Get Up Kids

There are a million reasons to hate the Get Up Kids, but the band’s always-energetic live show isn’t one of them. The cozy confines of the Bottleneck should provide ample romper room for the GUKs to preview a batch of newly penned tunes. Benefiting Toys for Tots, the hometown show is part of a small Midwestern warmup that prefaces a round of European dates in January. Anticipation is high for opening act the Belles, a duo featuring Creature Comforts frontman Chris Tolle and former Reflector drummer Jake Cardwell. Though its official release has been pushed back until 2003, the Belles’ full-length Omerta is already a local hit. Recent out-of-town gigs with Imperial Teen and the Anniversary have only increased the band’s profile, making it one of the coming year’s acts to watch.