MxPx has been a constant, almost muscle-memory presence in my life for nearly three decades. This is a band that soundtracked my middle school years, shaped my entry point into punk rock, and somehow embedded its lyrics and melodies so deeply that they still surface instantly after years of neglect (and boy have I neglected them for the last decade). What once spoke perfectly to my 12-year-old ears—teenage angst, buzzing guitars, snap-tight drums, and earnest hooks—now hits with an added layer of nostalgia and gratitude, reminding me how foundational those records were to my musical identity (and even to learning bass guitar). From the raw, skate-punk charm of their early work to the polish and broader visibility that followed, MxPx has always felt personal and familiar to me like an old friend who has seen you at both your highest and lowest moments.
That familiarity became tangible last Saturday night as I headed up to San Francisco to catch MxPx and The Ataris at The Fillmore with my buddy Mark. It was the first time we’d seen them play since we were about 15 years old—two decades removed from the go-go days of Warped Tour and sunburnt summer shows—and if I’m being completely honest, I was certainly more excited to see The Ataris. It’s not that MxPx wasn’t one of my first loves (they certainly were), but that love for them felt more historically relevant than rooted in any of my present day calculus. So imagine my surprise when MxPx absolutely stole the show for both of us. It may sound a bit hyperbolic, but I truly fell in love with the band again, this time at an entirely different point in my life, and for completely different reasons than when I first did.
Where I previously loved them for their reckless youthful energy, I now find myself appreciating them even more for being able to sustain that same energy into their 40s by clearly prioritizing their physical and mental health. Where I previously adored MxPx for their honest, no-frills songwriting, I now appreciate them even more for having written about themes in their late teens that are still relevant to the world we live in today. And where I previously appreciated them for helping introduce me to the ruthless authenticity of punk rock music, I now appreciate them even more for truly being authentic to themselves at every step of their careers and never compromising what they believed in.
But most importantly, I now appreciate MxPx for being a band that I’m proud to listen to with my kids and sing along to with every word. As all my fellow dads know, you do some soul-searching when you listen to music from your youth, reflecting on how those albums shaped the person you are today. MxPx is one of those bands that has all the elements that make for a timeless act—rugged individualism, relentless self-reflection, ownership of outcomes, and an underpinning of positivity. Even when Mike Herrera is laying out feelings of sadness or inadequacy, there is always a sense of hope in his lyrics that assures you things will turn out all right in the end, provided you put in the work to get there. The examples are numerous, but songs like “Tomorrow’s Another Day,” “Invitation to Understanding,” and “Inches from Life” from Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo demonstrate those principles. I guess my mom knew what she was doing when she bought their albums all those years ago.
It’s a beautiful thing, really. And just one more reason to appreciate everything MxPx has done for me over the years. So thanks, Mike, Yuri, Tom, and Chris. It’s been a while since we’ve spent some significant time together. But I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot more time together in 2026.
Standout Songs: This whole album is an absolute banger
