Dewees graduated from Liberty High School in Liberty, Missouri in 1994. He started college at William Jewell College in Liberty later transferring to the University of Missouri to study music composition. In 1995, he was asked to replace Sean Ingram as vocalist for the Kansas City hardcore band Coalesce. This angered Ingram, and caused a fight that eventually broke the band up. However, in the summer of 1996, the band decided to re-form, but this time with James Dewees as a drummer. With them, he recorded the band's first two full-length albums Give Them Rope and Functioning on Impatience. Dewees was later kicked out of college for missing too many classes while touring with the band.[1]
The Get Up Kids
In 1997, Coalesce played a music festival in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania with fellow Kansas-Citians The Get Up Kids. At the end of Coalesce's set, they began smashing all of their equipment, and James picked up his Floor tom and threw it into the audience, hitting a girl on the head. Someone picked it up and tried to steal it, so James began chasing him, along with The Get Up Kids' guitarist Jim Suptic. They started talking, and Suptic invited James to hang out with the rest of the band.[2][3]
Coalesce and The Get Up Kids began collaborating more and more, playing shows together and eventually covering each other's songs for a split 7-inch. James recorded keyboard for the band on their Red Letter Day EP, and after its release, joined the band full-time. After the release of the band's second album Something to Write Home About, The Get Up Kids began receiving much greater national attention. In order to capitalize off of the success of Something to Write Home About, as well as bridge the gap between their next album, the band released a collection of B-sides and rarities, entitled Eudora, in 2000. This also included a re-make of "A Newfound Interest in Massachusetts", with a new arrangement placing a much heavier emphasis on the piano.
In 2002, the band released their third studio album, On a Wire, produced by Scott Litt. The album was a major departure from the band's previous, poppier sound, and struggled sales-wise as a result. In 2004, the band released their fourth album Guilt Show. The album was met with a much warmer reception than On a Wire, but there was a great deal of tension between the bandmates during their world tour supporting the release. Lead singer Matt Pryor, whose wife had recently given birth, wanted to spend more time at home. At one stop in Australia, the band broke up before deciding to finish the tour. However, they decided that they would do one final farewell tour before going their separate ways for good. Around the beginning of their final tour, the band released Live! @ The Granada Theater, their first live album. The album was recorded at the Granada Theater in Lawrence, Kansas at the band's tenth-anniversary show. On July 2, 2005, the band played their final show at The Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Missouri.
On August 28, 2008, James announced there will be a reunion tour in 2009. The Get Up Kids also did a tour in Japan in November 2013.
The band played US shows in Spring 2015.
On September 7, 2019, it was announced through the band's instagram page that Dewees was no longer a member of The Get Up Kids.
Reggie and the Full Effect
While playing with the Get Up Kids full-time, Dewees began to write some of his own songs. However, he did not feel as though they fit with the distinct style of The Get Up Kids, so with the assistance of bandmate Matt Pryor, he recorded Greatest Hits 1984-1987, releasing it on Vagrant Records in 1998 under the name Reggie and the Full Effect.[4] He continued to write songs, finally releasing his second album Promotional Copy two years later.
In 2003, he released a third album entitled Under the Tray. After this album released, his marriage to his first wife Megan began to break down. He was soon involved in a bitter divorce, much of which inspired his fourth album Songs Not to Get Married To, which he was writing and recording during the divorce.[5] On April 8, 2008, Alternative Press announced that they had received details on the new album from Reggie and the Full Effect. The 12 song album, Last Stop: Crappy Town was produced by Sean Beavan with tracks also done by Paul Gray from Slipknot and was released on June 17, 2008, through Vagrant Records[6]
James sent a tweet in early 2013 saying "welcome back to Reggieland." He set up a Kickstarter project to help fund the release of his next album. After this was a huge success the album titled No Country for Old Musicians was released in November 2013 under Pure Noise Records.
In February 2018, he released '41', again through Pure Noise. The band later went on tour supporting this album and also toured as a support act with Frank Iero and the Future Violents in 2019.
Other work
Dewees in 2011
After The Get Up Kids split up in the summer of 2005, James entered the studio to write and record tracks with New Found Glory for their album Catalyst, later embarking with them on a tour to support the album.
In 2007, he joined My Chemical Romance as their touring keyboardist, becoming an official member albeit for a short period of time in 2012 until the band's split in 2013. He wrote "upwards of 30 songs" for their fifth album before the band's decision to split. One of these songs, "Fake Your Death," released as part of the band's Greatest Hits album, May Death Never Stop You, in 2014, marking the band's only official track featuring Dewees. He was also heavily involved in the band's live sound design contributing greatly to their live productions.
