For a band that puts on a killer live show, this album is a great idea. I, for one, was not hooked on this band until I had seen them live several times. Infectious songs like "Punk Rawk Show" and "Teenage Politics" were nice highlights, but it was their incredible tightness that pulled me in like a caught fish into this band's musical grip. Adapting 50's bopper pop music into a punk rock format is a swell idea, but the chops and synchronized playing of Mike, Yuri, and Tom make it work. These guys have sounded at times like a well-oiled jazz trio, playing off one another and stopping on a dime. While not as big as some of the classic rock live albums (can you say several studio hours worth of overdubs?), this recording stands up pretty well. There's a little bit of mud in the mix, but the balance between raw punk and studio clean was handled pretty well. The vocals sound a little distant at times, as do the drums, but it's well above the world of bootlegs in terms of quality (in case you were wondering how raw it was). This recording shows much of the playful interaction between frontman Mike Herrera and the audience (Washington DC and Philadelphia), including the fun breakdown in "Chick Magnet" and joking around. It also shows quite well why these guys are in the lead pack when it comes to pop punk. They're not just creative, fun, talented musicians and songwriters; they're all those together! This 22-song extravaganza is equal parts punk aggression ("Fist vs. Tact" and "Forgive and Forget") and pop hooks ("Middlename" and "I'm Ok, You're Ok"). Viva la MxPx!
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis 1999Reviewed by TimAnother MxPx record. Sounds like everything else they do, but the quality is great. Better than their normal albums. Buy it if you like MxPx. C+Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradIf you like MxPx you should get this. I like live CD's. The production kicks, they're really a tight band. The choice of songs gets weird in the middle. A solid live album. B-Decapolis 1999Reviewed by dmkWithout all the shiny studio production values, the Bremerton boys are allowed to let loose in a breakneck performance that has become their trademark. I have a soft spot for live albums and this one definitely shows off their strengths. Fast-paced and fun. BDecapolis 1999Reviewed by TomThis CD certainly should have been out a while ago. But I guess that is what happens when you sign to a major label, and then the label no longer exists. I suppose the good thing is that they recorded this CD when A&M was still around. This CD was recorded on two separate nights in August of last year, in Washington DC at the 9:30 Club, and in Philadelphia PA at the TLA. Both Stephen Egerton, and…Art for the Ears 1999Reviewed by Marco PovervestIf you like punkrock and you haven't heard of MxPx, or Magnified Plaid, then I guess you come from another solar system. Since their first CD, Pokinatcha, in 1994, they took this solar system by storm with their energetic punkrock. They started with one of the first releases on the Tooth & Nail roster and all the time they were their best selling band. Nowadays they're on A & M Records. This…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerPunk music is easy to write and play. The lyrics aren't noted for their poetic subtlety, and it doesn't take a great voice to sing the stuff. The major attraction of the genre is the high-speed energy at which it's performed, and a punk band proves their worth best at a live show. The Huntingtons released their superb live album, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, earlier this year, and now…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Aaron BellIt has taken a long time for MxPx to finally do what many have expected for a while--A live album. MxPx finally delivers with At The Show, a best of live collection recorded in Washington DC and Philadelphia. After touring for three years, it's evident that this band is tight. Their abilities are not in question. The production is not bad for a live album, and does a good job of capturing MxPx…Similar sounding releases
2002Authority ZeroA Passage in Time
1999Diesel BoySofa King Cool
2002Ghoti HookGhoti Hook
2004El CentroProhibido
2005Strike AnywhereTo Live in Discontent
2002NOFX45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough to Go on Our Other RecordsMore from MxPx
1996Move To Bremerton
1996Life In General
2000The Ever Passing Moment
1998Let It Happen
2001The Renaissance
1994Pokinatcha
