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Matt's
love for music was apparent even as a little boy. His father was a guitar
player and noticed that Matt and his little brother Gabe would dance, sing
and make up their own lyrics to Elvis songs while still in their diapers.
At the age of seven he got a job selling stereos and speakers at the Orange
County swap meet with his uncle. Forced to listen to his seventeen year
old uncle's music it was at the swap meet where he was exposed to rock bands
like Led Zepplin, Aerosmith, Queen, The Beatles and Van Halen. At eight
years old his mom bought him his first guitar and he wrote his first song
that week.
In Jr. High Matt was exposed to pop music and fell in love with the songs
of artists like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. He would practice his
Michael Jackson moves for hours and was always very popular at school
dances. Once he unknowingly cleared the dance floor while dancing to Billy
Jean. Classmates at the time said he was in his own little world.
He continued writing music and learning to play the guitar through high
school and college, postponing starting a band until his athletic career
as an All American swimmer and water polo player were through. When Matt
graduated from college his first priority was to start a band.
He founded the Tijuana Dogs with original member Marcos de la Cruz in
1997. Later that year he asked his college guitar teacher (Dave Murdy)
to join the band and in early 1998 long time friend and bass player Rick
Deeb joined the group.
Matt is a Spanish teacher at a private school in Corona Del Mar and is
a Huntington Beach lifeguard during the Summer. He loves playing basketball,
swimming, water sports, traveling, writing music, going out to dinner
and watching movies.
He hates birds.
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Reynaldo de la
Cruz and Mary Beth Wolters met in Tokyo while teaching for the U.S. Department
of Defense. They had seven babies. One was a 10lb. fatso who grew into a
145 lb. beanpole named Marcos.
The family moved to England where Marcos played soccer and fell deeply
in love with music. Earliest influences include The Monkees, Led Zeppelin,
Black Sabbath, Marvin Gaye, and Smokey Robinson. Then Sweet, David Bowie,
Queen, Chicago, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Rush, and Van Halen.
After banging on coffee cans with chopsticks, Marcos convinced his folks
to buy him a set of drums at age 14. He would jam with his older brother,
Vince on guitar. Vince went on to play bass for Katrina and The Waves
who had a worldwide hit with "Walking on Sunshine". Vince is
now semi-retired. (Bastard!) Marcos moved to California in '82 and joined
popular Orange County band The Tickets. They prospered until the early
90's when they split up because of hatred.
Marcos has since recorded with various local musicians including former
Beach Boy Jeffrey Foskett. In '96 he played drums on "Yesterday's
News Now" with Walter Clevenger which ended up in "The Five
Aces" starring Charlie Sheen. This was a spectacular film that went
straight to video.
In 1998, when Matt Mauser was looking for a drummer, mutual friend Matt
Karl referred him to Marcos who was at the time(and still is) drumming
with L.A. pop-rock faves, The Andersons. Robbie Rist, former child star
of Brady Bunch fame (he was Cousin Oliver) also is in The Andersons.
Marcos lives in Huntington Beach with his 16 lb. cat, Lola. In his spare
time he plays soccer and guitar.
Other influences ... The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Smashing Pumpkins,
Elvis Costello, Sublime, James Brown, The Eagles, Radiohead, Lyle Lovett,
Prince, Weezer, Ramones, Little Richard, Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, Pretenders,
Bonnie Raitt, Tupak Shakur, Fleetwood Mac, AC-DC, and DJ Quik.
Favorite food... Indian, Japanese, Thai.
Favorite movies... Good Fellas, Spinal Tap, Sling Blade.
Fave artists... Queen, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Ramones, Lyle Lovett, James
Brown
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Dave received
his bachelors degree from U.S.C. in Jazz and commercial guitar. Since
graduating Dave has gone on to lead a very diverse musical career. Dave
has performed with a wide range of artists from Jazz to classical to pop,
Rock and Country.
Dave was an original member of Kilauea, a very successful pop Jazz band
that Dave toured the country with and performed on four c.d.'s, two of
which went
top ten on the Billboard charts. While performing with Kilauea, Dave released
his own Jazz c.d. "That Goes to
Show Ya" which made it to the airplay charts and was heard around
the country.
Dave has performed with Jazz
artists as varied as Art Davis, Brandon Fields, Eric Marienthal, Tony
Guerrero, Bobby Shue, Warren Hill, and many others. Dave has also performed
with 60's pop stars Mel Carter and Jackie Deshannon.
Currently Dave has released
two c.d.'s with his trio, Toxic Jazz and also performs with the Big Band
Wartime Radio.
Last Summer he performed and toured back east with "Steely"
an independent artist with a national release and airplay.
Dave continues to be very active
as a session musician playing on numerous independent releases, as well
as arranging and writing. Dave has written, arranged and recorded original
music for Universal Studios theme parks, as well as composed original
music for "Muzak" which is heard around the world. Dave continues
to be involved with education, teaching the studio guitar course at Orange
Coast College and several private students as well as writing his own
guitar book.
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Mark received his
Bachelors degree in cello performance in 1991 from Arizona State University
all the while playing bass in various rock, jazz, pop, fusion and R&B
bands. After graduation Mark moved to L.A. to pursue a career in music.
Mark has worked with a wide range of artists
in the L.A. area including session work for artists such as Mary J. Blige
and Natalie Imruglia. Mark has performed with many of the top session players
in L.A. and continues to do session work on both cello and bass.
Mark has appeared on records with such artists as Alex Ligertwood, Alphonso
Johnson, Alex Acuna, Tony Braunagal, Tim Pierce, Scarlet Rivera, L.A. Guns,
Alexis Pena, and Tommy Eyre. Mark has experience playing in large orchestras
and small ensembles of all shapes and sizes and currently teaches cello,
bass, viola, privately at Jim's Music in Irvine. He even taught for two
years at
Claremont H.S. and was the conductor of the orchestra, jazz band, concert
band and assisted with the marching band and various theatre produtions.
Mark was introduced to the Tijuana Dogs via a friend while playing in
two or three other bands locally and since has become a full on dog with
honors and is lovin' every minute of it.
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