History Music / SmokingPopes

* RefrainFromAssuming: "Need You Around" is often titled around the Internet as "I Need You Around". Less commonly, "Star Struck One" is called "Star Struck One''s''".

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* BreakthroughHit: In a minor way, "Need You Around". It's also their only single to chart.

* ThePeteBest: Drummer Dave Martens left the band after their first EP, not sticking around long enough to see their mild success with ''Born To Quit''.

The Smoking Popes are a Chicago-based pop-punk outfit from Lake In The Hills, Illinois whose core consists of the three brothers Caterer. In their life as a band so far, they have had five different drummers, though only three have drummed on LPs. They released three EPs (''Inoculator'', ''Break Up'', and ''2'') before releasing their debut LP, ''Get Fired'', in 1993. This album gained them the respect of bands such as Screeching Weasel and {{Music/Green Day}}, and with these sudden connections, the band was signed to Capitol Records. The label released their sophomore effort, ''Born To Quit'', in 1995 to limited commercial success, as the album reached #37 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. This success was partly based on the power of the album's lead single "Need You Around", which was included in the soundtrack for the movie ''Clueless''. They are well-known for Josh's Music/{{Morrissey}}-esque vocals, which adds a unique mixture to the band's sound.

* Josh Caterer - the leader of the band, in most every way possible. He is the lead vocalist, the lead guitarist (in tandem with Eli), and the lead interviewee. He's also released two solo EPs filled with songs for use in church worship, and one Christmas EP.

** Split single with {{Music/Groovy Love Vibes}} - "Leather and Lace" (Stevie Nicks and Don Henley cover), "Hang"
** Split single with {{Music/Alkaline Trio}} - "Blue Carolina" (Alkaline Trio cover) [[note]]Alkaline Trio in turn covered Smoking Popes' "Off My Mind"[[/note]]

The Smoking Popes are a Chicago-based pop-punk outfit from Lake In The Hills, Illinois whose core consists of the three brothers Caterer. In their life as a band so far, they have had five different drummers, though only three have drummed on LPs. They released three EPs (''Inoculator'', ''Break Up'', and ''2'') before releasing their debut LP, ''Get Fired'', in 1993. This album gained them the respect of bands such as Screeching Weasel and {{Music/Green Day}}, and with these sudden connections, the band was signed to Capitol Records. The label released their sophomore effort, ''Born To Quit'', in 1995 to limited commercial success, as the album reached #37 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. This success was partly based on the power of the album's lead single "Need You Around", which was included in the soundtrack for the movie ''Clueless''.

** "Welcome To Janesville" from, arguably, their [[LighterAndSofter poppiest album to date]] (''Stay Down'') is a Take That to the eponymous Wisconsin city. The song shows the perspective of someone who has [[Music/DeathCabForCutie failed to break from the concrete, in the city where they still reside...]

* SopranoAndGravel: Arguably Josh. The band's early work features a lot of punk-shouts from the lead vocalist, but from ''Born To Quit'' onward, Josh's voice has been described as "crooning".

* WordSaladLyrics: "On The Shoulder" comes to mind.

** As well as their cover of "Seven Lonely Days" on ''The Party's Over''.

--> Josh: "And now, for our final selection, we give you... 'I Dreamed a Dream', from [[{{Les Misérables}} ''Less Miserable'']]!"

--> Josh: "And now, for our final selection, we give you... 'I Dreamed a Dream', from [[Theatre/{{Les Misérables}} ''Less Miserable'']]!"

--> Josh: "And now, for our final selection, we give you... 'I Dreamed a Dream', from [[{{Theatre/Les Misérables}} ''Less Miserable'']]!"

--> Josh: "And now, for our final selection, we give you... 'I Dreamed a Dream', from [[Theatre/Les Misérables ''Less Miserable'']]!"

* JustFriends: The protagonist and his love interest in "Stars", though Josh's character is desperately hoping for that {{RelationshipUpgrade}}.

* Garfunkel: Any of the band's drummers, none of whom have contributed a single song to Smoking Popes' discography.
* Homage: In live versions of "On The Shoulder", Josh often adds lyrics from the song "Different Drum", made famous by The Stone Poneys.

** This is implied

--> Josh: "And now, for our final selection, we give you... 'I Dreamed a Dream', from {{Theatre/LesMiserable ''Less Miserable''}}!"

