Nineties cult-rock survivors Smoking Popes roar into Conduit

In the mid-1990s, the Smoking Popes might just have been “the boys most likely to” become a Stateside version of The Smiths. Their major-label debut, Born to Quit, was a collection of heart-on-sleeve (and stuck in throat) pop anthems slathered in rough-and-rumble distortion and power chords — exemplified by Clueless soundtrack staple “Need You Around.”

When the band opened for Morrissey in 1997 and blew him off the stage nightly, the future seemed clear. ’Twas not to be, though, and the band broke up
in 1999 amid conflicts with their label and frontperson Josh Caterer’s deep-dive into Christianity.

The band got back together after a hiatus of a few years, intermittently touring and recording — and Smoking Popes circa 2024 are more of a creative force to be reckoned with than they’ve been in years. The original lineup of the band is reunited; the group just celebrated the 30th anniversary of debut Get Fired and released new single “Madison” and a cover of “Don’t You Want Me” in tandem with young’uns Sincere Engineer that crackles with energy. Nostalgia, what now?

7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Conduit.

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This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2024.