MxPx at the Chameleon • December 7, 2000

MxPx at the Chameleon
by Lisa Hummel

Among other things, they’ve been called the "good guy" punk band. And for good reason. MxPx, the trio from Washington state, has spent the past seven years earning their rightful position in the punk scene while living up to the benefits and drawbacks of being labeled a Christian punk band.

Unlike those who have chosen to make their religion an issue — they are seemingly either too Christian or not Christian enough, depending upon whom you ask — the band has chosen to keep their beliefs to themselves and instead attribute their positive personalities and lyrics to the fact that they are, both on stage and off, fundamentally good guys. "We’re portrayed as good guys and we are good guys," said front man and bassist Mike Herrera in the group’s industry bio. "We don’t swear at the audience or tell girls to get naked on stage. At the same time, we’re not perfect and we do get pissed off. But we’re just real with people."

And that realness had translated into success in the industry. Although the band —Herrera, guitarist Tom Wisniewski, and drummer Yuri Riley — recorded their first two full-length albums while still in high school (Pokinatcha and Teenage Politics), and immediately hit the road after graduation to tour with such acts as No Doubt and the Sex Pistols, it wasn’t until the release of their third album, Life In General, that things really began to pick up for the band. Signed by A&M Records after the disc’s original release, the album was reissued and received considerable airplay with its single, "Chick Magnet," which marked the band’s first entry into the world of MTV. After coming off the Warped Tour — which also featured the Deftones, NOFX, and Rancid — MxPx released their fourth album, Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo, the band’s first gold album. In May of this year, the band released The Ever-Passing Moment. Called "suspiciously un-punk soul searching" by Spin magazine, the 15-track punk-pop disc features the single, "Responsibility."

Praised for their powerful and loud blend of pop and punk, MxPx will be at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster for an all ages show on December 8 at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $12.50 and can be purchased by calling 299-9684.

The Chameleon Club is located at 223 North Water Street, Lancaster.