Definitely Excited: MxPx Show

Are you ready for some old school pop punk shenanigans?

Then get over to Nemzek Field on Tuesday the 29th between the hours of noon to ten p.m. and check it out. There is going to be an onslaught of some good time rock n roll, by bands such as the Casualties, the Bouncing Souls, and Mxpx. I actually got a chance to talk to Yuri, the drummer of Mxpx. It was interesting because when I was in my teens Mxpx was a band a lot of us could identify with because of their age. They were younger than most bands out there, so I was definitely looking forward to asking him some questions.

High Plains Reader: so how is this tour going for you so far?

Yuri: Great, we are just having a blast. We have been playing with Chiodos and also some dates where we are just headlining ourselves.

HPR: I remember when I was younger looking up to you guys because you were out on tour and getting pretty well known and your band was just a little older than me, how old were you guys then?

Yuri: well I had just turned nineteen and the other two were both still eighteen.

HPR: I have caught you guys a few times before, but the last time I saw you was in 2003 with Dashboard Confessional, but it seems like you have played a lot over the years in the Midwest.

Yuri: you are right we have played the Midwest a lot even from our earliest days. We have played Fargo twice before in 03 and 05 and we are definitely excited to be back again.

HPR: So you guys have been making records and touring for quite some time now, so how do you think the face of music has changed with the advent of this crazy digital age?

Yuri: There are a lot more kids in bands, I was approached for the first time in a long time at a show by someone who did not talk about being in a band. I think it is a good thing now, because this way people that never would have been heard before can get their music out there.

HPR: Yeah, growing up you always had to have respect for your elders in the music scene because they were the ones that were going to show you the new bands to check out; and I feel that now, with bands being so widely available on myspace, last fm, pandora, etc., that that attitude has lost its effect

Yuri: Yeah, that whole older brother idea, I could see how that isn’t happening as much.

HPR: So with as much touring as you have been doing over the last decade, what do you guys do in your down time?

Yuri: Well, there are places where we have friends and we will spend time doing things with them when we are there, or we will hang out in the bus and read or watch a movie.

HPR: so, lastly do you find it is hard to get out from under a stigma within the music scene?

Yuri: Yeah it is hard and sometimes can never be done at all. When we signed with Tooth and Nail we were automatically seen as a Christian band.

HPR: Yes, I imagine that was not easy, because once people associate you one way, it seems that they often have a hard time accepting you in another.

Yuri: yes, we actually just decided to play with the bands we wanted to play with, and do the tours and shows which were best for us.

HPR: Sweet, well thanks for your time, see you Tuesday.

Yuri: Sounds good

So if you wake up on Tuesday with nothin better to do—and there aint gonna be no better on Tuesday—yeah, you better make your way to MSUM for some hot guitar licks.

If You Go

WHAT: MxPx, Casualties, Bouncing Soul
WHERE: Nemzek Field, MSUM
WHEN: Tues., April 29
INFO: (218) 477-2271