An Evening With Crosses ††† In Houston, TX

Last Tuesday, Houstonians were blessed with the highly anticipated Los Angeles based duo- Crosses. Hundreds of hardcore fans gathered within the walls of House Of Blues after pre-gaming in what seemed to be a mile long line outside the doors that formed many hours before. The air was thick of excitement, Beers were flowin’, the merch line was piling, and everyone was genuinely excited for the night ahead. Crosses is made up of two extremely talented musicians including songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and founding member Shaun Lopez, fronted by his longtime friend Chino Moreno of Deftones. These two masterminds deliver one of the most powerful yet beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard before, and I think that’s why their fan base has completely intensified over the last few months since the release of their 2nd full album ‘Goodnight, God Bless, I Love You, Delete’.

The stage was dark with deep blue tones as the memorable Crosses Logo towered the stage behind them, making it a simple but gorgeous set to fit the vibe that they were known to provide. I already knew this show was going to be one for the books, as the energy within the venue was just unique by itself. Every single human was there to have the time of their lives, make new friends, and sing their hearts out.. And that is exactly what you can expect at a Crosses show. They opened their eighteen song set-list with “Invisible Hand”, “This is A Trick”, and “Ghost Ride” while sweeping us fans off our feet in the process. It was almost impossible for me to focus on photographing them right there in front of me as all I wanted to do was just stand there in a trance and sing along myself. From the first notes, I was captivated. It wasn’t just the melodies that held me spellbound, though they were undoubtedly remarkable. It was the pure energy and passion emanating from that stage.It’s nothing new when it comes to the overall voice that comes from Chino as he’s very well known for his crazy gifted sound and oddly passionate screams… he was thriving up on that stage in his element that’s for sure, and the crowd was absolutely loving every second of it. My personal favorite track from the new album “Vivien” then blasted through the speakers as Shaun slayed away on the keys and his guitar.

This was the moment. There was no turning back. It was time to JAM.

Chino was pacing back and forth from each side of the stage as if he was a wild animal in a cage, it was incredibly hard to keep up with him but man was he giving his performance his all. Every pitch, every scream, and every note was on point and truly mind blowing throughout the entire night. Crosses continued with many more hits including “Initiation”,”Sensation”, “The Epilogue”, and “Bitches Brew” before ending their show with encore’s “Telepathy” and “Option”.

I’ve said it once and ill say it again, Chino Moreno and Shaun Lopez are brilliantly captivating musicians. They don’t just put out extremely catchy songs – they make it art. But it wasn’t just the music that was mesmerizing; it was the deep connection between them and the audience which made the show that much more intimate and one I will never forget.