* CoveredUp: The Popes will often cover songs ''in the middle of their own''. Some include "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors, "Swingtown" by Steve Miller Band, and "Different Drum" by the Stone Poneys.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Fans can't find one album that fits this trope, but it's generally agreed upon that newer songs like "The Corner" (which is about a murderous protagonist) and "Letter To Emily" (which is about suicide) are indicative of a subliminal shift towards more mature themes. Sure, the Popes had "Sandra" and "Let Them Die" in the early days, but those songs don't even begin to compare in [[Squick obvious creepiness]].

* LoveMakesYouEvil: "Sandra" is about Josh's obsession with Sandra Bernhard, a female comedian, and his lyrics reach ''very'' stalker heights.

--> Josh: "And now, for our final selection, we give you... 'I Dreamed a Dream', from ''Less Miserable''!"

* TruckDriversGearChange: "Just Broke Up" and "College". Also features in their cover of "I Dreamed A Dream".

* StopAndGo: "The Corner" and "Punk Band".

Their next release, ''Destination Failure'' (1997), strained the band's relationship with Capitol when the label couldn't find a lead single to appease the new crowd they'd gained in the underground alternative rock scene. Within Smoking Popes, Josh Caterer found the band's music to be incongruent with his newfound Christian beliefs. This combination forced Josh to publicly announce the band's breakup in early 1999. The band, still needing to deliver on their three-album contract, released the covers album ''The Party's Over'', which Capitol rejected.

* 1998/2001 - The Party's Over [[note]]The album was rejected by Capitol when they heard the rough recording, so the album was picked up and released by Double Zero Records in 2001[[/note]]
* 2000 - Live (live album)
* 2006 - At Metro (live album)
* 2008 - Stay Down
* 2011 - This Is Only A Test

* AlbumTitleDrop: Avoided by every release until ''The Party's Over'', whose title is sung in the title cover song. ''Stay Down'' is sung in the title track: ''We can make it if we just stay down.'' ''This Is Only A Test'' is dropped in the title track as well.

After seven years of side projects, the Caterers united with new drummer Rob Kellenberger (who replaced their long-time partner Mike Felumlee) to play a reunion show at the famous Chicago venue The Metro. This performance was released as a CD/DVD bundle. After a year of touring with fellow pop-punk band Bayside, Smoking Popes released their first album of original material since 1997 with ''Stay Down'' (2008). The band toured extensively over the next year and a half, re-entering the studio in 2010 to begin work on their first concept album. These recordings comprised their release ''This Is Only A Test''.

* HarsherInHindsight: No one can deny that the title of ''Destination Failure'' is a cruel commentary on the band's coming breakup, as it was their final album of original material until 2008.
* HilariousInHindsight: Though ''Destination Failure'''s title [[HarsherInHindsight seems prophetic]], the final song on the album, "Follow the Sound", is about reincarnation. Pretty hilarious that the band would return with a new drummer, ''reincarnated''.

The Smoking Popes are a Chicago-based pop-punk outfit from Lake In The Hills, Illinois whose core consists of the three brothers Caterer. In their life as a band so far, they have had five different drummers, though only three have drummed on album releases. They released three EPs (''Inoculator'', ''Break Up'', and ''2'') before releasing their debut LP, ''Get Fired'', in 1993. This album gained them the respect of bands such as Screeching Weasel and {{Music/Green Day}}, and with these sudden connections, the band was signed to Capitol Records. The label released their sophomore effort, ''Born To Quit'', in 1995 to limited commercial success, as the album reached #37 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. This success was partly based on the power of the album's lead single "Need You Around", which was included in the soundtrack for the movie ''Clueless''.

* Lyrical Dissonance:
** "Capital Cristine" is an upbeat tune about two people who frequently cheat on each other. Excellent!

After seven years of side projects, the Caterers united with new drummer Rob Kellenberger (who replaced their long-time partner Mike Felumlee) to play a reunion show at the famous Chicago venue The Metro. This performance was released as a CD/DVD bundle. After a year of touring with fellow pop-punk band Bayside, Smoking Popes released their first album of original material since 1997 with ''Stay Down'' (2006). The band toured extensively over the next couple of years, re-entering the studio in 2010 to begin work on their first concept album. These recordings comprised their release ''This Is Only A Test''.

* Neil Hennessey - the current drummer. Four drummers came before him (Dave Martens, Mike Felumlee, Rob Kellenberger, and Ryan Chavez), and he carries the drummer tradition of not partaking in interviews. His main purpose is to thrash his drums on stage, make his hair look as radical as possible, and drive the band's rhythm section.