Midtown

ByLets Go Punk
Midtown are a New Brunswick

Midtown are an American pop-punk band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in November 1998, the group released three studio albums and several EPs before breaking up in 2005, then returned for reunion runs in 2014 and again starting in 2022.

How The Band Got Started

Midtown formed in 1998 when Rutgers University students Gabe Saporta (vocals and bass), Rob Hitt (drums), and Tyler Rann (guitar and vocals) began playing together. The lineup soon expanded into a quartet with the addition of Heath Saraceno on guitar and vocals. Coming out of the New Jersey punk circuit, Midtown leaned into a blend of pop-punk hooks and punk rock energy, and they started recording not long after forming.

Early Releases And The Drive-Thru Era

The band’s first release was the EP The Sacrifice of Life, put out through Pinball Records in 1999. Momentum built quickly, and Midtown released their debut album Save the World, Lose the Girl in early 2000 through Drive-Thru Records. Around this period, they also appeared on split releases, including a Donots vs. Midtown split and a Millencolin/Midtown split, which helped keep their name in rotation in the punk and pop-punk world.

Major Label Step And A Bigger Spotlight

For their next album, Midtown moved into a wider lane with Living Well Is the Best Revenge in 2002. The band’s profile grew as they shifted from the independent pipeline to a major label setup. That same year, they also released New.Old.Rare., an EP that added more material around the band’s core album run.

Final Album, Columbia Release, And The 2005 Breakup

Midtown’s third studio album, Forget What You Know, arrived in 2004. It was made while the band were not signed to a label and was later picked up by Columbia Records. After the album’s release, the band ended their initial run and disbanded in 2005, closing out a seven-year stretch that produced a tight catalog and a lot of scene mileage.

What The Members Did After Midtown

After the breakup, Gabe Saporta became the lead singer of Cobra Starship. Heath Saraceno joined Senses Fail in 2005 and later left in 2009. Tyler Rann played music with friends for a time, then stepped away from the industry and moved into fashion and clothing work.

Reunions And The Band Returning To The Stage

Midtown returned in early 2014 for three shows, including a secret set at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn and two appearances at the Skate and Surf Festival. In 2022, they reunited again for more shows, including opening dates on My Chemical Romance’s reunion tour, plus their own headlining run billed as the 2022 Resurrection Tour. They also played the 2023 Adjacent beach festival in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Members

  • Gabe Saporta (lead vocals, bass guitar) (1998–2005; 2014; 2022–present)
  • Tyler Rann (vocals, guitars) (1998–2005; 2014; 2022–present)
  • Heath Saraceno (vocals, guitars) (1998–2005; 2014; 2022–present)
  • Rob Hitt (drums, percussion) (1998–2005; 2014; 2022–present)
  • Benjamin Litchman (bass guitar) (2023–present)

Discography

  • Studio albums: Save the World, Lose the Girl (2000), Living Well Is the Best Revenge (2002), Forget What You Know (2004)
  • EPs and split releases: The Sacrifice of Life (1999), Donots vs. Midtown Split 7″ (2000), Millencolin/Midtown Split (2001), New.Old.Rare. (2002), We’re Too Old To Write New Songs, So Here’s Some Old Songs We Didn’t Write (2023)

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