Capitol Hill website discovers Beto O’Rourke’s rock band past

(Nov. 2012 story)

Beto O’Rourke wasn’t always a politician or a businessman.

The Congressman-elect used to play bass and sing in El Paso band Foss in the early 1990s. The band describes its musical style as Emo / Grunge / Roots Music, according to their MySpace page.

Roll Call’s Heard on the Hill blog, which covers Capitol Hill, recently posted a short item on O’Rourke’s musical past, including video clips from an old El Paso cable access talk show called “Let’s Get Real.”

O’Rourke wouldn’t confirm to the website that it was him, but anyone who has seen him around El Paso can see he is the one with orange beanie that is playing bass.

Watch Foss on “Let’s Get Real” at http://youtu.be/-5dXZ2LUC8g.

Cedric Bixler Zavala, lead singer for The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In, also was in Foss as a drummer and singer but it is hard to tell if that is him playing drums in the video.

Bixler has tweeted a few times this year about O’Rourke running for the District 16 congressional seat and their time in Foss.

“My 1st tour was playing drums with @BetoOrourke he played bass/guitar and sang. He just unseated an 8 year republican incumbent ! #EPHC!!!” Bixler tweeted on May 30, 2012 when O’Rourke defeated Silvestre Reyes in the Democratic primary.

Listen to songs by Foss at the band’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/fossband

(Nov. 2012 story)