Bonus Episode 6: MXPX: A Fun Punk Rawk Show (Webster Hall NYC Concert Recap)

Today on the podcast I am chatting about my experience at the MXPX show on February 9th, 2024 at Webster Hall in New York City.

Photo of black headphones with the words “Bonus Episode 6: MXPX: A Fun Punk Rawk Show (Webster Hall NYC Concert Recap)” | Eat Sleep Breathe Music
Says "Disclaimer:  Some links below are affiliate links. This means If you sign up or purchase from these links we might receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Eat Sleep Breathe Music is also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Learn more about our disclosure statement here.”

Show Notes and Full Transcript

In this bonus episode, I’m chatting about my experience at the MXPX show on February 9th at Webster Hall in New York City. 

Podcast intro music: Welcome to the Eat Sleep Breathe Music Podcast, where we talk all things music. I’m your host, Jeanette Kimszal, blogger and music enthusiast.  Let’s get started with today’s episode. 

Hey everyone, welcome to the Eat Sleep Breathe Music podcast. I’m your host, Jeanette Kimszal. For those of you just joining us, this is the podcast where I talk about different musicians and how their music affects me. And then I play a track of theirs for you to listen to so you can check it out, and form your own opinion as well.

And, if you’re so inclined to share your opinion, I’ll have details where you can leave your comments at the end of the show. However, today I’m doing something a little different. I’m back with another bonus episode. 

Early in February, I had the pleasure of seeing MXPX at Webster Hall in New York City.

And this was the first show off of their six-show tour with the Ataris. And I wanted to give a recap of the concert experience. When this show was originally announced, I was so elated because I had not seen MXPX since before the pandemic back when they played Irving Plaza in 2019.  

We almost didn’t even get to see them because the band was on their way back to New York City from a festival in Canada and their plane got derailed because a bird flew into the plane and they had to land, they had to do an emergency landing.

So, they were trying to figure out what to do if they were gonna, they wouldn’t have time to drive there to get there in time, so they decided to charter a private plane. So they were able to get there better late than never. 

So, I’ve been just like, following them to see when they’re gonna be playing again, because they are a West Coast band, and they don’t tend to come to the East Coast very often.

I can’t, I mean, also with the pandemic, it’s kind of hard to gauge, because I think there was two or three years of, No concerts at all and it seems like a really long time but maybe it’s not really that long because it was just the pandemic. So maybe, maybe in my mind it seems longer than it really was.

I had, remember I saw them originally back in 2001 at, actually at Irving Plaza as well, and they were playing with Good Charlotte. Good Charlotte was opening for them. So this is going back so long ago, but I remember going to that show and I remember being a fan of them. And I think I was probably maybe like 17, or 18 at the time.

And then before the show, we actually saw a good Charlotte on the street in New York city, but we were, we were so embarrassed. Like we didn’t know what to say to them. So we just didn’t say, we didn’t go up. We like walked past them. It’s good charlotte, but that was pretty fun. 

And so I feel like, you know, I always liked MXPX and I was really into The Let It Happen CD and like, you know, I don’t know what happened over the years I feel like I just kind of lost touch of their music But then with the internet and I feel like the pandemic and I saw that they had a new album that had come out And so I started following them.

I, again, then I found this Facebook group online that was also, um, just all the fans talking about their shows and different things. And, it really makes me feel like I am not that big of a fan because I feel like it’s so hard sometimes to be a huge fan of a band because there are so many bands that I like to listen to.

So I, you know, and it’s funny cause you don’t realize how much of a fan you. Live concert and then you get really like swept up into the fandom again, and you’re really excited and you know. I don’t know that this always happens to me. There’s a band and I listen to them for a really long period and then I get distracted with other music. 

Then I listen to that music. Then I’ll see a concert and then it gets me like amped up again. I’m all ready to listen to this again. But I do feel I’m not as big of a fan as some people that I’ve seen in this Facebook group. 

It’s so awesome just to see the fandom and the dedication and, how much this music means to so many people everyone in the group is so nice and supportive. 

It’s just really awesome to see all the merch and memorabilia and the tattoos people have and they even have their kids dressing up in band merch and taking them to shows.

