Chicago’s The Lawrence Arms and The Honor System will make their virginal performances tonight at the M-Shop. Emo-punksters Alkaline Trio will be playing there Oct. 28. But these bands have a lot more in common than just their music genre.

It has been five years since Chicago ska-core legends Slapstick broke up.

For three years they graced the stage of the Fireside Bowl in downtown Chicago.

Shortly before the demise of ska in 1996, Slapstick broke up, but the founding members moved on to other bands. Trombonist Peter Anna went on to play in Less Than Jake, bassist Dan Andriano went on to play bass and sing in Tuesday before joining Alkaline Trio, and frontman Brendan Kelly and trumpet player Dan Hanaway went on to form the Broadways.

The Broadways’ existence was short lived. Dan Hanaway went on to start the Honor System and Kelly began the Lawrence Arms. After making two full-lengths and two split albums on Asian Man Records, the Lawrence Arms signed to Grand Royal. Not long after that Grand Royal closed its doors, and the band signed on with Fat Wreck Chords. Their new album, “Apathy and Exhaustion”, will be released in early spring 2002.

-Dewayne Hankins