Up Kids. The single was self-funded, and was a major catalyst for the band's early success, gaining the attention of several record labels including the band's future label Doghouse Records.

<i>The Get Up Kids / Braid</i> 1997 EP (Split EP) by The Get Up Kids/Braid

"Post Marked Stamps No. 4" is a split EP between Kansas City, Missouri band The Get Up Kids and Chicago, Illinois group Braid. The album is the fourth in the "Post Marked Stamps" series, a set of nine split EPs between various bands put out by Tree Records in 1997. There were 2 different pressings of the album; One distributed in the United States, and another sold in Europe during the band's joint European tour. Each song was recorded separately, with "I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel" recorded at Red House Studios in Eudora, Kansas, and "Forever Got Shorter" recorded at Private Studios in Urbana, Illinois. The set included a sealed envelope that contained three postcards; One postcard for each song, including recording information and lyrics, and a third featuring poetry by Vigue Martin.

<i>There Are Rules</i> 2011 studio album by The Get Up Kids

There Are Rules is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Get Up Kids, the band's first studio album release since 2004's Guilt Show. After their initial reunion, the band decided to challenge themselves to write and record an album in only two weeks without using any digital technology. Ultimately, due to conflicting schedules, they dropped the two-week deadline and recorded over several months in 2009 and 2010. Much of the album was recorded in the same sessions as their first post-reunion release, Simple Science, the song "Keith Case" being featured on both.

<i>Okie Baroque</i> 2010 EP by Blackpool Lights

Okie Baroque is an EP by American indie rock band Blackpool Lights. After touring to support their 2006 debut album This Town's Disaster, the band dissolved in 2008 for unknown reasons. In early 2010 after the reunion of lead singer Jim Suptic's other band The Get Up Kids, it was announced on Twitter that Blackpool Lights had reunited and was recording new material. The album was released online on November 30, 2010.

<i>Kicker</i> (EP) 2018 EP by The Get Up Kids

Kicker is an EP by American rock band The Get Up Kids. It was the first release from the band in seven years, and their first release on a record label other than Vagrant Records in 19 years. It was hailed as a return to form after the band's more experimental self-released reunion album There Are Rules (2011).

References

  1. "The Get up Kids Get up: The Get up Kids : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2007-12-30. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  2. 1 2 Social Distortion Tour Dates Update | News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com
  3. "Something to write home about". 28 December 2000.
  4. "Turn on the bright 'Lights'". 20 June 2006.
  5. "Blackpool Lights". 19 June 2006.
  6. adidas MLS Soccer Archived 2007-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "The Kids Are Alright". 9 March 2009.