It’s really a nice family atmosphere. It makes sense because people have been listening to this band for over 30 years. They had formed back in 1992, and so it’s been quite a while. So it makes sense if you were a teenager listening to MXPX, and then now you have children, and you have your kids into them, and a family affair.

So I feel like I don’t really deserve recognition as a super fan. I’m a fan, but I’m not a super fan. I do like their music, and I follow them, and I listen to their new music, and You know, I like to see when they’re playing locally, and if they’re playing locally, I try to go and support them.

So when I saw that they were playing in New York and Philly, I was really excited because it seemed like it had been a really long time since the band had played. Like I said before, it was 2019, the last show that we saw them. 

New York and Philly for us are the same distance. The Philly show was a day that we weren’t able to make it, so we wound up getting tickets for the New York show.

And it was so great because the tickets for the New York show, and pretty much I think, all the shows were reasonably priced. I was able to get tickets on the first try, which was super exciting because it’s so hard to do that these days. I was just at home at a good time, and I was able to get regular tickets and not re-seller tickets.

I did feel bad though because after, a certain period the tickets did sell out and then they went to resellers. I think people were posting them for hundreds of dollars. I saw someone in the Facebook group had mentioned the show. 

The day of the show the tickets were like 130 dollars It’s a shame because a lot of people like the music they want to see artists and then it’s not It’s just out of their price range and it’d be different if the money was going to the band, but I really don’t think that’s happening.

All the money is going into the owner of the reselling companies, which typically I think is Ticketmaster because they have a monopoly on the market and they own everything. 

So it’s probably going into Ticketmaster’s pocket, which totally sucks. And the other reason why I jumped at the chance to get tickets was because MXPX doesn’t tend to play the East Coast very often.

Touring it seems to be very difficult for pretty much all bands these days, and if it’s not lucrative for them, they are only going to tour in certain areas. It’s the fans who miss out, but at the same time, you have to understand the band needs to make money. They need to make a living, make a living like everyone else. Wherever the money is, It’s probably where they’re gonna go. 

If the trek to the East Coast seems like a, like, a lot, and it’s just not feasible for them, then they might not do it very often. So it was really exciting that, the fact that they were coming to New York.

The day of the show, I was so pumped. We were planning on taking the train, because the last couple of times we’ve driven into the city on a Friday have been a nightmare, and if you leave too late, you’re gonna be stuck in traffic, and no matter what, I feel like, Everyone’s always going to New York City on Friday.

And then you have to deal with parking. It’s in the West Village and the parking down there is not that great: there are not as many lots. So we just opted to take the train to save ourselves a lot of hassle. You get on and you don’t have to worry about it, I mean, the worst thing with the train is just waiting.

But if you do go up a little bit North, you find a station that is a hub and that trains are running all the time, then it’s not that bad. I try to be on time, but I don’t know what happens lately, I feel like I’m always late. 

Despite my best efforts to leave on time, we were leaving late, and it’s also, I think, a difficult thing when you have a show on a Friday night unless you either take a half day of work or you take off the whole day.

Getting into the city, it is a, is a process. I remember when I used to work in New York, it was so easy. We would just jump on the train and head to the venue right after work, and now it’s all about planning the trip and getting there. 

Planning the best way to get there so we get there in time. The doors opened around six and the show started at seven, which seemed kind of early. Then after thinking about it for a while, I mean, this is usually typically the time when concerts start. So I don’t know. But I think because we live so far from the city, it’s Again, we have to make this big plan.

And we realized that driving to a more central location with the express trains would put us in a better place time wise. So we hopped in the car and we made it to the train station with actually time to spare. 

Then we were waiting on the platform my husband noticed another couple who was wearing the, when we were young festival hoodie, and it had MXPX on there.

And he’s like, I bet they’re going to the concert too. And I was feeling friendly so I made my way over to them. And then I asked if they were going to the MXPX show. 

I was super excited to see a fellow fan and I don’t know my inquisitiveness took over because normally I’m pretty shy. So I started asking them if they were going to the show and they said. “yes.”  I had also asked them if they went to the MXPX show back in 2019. 

