A long time ago, on a planet far away, MxPx played their first show in Andy's back yard after starting the band at the age of 17. Sure, a couple friends showed and maybe their parents, but that was it. They used to barely reach the height of their microphones for their shows, which they would play around their home town. It didn't happen overnight, but MxPx's album sales and fan following increased exponentially. Today, these guys crank out sold out shows night after night and have a lot of fun. It takes hard work, devotion, and a good sense of humor in order to keep from going insane. This is the story of MxPx.

MxPx began in the early years with Mike singing, Yuri on drums, and Andy on guitar. Just another punk band from the Kitsap area, and their branded name was Magnified Plaid. If you were to see an old flyer for one of their early shows, you'd see a magnifying glass over a piece of plaid with the name Magnified Plaid scrawled across. They hung out part of the time during a weekly youth group at the local church where Mike sang and played his guitar.

To make a name for themselves, Magnified Plaid played at places like the Sheridan Parks Center, Newsong Coffee House, the Silverdale Park Center, The Zoo Cafe (now defunct), and parties in Denise's garage. By this time, they were slowly making the name transition from Magnified Plaid to MxPx. It started with Andy's T-shirt, which had M.P. on it. The M stood for Magnified, and the P for Plaid, seperated by really small x's, used solely for periods. This representation was adopted, and the nickname MxPx was born.

Through some means, Tooth and Nail Records got a hold of a sample tape of MxPx, and arranged a time to listen to the band perform. The T&N folks listened, liked what they heard, and signed the band to a record contract. The small 3 piece band from Bremerton had finally made somewhat of a break. Now came the time to record the raw sound that was characteristic of this group. The translation from live punk shows to the reel made the album Pokinatcha. They hit it big, bringing a new enthusiasm to Christian music with their raw, youthful sound. Thanks to Tooth and Nail, this music would soon spread around the world and reach people of all ages. MxPx was now known as more than a local punk band from a little town of Bremerton, Washington.

A band who would later play a part with the final members of MxPx was Evolution of Man. Tom Wisniewski, guitar player for Evolution of Man at the time, would soon fill the shoes of Andy when he left the band after the release of Pokinatcha. After Andy left MxPx, many rumors about what happened surfaced about the split. Some say they just didn't get along and others that Andy just didn't want to stay in the band, but for whatever it was, he had his reasons. So, Tom took the position of lead guitarist, and with Mike there to help teach him their earlier songs, MxPx played on. The next major release by MxPx was Teenage Politics, a superb collection of punk. Even more so than before, to say this album took off is an understatement. Sparking interest everywhere, Teenage Politics found its way into music stores all across the country and was really popular. The talent of the band increased day by day, and there was no stopping them.

Next to follow was On the Cover, an album consisting of cover tunes from bands such as Joy Electric, AHA, and the Cootees (Mike and Tom's other band). With several major albums, singles, and 7 inches, MxPx's productivity shot through the roof. Their third release, Life In General, delved so far into the band's talent that it soon became the highest selling album in Tooth and Nail Record's entire selection. It was produced by Steve Krevac and mixed with a pure crystal sound. The songwriting skills and member collaboration were unbeleivable, not to mention strikingly original.

The story of MxPx is one of hard work, devotion, rockin' out night after night and having fun. A few things have changes since the start though, such as their local shows in Bremerton, which are packed and such things as a backyard concert have become top news in the Sun Newspaper. Their moms are still spotted at some of the shows, to watch their sons tower over their microphones and rock the place. But some things never change, such as the energy displayed at a show or the quality of the music. We will always get enjoyment out of popping Teenage Politics, Life In General, or their latest rockin' album Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo (to name a few) in the cd player and rockin' the day away. MxPx will no doubt exceed our expectations again and give us more awesome punk to listen to.

After there debut album, "Pokinatcha," came their next album "Teenage Politics", in which they took a mature step from their debut and talk about the life, the problems of teenagers and how God helps us through them. Next they came out with a cover album of songs which they redid with their unique brand of punk called "On the Cover." Then the trio took their biggest step and came out with a very mature and melodic album, "Life In General." "Life in General" talks about, well, life in general and is one of their most popular, and rightly so.

MxPx has released their new album "Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo" after signing on with A&M Records. With it they have taken a big step from "Life In General". The album includes songs about girls, God, and problems. One of their songs talks about the hypocrisy that they face through fans judging them and saying they aren't Christian just because they don't focus all their music on God. The song states, "What do you call yourself? What did you call me? Excuse me but you don't know me, and I sure don't know you neither." Their new album is definitely what to get if you're looking for some good punk.

Mike and Tom are in another band called the Cootees. Other band members include Dale (previously in Evolution of Man). This band is a bit different though, for Mike plays guitar and sings, Tom plays drums, and Dale sings and plays guitar. They are signed with Tooth and Nail Records also. Also, a couple band members are in a new band named Arthur, which will release an EP early next year.

MxPx is the band that made Christian punk what it is today. No other Christian punk impacted the Christian world like MxPx has. This band has amazing potential and talent. Mike is a great bass player and he's got a sweet voice too. He also is a great songwriter who is capable of writing some pretty snazzy bass lines. Tom also has great talent. He is a great guitarist!! And Yuri, well he's a "Chick Magnet" if ya know what I mean. The band's potential is awesome. Each album has taken a huge step from their past album. Now A&M Records has signed them, so they will now be on a secular record label. They are prospected to be bigger than bands such as Green Day and Offspring, and believe me they have the talent to do it.

MxPx just keeps getting better and they'll be around for a while. Trust me, they're worth giving a chance. My girlfriend, Jessi, doesn't even like punk but she thinks they're pretty rockin. If you haven't heard them you should.