MxPx

The Tom, Yuri, and Mike Show at the Electric Factory.

Performers: MxPx, Good Charlotte, and Ultimate Fakebook

Where: The Electric Factory

When: Sunday, May 13th, 2001    8:00 PM

     What to do for mom on Mother's Day?  Let's go to a concert.  That's what hundreds of fans of MxPx and Good Charlotte did as they lined up more than 2 blocks outside the Electric Factory.  Upon first glance, one could tell the line was evenly distributed with people there to see MxPx and Good Charlotte.  There had been a show earlier, but experience tells that with the second show more people and more energy equals better music. 
     Ultimate Fakebook, the rock and roll trio from Manhattan, Kansas, kicked things off in the packed venue with a plan-"We're gonna rock things even harder than the first show."  These guys are on a mission to bring back the warmth, humor, compassion and exhilarating energy of great rock and roll.  They accomplish this with real life lyrics that everyone can relate to.  Bringing you back to your high school days (or for some at the show their present life), the band jammed with the song "She Don't Even Know My Name," which Bill McShane (guitar, vocals) dedicated to "guys that like a girl and she doesn't even know who you are."  Throughout their brief set, there was the typical opening band energy in addition to scattered mosh pits.  But when the song "Roll",  about "roller skating in the 7th grade," blasted through the speakers, the energy level was kicked up a notch.  Best of luck to the guys trying to bring back the "Real Drums": "Cuz I remember when the backbeat wasn't programmed in and heroes were still human and messed up."
     When the guys from Good Charlotte stepped on stage, the crowd filled with life like an awakening from the dead.  The concert marked the triumphant return of Benji, Joel, Aaron, Billy, and Paul after blowing out two shows last December at the Theater of Living Arts.  Their electric performance proved not to be the so called "opening act."  This show actually ended up being one of Aaron's (drums) last with the band since his recent decision to join his brother's band, Wakefield.  Regardless of that fact, there was no messing around to be had --3 songs into their 45 minute set, Joel jumped into the crowd, attempting to lend the microphone to a few fans reaching out for a touch of the lead singer.  Ultimately, he had to be rescued by the Electric Factory staff, or he would have been swallowed into the pit of the crowd.  Through the madness and mayhem the members of Good Charlotte couldn't go on without a tribute to their moms.  Things slowed down as the words to the bonus track off their CD "Thank You Mom" were heard: "You were my mom you were my dad, /The only thing I ever had was you/ it's true."  Although they played songs from their self-titled debut, Good Charlotte even managed to drop a new track, "Story of My Life."  Along with their music came their non-stop energy and emotion-filled expressions.  It was as if they had drunk a case of Mountain Dew before the show.   And the crowd, packed like sardines, responded in kind as they surfed and moshed carelessly.  Claiming this to be the best tour of their lives, they asked the crowd to sing the sensitive song "The Motivation Proclamation" to MxPx.  Then when Joel asked the crowd how many of them have bands, the sea of hands and screams from more than half the room didn't provide too much hope to all the punk rock wannabes.  Calling for the fist in "Festival Song" and ending in a frenzy with "Little Things" the band let everyone know they will be back and ready to rock on the Warped Tour later this summer.
     Then the lights went down.  The tension was rising.  Then Bam!  The threesome from Bremerton, Washington tore up the stage.  Mike Herrera on the bass, Tom Wisniewski on the guitar, and Yuri Riley on the drums make up MxPx, the headliners of the show.  The name MxPx was coined in high school while they went by the name Magnified Plaid.  When Yuri drew up flyers for their shows, he would use small X's instead of periods to abbreviate MP.  The name MxPx stuck, and it has seen this punk trio through many records and massive touring.  Now headlining a tour of their own, the band brought the sounds of The Ever Passing Moment and Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo to their fans.  After getting things going with a few songs, Herrera told us that due to the current state of music, he didn't want techno coming in and to keep rock alive.  Throughout the show, these guys were up to their regular antics, flying 10 feet in the the air and allowing some of the ticket holders to share some stage time.  And, just to make sure we understood that the members of MxPx care about their moms, Wisniewski told the audience that Herrera called his mom during the afternoon show.  To promote the release in two weeks of The Renaissance EP, the band held up a giant poster of the album cover.  Curiously enough, however, they only played a few songs off their new 9-song EP.  One of them was "Lonesome Town," which reminds us of the sounds of Teenage Politics.  Next came the cover songs.  MxPx played what they called a tribute to Philadelphia, Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69."  Next, "Move to Bremerton" nearly exploded the Factory before the band finished off the crowd with "Chick Magnet".   But c'mon, I think we are forgetting something.  The sound of the thunderous crowd brought MxPx back for an encore performance which included a cover of the Clash classic "Should I Stay or Should I Go?."  To the surprise of fans, this song featured Wisniewski on lead vocals with Herrera on the support.  It was followed by "Responsibility" and then brought to a final conclusion with "Punk Rawk Show".  The craziness inspired by the thrilling performance is proof of the fact that MxPx is only growing in their music and still not forgetting their true punk roots.  What better way to spend Mother's Day than at a punk rock show?  Oops, I forgot.  Sorry Mom. -Todd Wojtowicz

Click on the artist to see photos from this concert:

MxPx     Good Charlotte

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