It was a memorable show because there was that whole story of them coming to the show late after having all these plane issues. They said, “no.” 

But they did see them at the When We Were Young festival. I also asked about the When We Were Young festival and how it worked because looking at the the festival lineup, it seemed there was no way to see that many acts in one day.

They were saying, “It was actually one of those things where you could go back and forth between stages, but you do have pick the bands that you want to see. 

I also inquired if they knew about if there was any opening, opening band. I wasn’t sure if there was going to be an opening, opening act because there was nothing on the bill.

There was nothing on Ticketmaster. So I figured there probably wasn’t, but it did seem kind of odd to me that it was just starting with the Ataris. 

Talking to the couple after a while, I got a little nervous that I was trying to search for things to talk about. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut, just been like, okay, well, our conversation is over.

But then I don’t know, I had this nervous energy in me, that makes me want to talk more and keep talking. So then, I asked them about, like, how they were getting to the venue in the city, and I don’t remember exactly what happened, but I think I may have blacked out from embarrassment.

So I don’t remember exactly what I was saying, but I do recall saying something about how I feel it’s always quicker to get to the venue going through Newark and taking the PATH train, it’s just an alternate route into the city from New Jersey, and I was saying.

For some reason, and I said, I, don’t know, I think I said, “I always like, I hate having to go downtown, or I hate having to go uptown to go downtown.” And I recall saying something like it was a quicker way to get into the venue through Newark. 

Then I just feel like I got like a weird look from them, and then luckily I was saved by the train, and then they went upstairs, and we went downstairs on the train, and then I was like, I don’t know, I just felt like a moron.

And then I’m sitting there thinking, Is it quicker to take Newark? I don’t know. So we spent the next, 20 minutes on the phone, figuring out, the distance and how long it would take to get to the venue through going into Newark, New York Penn Station versus Newark Penn Station. And then, I don’t know, I began, I said, I always hate going uptown to go downtown.

So then I’m like, “You know what, let’s go to Newark because I like going on the PATH train.” I don’t know, for some reason, I just have this thing in my head. 

I think it’s because I used to work in the city and I used to commute through the PATH and I always liked taking the PATH because it seemed less crowded.I don’t know. 

So we decided to go by the PATH and we actually arrived ten minutes earlier than we were supposed to at the venue, according to Google. I always like getting to the venue a little later than when the doors open, just because you don’t have to wait in line. And we got really lucky with the weather on Friday.

It was really beautiful and the night was really mild. The last time we went to the city, we had seen, went to go see the Dresden Dolls in concert. And that was the night when everybody was out going out for Halloween. I think it was actually a really hot day. And then the night was mild. So the same thing happened to us at this concert.

So we were really lucky, cause I remember one other time we went to see Spiritbox at Irving Plaza, and it was raining. It was just like, ugh, it was just miserable outside, so we were pretty lucky with the weather.

We got to Webster Hall about 15 minutes before the show started, so we didn’t have to wait in line. We just kind of got to the bar area, and then we went to the main ballroom, and that was kind of empty, which I was surprised about. Then again, I guess if you think about it, a lot of times people really don’t show up at the show until the main headliner comes on, and So it was, it was probably typical.

It was, it was nice because we were able to spot where we wanted to stand. And there was no opening opening act. 

The Ataris opened the show promptly at 7 PM. And I felt like the lights. were really distracting. They were red and I don’t know if it was supposed to be a mood lighting, but it made it kind of hard to see the band.

It just was distracting for a while and it, but then after a while you got into the music and it wasn’t as distracting as it was in the beginning. So, the Ataris opened with their radio hit, “In This Diary.”

Plays a snippet of the track“In This Diary.”

They played about 38-40 minutes. And it was exciting and enthralling, and their music is just so emotional, has so much love. The set felt like we were on that storyteller show that used to be on, I think VH1. 

The band was giving all the interpretations of, what the music was about, and they were discussing the history of the song and the meaning behind the songs. It was just a great, balance of music and talking and it was just thoroughly entertaining.

Though most people were there to see MXPX, they did give the Ataris respect and rocked out with the songs and could see people in the crowd who were there for the Ataris as well. 

