Sitting in on a jam session with McTwist is like sitting front row to both a comedy show and a New York club event. Sam switches to drums and Chris plays the piano to one of the band’s covers, “Do Right” by Jimmie'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 and music isn’t enough to pull in a listener, the band’s unique sound and passion for music does the trick. With most punk bands either going the pop or hardcore route, McTwist has stayed true to their uncharted sound: reggae pop punk. With their distinctive covers of popular songs, they have managed to turn something familiar into something totally new. They are not afraid to try new things in their music and their energy aids them in putting together some impressive tracks. They have not been together long , but their prior experiences to the band have given them an upper hand. Mike played in a very 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 lead vocalist and guitarist for The Poster Boys and spent this time fine-tuning his songwriting abilities. Chris was the primary songwriter and played trumpet for the ska band, Hank Wangford and the Poo Dawgs. Lastly, Kurt played drums in the alternative rock band, Jolly Green Giants. All of the bands they worked with had strong followings in Montgomery County, Md., 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 Wootton High School in Rockville, Md., the boys all went their own ways. Sam headed off to Washington University in St. Louis; Mike went to the University of Tennessee; Chris to James Madison University; and Kurt to the Pennsylvania State University. They agreed to never give up their love of music and their times playing, so Mike and Sam decided during a road trip to create the band McTwist. The band derives its name from the hours they wasted playing skateboarding video games. After their freshman year of college, the boys rounded up and started putting down tracks that they themselves, and their fans, have come to love. The boys have come to see a future for them as a band. They have all grown up together and that bond is what makes their music so cohesive, interesting and most of all, exciting. As they have become more comfortable together, they have become a new band that is worthy of attention.