25 Years of Pokinatcha Punks
by Jordan Cole
When I was a much younger man someone told me that it is foolish to meet your heroes and that meeting heroes will always lead to disappointment. Well, I suppose that could be true if your hero is Gene Simmons. This was the first band that I ever called "my favorite". Chick Magnet was the reason I thought being a bass player was cool and the reason I became a bass player. If you were raised on 90's Christian punk, then go ahead and indulge. I recently had the opportunity meet up with Left Coast Punk rawkers, MxPx, from Bremerton, WA. Here's how it went.....
Around 4:30p I get to the Highline Ballroom on W16th Str in NYC where I meet frontman Mike Herrera. I was immediately greeted by the aggressive and familiar sounds of the Huntingtons' sound check. Mike was a total sweetie. He was completely accommodating and let me know where I could put my stuff(though all I really wanted was to know where I could find the bathroom). The rest of the band hadn't yet arrived so I had a little bit of time with Mike to hang. We covered a wide array of topics including his breakfast burrito routine, life in Bremerton and the insanity of today's social and political climate.
Yuri and Tom showed up about an hour later or so and we got to work. I brought the smallest lighting kit(a single off camera flash with a 20 inch soft box) with me to shoot some images backstage and get some real moments before the guys hit the stage. The sounds of Slick Shoes rattled the green room as we snapped some images. The guys were getting pumped by jumping around and loosening themselves up, typical punk rawk. Slick Shoes finished up their ferocious set and it was only moments until the crowd was able to soak in the glory they came for.....LEFT....COAST.....PUNK.
The club was dark and the sounds of the ghostbusters theme begins to play, Yuri is first to hit the stage and the crowd roars with excitement. The boys open up with "My Life Story". I remember when that record came out and I immediately got transported to middle school. The band continued their set with "Tomorrow is Another Day". There's just something so comforting about hearing several hundred people singing at the top of their lungs "there's nothing quite like being sure of what's inside your heart". It was beautiful. Fans of MxPx came from all over the country, maybe the world, to experience this concert. I mean, this is punk rawk showing longevity. We finally live in the generation where the people who go to punk shows are parents. It's quite something to consider that when the youth claim what belongs to them it will always baffle the older generation. It is the older generation, however, that must be able to recall their own youth and recollect the messages from their own parents about the decay of western society lying in the hands of our youth.
The band got off stage while the crowd insisted "ONE MORE SONG, ONE MORE SONG!!!". I captured an image of Tom Wisniewski closing his eyes and taking it in. Basking in the glory of a successful career. The band came back and played a few more songs and ended the night with "SICK BOY"! As the night closed in on itself it became difficult for me to admit it was ending. I'd met the first band that was ever my "favorite band". They were the band that made me feel like I had an identity in punk rawk, a community that said that if I was down, I could just put on a record and be reminded that life is hard and that's ok because I'm not the only one going through it. All in all I want to say thanks to MxPx for making that night as perfect as it could be. They were nothing but kind and made every attempt to ensure that the air of celebration be the focus of the evening and for that I am forever grateful. Thanks for reading and enjoy the Photos!