There was a guy next to me who was dancing and having a blast. And it was just, it was so fun. It kind of pumped me up and it was like, yeah, you know, cause especially like, it’s so nostalgic, you know, you haven’t heard these songs. 

If you haven’t heard the music or really seen the band in a while and it was just, it was just fun. As I said, they played about a 40-minute set, give or take a couple minutes. It was comprised of eight tracks, the bulk of them from their 2003 album, So Long Astoria. These included “Letter to the World.”

Plays a snippet of the track “Letter to the World.”

“The Hero Dies in This One.” 

Plays a snippet of the track  “The Hero Dies in This One.” 

“Takeoffs and Landings.” 

Plays a snippet of the track “Takeoffs and Landings.” 

The Don Henley cover “Boys of Summer.”

Plays a snippet of the track “Boys of Summer.”

And they also play the tracks “San Dimas High School Football Rules’ and “Your Boyfriend Sucks,” which are from their 1999 release Blue Skies Broken Hearts, next 12 exits. 

I remember the 2003 album tracks. That was what was being played on the radio in the early 2000s. My sister also had that album, so I remember listening to it a lot.

I hadn’t heard the “San Dimas High School Football Rules” song before MXPX had covered it and then I went back to the original and that song is just, there’s something about that song that’s so powerful. 

Maybe it’s like the goonie teenage girl in me, but I always am so obsessed with these emo-y love lord lyrics. Which just takes you back in time. 

Plays a snippet of the track “San Dimas High School Football Rules.”

They finished with the title track “So Long Astoria.” 

Plays a snippet of the track “So Long Astoria.”

Throughout the set, they had this great interaction with the crowd then discussing the songs’ meaning or the inspiration of the song. It was really exciting and it gave me goosebumps and it put a smile on my face. 

And then when they played “San Dimas High School Football Rules.” lead singer Chris Rowe had mentioned how he was so excited that MXPX had covered the song.

They had added his name to the line in the song where it goes, I drive you to Las Vegas.  And do the things you want to do. I even have Chris Rose dedicate a song to you. In the original song, it’s Wayne Newton. 

Plays a snippet of Chris Roe talking:

“It’s not an MXPX song, but I like to tell people it is.  I woke up one day and someone’s like, hey, you know, you know, Mike, MXPX covered San Dimas. I’m like, get out of here. And then, and then to top it off, Mike sang my name in my own song. I was literally on the couch and my ex wife was like, just watching my grin. I’m like, Oh my goodness.”

So that was, that was cute how he had mentioned that and it was something the MXPX fans could be excited about as well.

Being a little on the shorter side, I’m about only 5’4” it can be somewhat of a problem when you go to standing room only shows and this was a standing room only show. I don’t mind standing, but it’s always one of those things where when you get to the show, you try to pick a place to stand, but then you really can’t count on that being the place where you’re going to be able to see for the whole night.

I’s like the, it’s this, the crowd is like the ocean when you go into the ocean and then eventually you just wind up in a different place. I feel like that happens with concert venues where you might be able to see at the beginning of the night, but then by the end of the night, you might not be able to see anymore. 

So I usually pick a place, but I don’t really count on it being the same place for the whole show because like I said, the crowd can change over time. Especially if there’s a mosh pit. Then you have to see where the mosh pit is going, and you just have to kind of go with the flow, swing with the punches, as they say. 

So when, after the Ataris had left, there was this mass exodus of people going to the bathroom. So we found a, I found a little pocket of space, and I moved up, and I’m like, fingers crossed that it’s a good place to stand for the rest of the show.This spot being a good place to stand could be short-lived. 

And for some reason it took, it seemed like it took a really long time to do set changes and sound checks before MXPX came on, but, They came on in like 8 11, so I mean that was probably like what, like 40 minutes? 

I mean that’s typical and I don’t know, maybe it’s just the impatience on my part and wanting the show to start.

So then they came on around 8:11 and they came out to the rocking high-energy track “Not Today,” which is off their latest album Find A Way Home

They followed that up with an hour and a half of pure, exciting rock out punk rock. They play a great mix of discography ranging from the 90s to their latest album. 

