When James Hoelscher, Class of 2010, signed onto Craigslist almost a year and a half ago to look for fellow musicians and potential band mates, he never imagined what the present would hold.
With a recently released debut EP, Hoelscher’s band, “Race to the Moon,” will be performing their blend of indie, alternative, punk and American folk music at the Grand Stafford Theater on Friday.
Though the band is based in Houston, home of the Johnson Space Center, Hoelscher said the band name had nothing to do with the space race. Race to the Moon, the lead singer said, was actually the name of a registered racing horse.
“I was reading this article about how there are no original band names left, so I went looking at a list of currently registered racing horses, like at the Kentucky Derby,” Hoelscher said. “We made a list of four or five, and picked one.”
Hoelscher said he is excited to return to the Bryan-College Station area, not only to play with his band, but also to visit his younger sister who is attending A&M.
“The audience should expect a night of great music and a fantastic show,” said Victor Powell, lead guitarist for Race to the Moon. “I personally believe in performing since the audience came to see you. If they were only there for the music they would have stayed at home and listened to the CD. We like to keep the songs fresh and embellish the recorded versions a bit live.”
The increasing fan presence of the band was surprising for even the members, said drummer Toffer Bartanico.
“We experienced something during our EP release a few weeks ago which totally blew my mind,” Bartanico said. “During a few of our songs, I heard – from behind the drum set, nonetheless – I heard the crowd singing with us. It was a surreal moment as an up-and-coming band.”