Smoking Popes and Off With Their Heads drew a sizable and enthusiastic hometown area crowd at The Bottom Lounge for the Midwest Simmerfest on November 12, 2022. It was a weekend jam-packed with shows and mini-fests at nearly every, if not every, punk rock venue in the city of Chicago and probably quite a few in the suburbs. Smoking Popes, comprised of the brothers Caterer: Josh, Matt and Eli, along with Mike Felumlee, headlined the show with a reliably robust performance. The band jammed through a set list that included, “Simmer Down,” “Midnight Moon,” “No More Smiles,” “Rubella,” “Megan,” “Need You Around,” and “I Know You Love Me.” Picking a show for this Saturday night entertainment might have understandably been hard for more than a few in the local punk community. However, it ap...
