Punk rock hits Laga

By AMY WILLIAMS

Mest

Club Laga

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004

7:30 PM

Suggested if you like: Goldfinger,… Mest

Club Laga

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004

7:30 PM

Suggested if you like: Goldfinger, Rancid.

Once again, punk rock keeps Laga alive in its dying days. On Thursday, Mest and supporting acts Fall Out Boy, Matchbook Romance and Dynamite Boy will be performing at Club Laga for your punk rock pleasure.

The headliners, Mest, formed in 1994 on the South Side of Chicago. With the help of some good friends in the band Goldfinger, they received a record deal with Maverick Records. The label sent the band to L.A. to work on their first full-length CD. The rest is history.

They toured extensively with bands like Goldfinger, Blink 182, MxPx, New Found Glory, and Good Charlotte, to get their name out there — and it worked. By the time they were on their own headlining tour, they were selling out thousand-seat venues.

Mest just released their third album, which is self-titled. Band members feel that it is their best album to date and a true representation of who they are. Mest is a fan-driven band and gives its all at every single stop on their tours.

Also joining Mest will be Matchbook Romance, a new emo-punk band coming out of New York. They just released their first full-length album, Stories and Alibis. Rocking stages on the Warped Tour, they have got a lot of touring experience behind them and are ready to show the crowd what they are all about.

Another band on the tour is Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy quickly rose to fame, releasing their first full-length album Take This To Your Grave, only a year after their formation. Mixing heavy guitar hooks with their combination of hardcore and punk rock, they are sure to rock the crowd.

To round up dynamic lineup is Dynamite Boy. They are a pop-punk band from Texas, riding the wave of their pride and joy in the making — of seven years to be exact — Everything’s Eventual.

With a strong force like Mest leading this pack of up-and-comers to the punk scene, this is bound to be a power-packed show.

Catch all of these bands when they come to Laga on Thursday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. It’s an all-ages show and tickets are $12.50 in advance and $15 at the door.