Get your singing pipes ready cause Chicago’s own Smoking Popes, with their heartbreak and melodic fury, are headed to Holy Diver in Sacramento CA on Sunday, February 24th. Smoking Popes released Into The Agony in 2018 via Asian Man Records and will be playing classics along with your new favorite jams. They are joined on the West Coast tour by Milwaukee based punks Direct Hit who will be sure not to disappoint. Direct Hit is a pop punk band formed in 2007 by Nick Woods, since the band landed on Fat Wreck Cords in 2016 they have released two full-length albums, a split with the PEARS, a compilation, and they have toured like crazy.

TUBE. met up with Direct Hit at LA’s Roxy Theater on the Sunset Strip for 6 questions to see what makes them tick:

TUBE: We are excited that you will be joining us in Sacramento. Throughout your travels do you guys have a favorite city, show, and band to tour with?

Direct Hit: Favorite cities are San Diego and anywhere in Chicago and our favorite tour partners are The PEARS. Our favorite show is tough, we’ve played a lot of good ones. The Riot Fest pre-show last summer is the coolest one most recently at the Chrome Industries store.

TUBE: What band are you listening to on repeat?

Direct Hit:  Same Beat Forever

TUBE: What is the best new band to look out for?

Direct Hit: VEIN

TUBE: What do you think about Sacramento?

Direct Hit: Sean Hills is TIGHT and so are Bastards of Young

TUBE: How’s the tour going so far?

Direct Hit: Easy peasy. Got to see Lemmy’s chair! Smoking Popes are a band we’ve been aware of since we were a lot younger, so it’s fun getting into them for the first time as a live band rather than on record.

TUBE: What should we expect next from Direct Hit.

Direct Hit: Always getting weirder.

TOUR DATES Smoking Popes and Direct Hit

2/23 San Francisco Bottom of the Hill

2/24 Sacramento Holy Diver

2/25 Portland Star Theater

2/26 Seattle Corazon

3/1 Denver Marquis Theater (no Direct Hit)

Words and Photography Joey Miller

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