Live music preview: Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids is coming to 13th Floor
I have a deep love for The Get Up Kids. Their 1999 classic Something to Write Home About is an all-timer for me—one of those records that somehow still hits the same decades later. (I’ve been caught hoarse-singing along to “Action-Action” more than once in my life.) So when word came down that frontman Matt Pryor is dropping back into town, armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar, I was immediately in.
Pryor hits The 13th Floor on January 23 for an intimate New Year kickoff, joined by Austin indie-gaze act Semihelix and Small Uncle—a lineup that feels tailor-made for a room that rewards bands willing to give you a taste of their sweat. And honestly, I’m excited. Pryor’s voice has held up beautifully over the years, and having seen The Get Up Kids on a full-band run this past year, I can say without hesitation: they still bring it.
I haven’t caught Pryor in solo mode yet, but by all accounts—and a little internet creeping—his acoustic sets pull from across his catalog: Get Up Kids staples stripped to the bone, selections from his solo records, the occasional The New Amsterdams deep cut, and a few surprises for the lifers. That balance of familiarity and what the hell is this? is exactly what I want from a show by a guy I’ve been listening to since Dubya was President.
Pryor is touring his new solo record, The Salton Sea which dropped in November of 2025. Like his previous work, his lyrics are substantial, reflecting on Pryor’s entry into sobriety. I can say with certainty that his performance will be memorable. If you buy a ticket to this gig, you’re not gonna forget it.
Pryor told New Noise Magazine, “I started journaling about what I had been through, especially during the last six months of the dark times, as it were, because I just wanted to keep a record of it before I forgot about it,” he explains. “And then I found that I thought it was an interesting thing to start writing, it inspired me to write new songs. And so I started writing songs, and then it ended up being a record.”
If you’re looking for a way to kick off winter by excavating a few ghosts while howling along over some Lone Stars, this feels like one of those nights that delivers. And once again, I’ll be right there, excited to hear “Ten Minutes to Downtown.”
Grab tickets here. Bring a friend to drunk cry with. It’s always better that way.
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