In late 2012, Dewees began collaborating with Get Up Kids bandmate Matt Pryor on a series of demos. The collaboration grew into several east-coast tours in early 2013, and a 'Matt Pryor and James Dewees' EP in October 2013. He also formed digital hardcore act, Death Spells, alongside Frank Iero. The duo began touring and released their debut single "Where Are My Fucking Pills?" and an accompanying music video.[7] Death Spells released full-length album 'Nothing Above, Nothing Below' in 2016.
In 2014, Reggie and the Full Effect went on a spring US headline tour then followed it up by supporting Say Anything and Saves The Day on their end of the year anniversary tour, choosing to perform Under the Tray in full. Dewees also contributed to Gerard Way's debut album Hesitant Alien, and began touring alongside Way as the keyboardist of his backing band, The Hormones.
Personalities
On the various Reggie albums, James has created a series of different personas that appear as "guests" on the album. One of these personalities is "Klaus", the frontman for the fictional Finnish metal band Common Denominator. There have been five Common Denominator songs on Reggie and the Full Effect albums; "Dwarf Invasion" on Promotional Copy, "Linkin' Verbs" on Under the Tray, "Deathnotronic" on Songs Not to Get Married To, "Dmv Featuring Common Denominator" on No Country for Old Musicians, and "Trap(ing) Music" on 41. The other personality present on many of his albums is "Fluxuation", a British techno-pop star. His credits include "Gloves" on Promotional Copy, "Mood 4 LUV" on Under the Tray, "Love Reality" on Songs Not to Get Married To, "Sundae, Booty Sundae, Feat: Fluxuation" on No Country for Old Musicians, and "Channing Tatum Space Rollerblading Montage Music" on 41.
Other bands
After The Get Up Kids separated in 2005, Dewees became the touring keyboardist for New Found Glory. He had previously helped write and record keyboard parts for their 2004 album Catalyst.
On June 30, 2008, in an interview with Lawrence.com, Dewees said he is "playing drums in a new band called Leathermouth [with] a bunch of dudes from New Jersey. Their drummer quit... I've been rehearsing with them a lot and I like it a lot." The band was on tour with Reggie and the Full Effect, with Dewees on drums. Likewise, the band's vocalist Frank Iero (also from My Chemical Romance) has played bass for Reggie and the Full Effect at live shows.[8]
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 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.
The Get Up Kids are an American rock band from Kansas City. Formed in 1995, the band was a major act 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 by contemporaries Saves the Day and later bands such as Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and the Wonder Years.
Four Minute Mile is the debut studio album by American rock band The Get Up Kids.
Reggie and the Full Effect is an American rock band, the solo project of James Dewees, the former keyboardist for The Get Up Kids. It has released seven full-length albums, the latest in 2018, and has toured with various associated acts in their promotion.
Greatest Hits 1984–1987 is the debut LP release by American rock band Reggie and the Full Effect. The album was well received upon release and is considered a classic by fans.
Under the Tray..., also known as Inside the Dust Sleeve... is the third studio album by American rock band Reggie and the Full Effect.
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.
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.
Frank Anthony Iero Jr. is an American musician who is the rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist of the rock band My Chemical Romance and a guitarist in the supergroup L.S. Dunes. He was also the lead vocalist of the post-hardcore band Leathermouth. He has a solo project titled Frank Iero and the Future Violents. He released his debut solo album titled Stomachaches on August 26, 2014.
Matthew 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.
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.
Last Stop: Crappy Town is the fifth studio album by American rock band Reggie and the Full Effect released on June 17, 2008.
Jim Suptic is an American musician and entrepreneur, best known for being the guitarist for the rock band 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.
Leathermouth was an American hardcore punk band led by Frank Iero. The band formed in 2007, and in January 2009 released their first album XO.
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.
"Automatic" is the first single from The Get Up Kids' album There Are Rules. After the band's breakup in 2005, "Automatic" was the first single released by the band following their reformation in 2008.
Death Spells was an American digital hardcore band formed in 2012. The group was composed of My Chemical Romance rhythm guitarist Frank Iero and keyboardist James Dewees, both of whom were also previously members of hardcore punk band Leathermouth.
No Country For Old Musicians is the sixth studio album by American rock band Reggie and the Full Effect, released on November 19, 2013. The album was released through the support of a Kickstarter campaign set up by James Dewees himself. The album was the last album produced by longtime collaborator Ed Rose at his studio Black Lodge Recording before his retirement.
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