102 A long time ago, on a planet far away, MxPx played their first show in Andy's back yard. Sure, a couple friends showed, maybe their parents, but that was it. They used to barely be able to reach the height of their microphones, and get together a decent crowd. They would play shows around their home town, and not a lot of people would show up. It didn't happen over night, but MxPx had a systematic exponential increase in album sales and fan following. Today these guys crank out sold out rockin' shows night after night, and still have fun. It takes hard work, devotion, and a good sense of ignoring the annoying things that drive one 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, 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 Magnified Plaid scrawled creatively accross the art. ) They hung out part of the time during a weekly youth group at the local Church where Mike would sing and play 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 party's in Denise's garage. By this time, they were slowly making the name transition from Magnified plaid to MxPx. It started with Andys T-shirt that had M.P. on it. The M stood for Magnified, and the P stood for Plaid. Between the letters were really small x's, used solely for periods. This representation was adopted, hence the nick MxPx.

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 generated by this group. The translation from live punk shows to the reel made an album named Pokinatcha. Pokinatcha was raw sounding, with a youthful spirit to it. Thanks to Tooth and Nail, this music would soon spread around the world and catch the ears of all ages. MxPx was now known as more than a local punk band from Bremerton.

A band who would later play a part with the final members of MxPx was Evolution of Man. Tom Wisniewski the guitar player at the time, would soon fill in the shoes of Andy when he parted with MxPx. When Andy was no longer a part of MxPx,(there are many rumors about what happened, but all that can be said to make an effective point would be that all people don't along peachy all the time, and have their own motivations) Tom took over the guitar, with help from Mike as a teacher for previous songs. So MxPx played on. The next major release was Teenage Politics. 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. The talent of the band increased day by day - no letting down or sign of wear was in sight. A powerful team was on the go, 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 Toms other band). With several major albums, singles, and 7 inches, MxPx's productivity has shot through the roof. Their latest release Life In General delved so far into the bands talent, that it will soon be the highest selling album on Tooth and Nail records entire selection. It was produced by Steve Krevac, and mixed with a pure crystal sound. The songwriting skills and member collaboration was unbeleivable, not to mention their striking originality.

The story of MxPx. Hard work, devotion, rockin' out night after night, and having fun. A few things have changes since the start though, like local shows in Bremerton are no longer vacant, but packed to the gills, and a backyard show would be top news in the Sun Newspaper. Their Moms are still spotted at some of the shows, and they tower over their microphones as opposed to before. But some things never change, like the energy displayed at a show, or the quality music blasted from the Marshall Stack. We will always get enjoyment out of popping teenage politics, life in general, or pokinatacha(to name a few) in the cd player and rockin' the day away. Can we ever ask for anything more? No matter, MxPx will exceed our expectations and create with the fuel of fun.

Extra! 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. Mike plays guitar and sings, Tom plays drums, and Dale plays guitar and sings. They are signed with Tooth and Nail Records also, and will have an album out in March. Check out their official web site The Cootees Homepage by Anthony Bennett.