Josh Caterer

Josh Caterer (born April 1972) is a Chicago-area musician and songwriter. With his brothers, Eli Caterer (born 1975) and Matt Caterer (b. 1968), he was a founding member in 1991 of The Smoking Popes, in which Josh plays lead guitar and sings. After his conversion to Christianity the Smoking Popes split up, and Caterer later founded Duvall. The Smoking Popes have since reformed.

Early life

Caterer's father was a successful businessman and his mother, the salutatorian of her high-school class, was a homemaker. Both were of a spiritual bent, and they named their three children with shortened forms of the biblical names Joshua, Matthew and Elijah.

Prior to the formation of the Smoking Popes, when he was a Senior in high school, Caterer formed Speedstick along with his brothers Eli and Matt.

Caterer graduated in 1990 from Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Illinois, a city neighboring his hometown, Lake in the Hills, Illinois, a far northwest suburb of Chicago. After graduation, Caterer held several menial jobs such as a job as a machine operator at a plastics company.

Caterer wrote his first song around 11 years old. During junior high he joined his first band, Slavedriver. His early musical influences included Fugazi, The Smiths, Elvis Costello, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra. As a senior in high school, Caterer formed Speedstick along with his brothers Eli and Matt. This band would become the forerunner to the Smoking Popes.

Career

Smoking Popes formed in 1991 and in early 1994 the band opened for Green Day. Caterer referred to his early songs, half-jokingly, as "pop nuggets". His singing voice changed from a punk shout to a vibrato when he tried to imitate the crooning of Frank Sinatra, initially as a joke.^[1] His singing is sometimes compared by journalists to that of Morrissey.^[2]

The creative mastermind behind the Popes, Caterer composed the majority of their repertoire of distinctive, pop-influenced punks songs, many of which have an intensely melancholy air underneath their driving beat. Lyrics of his early songs evoke feelings of fear, failure, intense despair, purposelessness, and romantic love as a redeeming agent. His later songs are marked by a more positive outlook, and many center upon the uplifting nature of religious faith and upon the importance of examining one's spiritual path. Consistent among both early and later songs is the allusive and metaphorical nature of Caterer's lyrics, often focusing upon man's search for meaning.

Caterer became a Christian in 1998. A collapse due to a cocaine overdose at an all-night party^[3] and C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity helped lead him to Christianity. He renounced his rock lifestyle, and began trying to introduce Jesus into the band's songs.^[2] Shortly after his conversion the Smoking Popes broke up, after Caterer became disillusioned when seeing Morrissey on tour with them. "I was realizing that he had a bigger budget than we did, but he was basically on the same treadmill that we were on," Caterer said. "It became a reality to us that this was going to be us, this was going to be me. It didn't seem any more fulfilling for him than it was for me."^[2] Caterer became heavily involved in his church, working at World Relief, a charitable, non-profit organization. He released a five-song EP of gospel music, Why Me, featuring solo guitar music.^[2] In 2001 he returned to the rock scene, founding a Christian rock band, Duvall, which included other former members of the Smoking Popes.^[4]

In November 2005 the Smoking Popes reunited for a sell-out show at the Chicago club The Metro.^[5] They embarked on a U.S. tour in early 2006 with the band Bayside. Several older, pre-1999 songs were not played due to their expression of views incongruent with Caterer's Christian beliefs. They released a new album in July 2008.^[6]

Caterer performed alongside Bayside for the acoustic version of "Megan" on their record "Acoustic."

Equipment List

Early Years 1991-1998: Monaco Yellow American Made Telecaster – Marshall ½ stack Black Fender Acoustic Electric

After Break 2005–Present: Inca Silver “Double Fat Strat” American Made Stratocaster – Marshal ½ stack and volume pedal Jet Black “Double Fat Strat” American Made Stratocaster Wine Red Gibson SG

Personal life

Josh and his wife Stefanie have two children. They are active in their church, the Village Church of Barrington (Illinois), where Josh leads worship on Saturday nights.

References

External links

• Interview with Josh Caterer by Harvest Bible Chapel
• Shultz, Brian (13 August 2008). "A conversation with Smoking Popes' Josh Caterer". AltPress. Retrieved 2009-06-07. 
• Josh Caterer playing at North Central College Union:

• I Know You Love Me
• Megan