I’m with the Band: Senior rocks out on summer tour

Lindsey Davis/Staff Writer

Not many high school students can say they’ve been on tour.

Jack Van Gent, a CFHS senior, is an exception.

He’s doing what many can only dream of: touring with his band, A Past Unknown.

The band’s genre is Christian Hardcore, or for people who don’t listen to it, “screamo.”

Although this heavy type of music is not quite as popular as Lady Gaga, the Christian lyrics and purpose reaches a wider audience.

“Our goal is to tell whoever we can about Jesus, so sharing the Gospel with people who come to our shows is definitely the best part,” Van Gent said.

For six weeks this summer, the band traveled all over the States except for the East Coast.

They played in a variety of places.

Actual venues, clubs, bars, churches, even coffee shops gave the band a lot of different environments to work in.

While most high schoolers spent their three-month break lounging by the poolside, Van Gent spent it doing what he loves — drumming across the U.S.

“Seeing the country and road tripping with five dudes is awesome.

We got to play with or see some of our favorite bands this summer,” Van Gent said.

The original members of the band started it up after they all met at UNI.

A few years later, the original drummer left, so Van Gent was asked to take his spot.

They all knew each other from church.

He was a fan of the band and said he was excited when they asked him to join.

However, leaving his home state for almost an entire summer at a young age isn’t always as glamorous as it sounds.

“When we were gone this summer, I got homesick really fast and missed out on my summer job and hanging out with friends, but it was a small price to pay,” Van Gent said.

Although the summer touring has clearly ended, the band still plays and has shows.

They have a long tour in November that Van Gent will not be able to be in (for obvious reasons).

Practice schedules depend on what’s coming up, so it may be once a month or sometimes five days a week.