In many ways, Martin Luther and the Kings’ final show went exactly how their fans expected. The Punk trio of vocalist/guitarist “Hellcat” Matt Smith, bassist Aaron “Bogie” Bogren, and drummer Jimmy “Jims” Snowden ended the 2014 Ironfest with a loud, ridiculous and whiskey-fueled ode to nearly a decade of insanity. Cues were missed, lyrics were forgotten, stage banter was nonsensical and Elvis made a very drunken appearance onstage. In some ways it was an appropriate swan song, but Smith and the rest of the Kings wanted more.
“It was good in some ways; it’s what you expect from a Martin Luther show. But it wasn’t the way we wanted to go out and it left a bad taste in our mouth,” Smith explains.
Luckily, the guys are getting a second chance at final impressions when they perform a reunion show at the Northside Yacht Club on Saturday (July 23). The Kings have upped the ante by recording the set for a live album release and have brought along their friends in Radd, Calumet and Other People to help them celebrate.
But what have Smith, Bogren and Snowden been doing in the two years since their last performance? Well, it appears that they’ve been doing a whole lotta livin’. Bogren is now a father. Snowden has been heavily involved in several musical projects across the city, including his successful solo career. But it is perhaps Smith who’s done the most moving and shaking; having settled in Michigan shortly after the final show, he now also has a child of his own on the way. In fact, his newfound responsibilities are a major driving force in the Kings reunion show.
“It’s that weight on my back that I’ve had since it happened, the last show. I’ve had my ghosts up here that I have to get rid of, especially moving into fatherhood. There’s bigger things than me holding onto a show. So this is me getting it all out of the way so I have a clear head,” Smith says.
Along with new responsibilities has brought Smith more material to work with (Smith is the Kings primary lyricist and songwriter). This, combined with the relative lack of Kings recorded material means that this live album will, in many ways, be the definitive Kings experience for their fans. Smith says, “It’s a mix of new stuff and the old standards. We have three or four new songs that we had written and played a few times but nothing ever happened with them. They got put up on the shelf with everything else.”
The Kings have been practicing whenever Smith is in town and they haven’t lost their edge; the old songs still sound as razor sharp and blistering fast as they did several years ago (drunken fumblings notwithstanding). And when you throw in a live album recording, along with three friends who have something to prove to their fans, you’ve got a recipe for a once-in-a-lifetime performance in the works.
“I don’t think we’ve ever been more serious or put more time into one show,” Smith says. “You’re really going to see us putting it all out there that night.”
All Smith asks from his fans is that they be ready to party and to bring some cash. The Kings have a lot of merchandise that they’re looking to unload, and they’re willing to make a deal. And for anyone concerned Elvis may inadvertently make another appearance on Saturday, “He’s in the grave ’til further notice,” Smith assures.
Thankfully, the King may be dead, but for at least one more night, the Kings aren’t.
This article appears in Jul 20-27, 2016.
