Home Town Band to Head Out on Tour

One of Moorpark’s favorite bands is hitting the road—Route 66, to be precise. But before they go, the Mark Cross Band members will kick off their first tour ever at home.

The band will perform at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the High Street Arts Center, where they’ll release their first official CD as well.

Though all four band members have been playing music individually for years, the group only formed a little more than a year ago when bassist Hunter Van Dam, a member of a jazz trio including drummer Kevin Lopez and guitarist John Butzer, casually invited Mark Cross, singer-songwriter and guitar player, to come play some music with them. At the time, they were schoolmates at Moorpark High.

“The band just came together. I never had talked to them before Hunter Facebooked me and asked to jam some time,” said Cross, who’s deferring his first semester of college in order to go on the tour, which continues through Oct. 20.

“I find it really important to get an education,” he said, “because if, God forbid, something happens, there’s a backup plan.”

With that in mind, he plans on studying business, but he’d be happiest to continue writing and performing songs.

“As long as people enjoy what I’m doing, I want to keep doing it,” he said.

And what he does is sing and write lyrics and the basic music of the groups’ songs, which he describes as alternative soft rock.

“It’s easy to listen to but it’s complicated enough to enjoy,” he said.

The other members of the band, who collaborate by adding their own instruments’ parts to the songs, liken their music to what Lopez called “the three J’s:” Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Jason Mraz.

Lopez will also be deferring his first semester of college. He plans on studying music but not necessarily playing it for a living.

“People forget there’s so much more to music than performing,” he said.

The other two members of the band, Butzer and Van Dam, are still in high school and had to get special permission from Moorpark High to be gone for such a long time.

“The administration has been really helpful,” Van Dam said, explaining he and Butzer will be on an independent study program and will return to regular classes after the tour.

According to a schedule posted on the band’s Facebook page, they’ll perform 30 shows in eight states traveling in a van driven by Cross’ father. The musicians said, though they’d never been gone from home for such a long time, their parents supported the trip.

“My parents actually warmed up to it really well, as long as I had my college stuff all lined up,” said Lopez.

Van Dam’s father, Council Member Mark Van Dam, said he wasn’t too worried about the boys being on the road.

“They’re a really good group of kids. They’re incredibly trustworthy,” he said.

The band members haven’t just sought counsel from their parents; they’ve also received words of wisdom from their individual music teachers. Most of the advice had to do with enjoying the experience, but there was more to it.

“Don’t break yourself. Play, have fun, but take care of yourself and make sure you’re dependable night after night” is what Butzer said he was told.

While the band members said they’re looking forward to playing in front of new crowds and hearing what other bands think of their music, they’re also excited to be able to begin the tour at home.

“It’s like an homage to all the people who believed we’d ever be going on tour, let alone be releasing an album,” Lopez said.

“Plus, when you play here, you’re playing with people you sit next to in class,” Butzer added.

“We love performing in general, and the High Street show is going to be extra special,” Van Dam said.

To ensure that’s the case, the band has planned “a very, very special closing song;” however, they’re keeping tight lipped about what it is, only saying “it’s going to be epic.”

To go:

Where: High Street Arts Center, 45 E. High St., Moorpark

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Cost: $10 at the door or purchase online