Smoking Popes Revive Born To Quit

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 18, 2012 2:40PM

Whether you’re a Smoking Popes fan or not, it’s hard to deny that Born To Quit was a kickass album, and there’s a good chance you drove around a suburb in your friend’s mom’s mini-van listening to "Need You Around" on repeat. The Popes know it too, and they’re milking their 1994 sophomore release for all it’s worth—the pop-punk locals are re-issuing the album through Side One Dummy Records on October 23.

The re-issue will be remastered and put out on both CD and LP with new artwork (or at least a Cubist version of the old artwork). It comes with other extras like old show flyers and liner notes from Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, Metro owner/former band manager Joe Shanahan, and comedian Kyle Kinane. But more importantly, it comes with two bonus tracks—a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" (which was on their 1995 7-inch single for "Need You Around") and their unreleased track "Blanket In The Park."

The band is currently in the midst of a fall tour to spread word of the re-release, and they’ll be stopping by their hometown Chicago this Saturday to play the Double Door, where they’ll perform the entire album from start to finish, followed by some of their other material. At the show, they’ll have the limited edition blue vinyl version of the album for sale (there’s also a presale for a limited edition red vinyl). Opening for the Popes are Los Angeles rockers Roll The Tanks.

And in the meantime, here’s a 1995 video of “Need You Around” for old time’s sake:

The Smoking Popes play Saturday, October 20 at the Double Door, 1572 N Milwaukee, 9 p.m., $15, 21+