Sitting in on a rehearsal with McTwist is like sitting front row to both a rock concert and a comedy show. Sam switches to drums and Chris plays the piano to one of the band’s covers, “Do Right” by Jimmy’s Chicken Shack. Meanwhile, Mike is standing off to the side, plucking at his bass and laughing, while Kurt taps along to the beat on the chair in front of him.

If their mix of humor, style, and attitude isn’t enough to pull in a listener, the band’s unique sound and passion for music does the trick. They fuse together genres like progressive rock, pop punk, hardcore, punk, and reggae in the writing process, and each song they write is better than the last. They are truly growing as a band, and their undying love for music and performing is certainly going to aid the process.

Their endeavors prior to the band have given them the experience necessary to thrive in McTwist. Mike played in a popular, Maryland punk band called Another Fine Mess, while adding his impressive skills on bass to three other bands that included the other members of McTwist. Sam was the songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist for The Poster Boys. Chris was the primary songwriter, singer and trumpet player for the ska band, Hank Wangford and the Poo Dogs. Lastly, Kurt played drums in the alternative rock band, Jolly Green Giants. All of the bands they worked with had strong followings in Maryland, and they all have played some impressive gigs ranging from a music festival in Germany to Jammin' Java in the Washington, D.C. area.

After graduating from Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, the boys all went their own ways. Sam headed off to Washington University in St. Louis; Mike went to the University of Maryland; Chris to James Madison University; and Kurt to the Pennsylvania State University. Mike and Sam found the band during a road trip up the East Coast. The band derives its name from the hours they wasted playing skateboarding video games during a summer in which Sam and Mike lived together.

After their freshman years at college, the foursome started writing and performing together, and has since developed a work ethic that is unrivaled. They have performed at some of the most esteemed venues in the area, have sold out shows, and have recorded an EP and a full-length album. With the release of their debut album Amateur Hour, their newest effort, McTwist is ready to have their music heard by anybody and everybody. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.