The only issues I had with the show were that some of the fans in the crowd kind of sucked. There were these aggressive people who would just blow past you every once in a while with no respect for anyone in front of them.

And I understand that you want to get to the front or you want to get to the pit, but don’t be a jerk about it. It would take two seconds to be like, hey, excuse me. And then, you know, like, I don’t know. I have. It’s the biggest pet peeve of mine to have people push past and shove past. And I don’t know if they’re drunk or inconsiderate or just really excited and have no regard for anything else that’s going on around them.

I understand all these things could be happening, but it’s just. It’s just frustrating sometimes. But aside from the occasional a hole, the show was good and it didn’t really like ruin things. And I finally was able to concentrate on the performance once I filtered out everything around me.

And I really love the mix of songs they played. They did a few songs off their new album including “Ready to Rage.” 

Plays a snippet of the track “Ready to Rage.”

They also took it way back to the 90s’ with “Chick Magnet”  

Plays a snippet of the track “Chick Magnet”

“My mom still cleans my room.” 

Plays a snippet of the track “My Mom Still Cleans My Room.”

“Southbound.”

Plays a snippet of the track “Southbound.”

And “New York to Nowhere.”

Plays a snippet of the track of “New York to Nowhere”

They closed with the emotional “Let’s Ride.” 

Plays a snippet of the track “Let’s Ride.”

And then they did a real encore. They actually left the stage and came back and they played three songs. 

They started the encore with “Friday Tonight,” which was fitting because it was Friday night. 

Plays a snippet of the track “Friday Tonight.”

Then they played “My Life Story.”

Plays a snippet of the track “My Life Story.”

They finished with “Punk Rock Show.” 

Play a snippet of Mike Herrera saying, “Year after year, we love you, we love you. This for you always has been, always will be, a Punk Rock Show!”

Plays a snippet of the track “Punk Rock Show.”

It’s so exciting when you can see a band live and they evoke all these emotions and feelings. You don’t realize how much of a fan you are until you see them live. 

Every time I see MXPX It puts me in such a good mood. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the pure love of the music or maybe it’s the fact They’re just so happy genuinely excited to be there and and it’s it’s just amazing to see their relentless touring ethic and their music. And their fan base and the mix of generations and all the kids in the crowd.

There was a little kid who was in the mosh pit on some parent’s shoulder. And it was just a really fun time. 

And they were so excited to be in New York City. And they were talking about the last time they were there and how they almost missed the show because of the plane issue. 

Then they were saying how they had gotten bagels and pizza, and there’s so much good food, and there’s so many good memories, and it was just, it was so heartwarming to see how much love they had for the area. You can tell how excited they are to be on stage and playing, and how much of a love they have for their fans.

It was just overall just such a love fest, and it was so fun. They’ve been doing this for over 30 years and they’re still going strong. They played their hearts out and I feel nothing’s changed in the 23 years since I first saw them back in 2001. 

If you’re looking for some new punk rock music, MXPX is a band that you should definitely check out.

More information on the band

For more information on MXPX check out their official website, www dot M-X-P-X  dot com. You can also like and follow them on X (formerly Twitter) at the handle M-X-P-X. On Facebook and Instagram, they are at the handle M-X-P-X-P-X.

And if you went to this or another MXPX show, I’d love to know your thoughts and experiences. You can tell us in a comment on the podcast webpage. You can also leave an audio comment at the link on our Spotify page.  

If you like watching podcasts, you can check out these episodes on YouTube. Thanks for listening and see you in the next episode. 

Outro music: Thanks so much for listening to the Eat Sleep Breathe Music podcast. To find new music and hear more about what we do, you can check out our website at www.eatsleepbreathemusic. com

Thanks for joining me in this bonus episode and If you are looking for more new music be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you will get the latest updates on our artist features. 

You can also find more music features on our website at www.EatSleepBreatheMusic.com. That is E-A-T-S-L-E-E-P-B-R-E-A-T-H-E-M-U-S-I-C dot com.

And if you like watching your podcast you can check us out on Youtube.

Thanks for listening and see you in the next episode!

More Podcast Episodes

If you’re interested in finding new music please check out our other podcast episodes.

More MXPX Features

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top