Mark London and the Supergreens are all about community involvement. When the masterminds behind Santa Cruz’s Hibernation Fest aren’t tracking down locals to join them onstage at the Crepe Place, they’re operating DIY record label Invertebrate Records, in addition to running a blog, “Two-Track Tuesdays,” where they feature music from local artists every week.
Their own musical influences range in scope from Explosions in the Sky to Al Green, which explains their eclectic style and sound. The band has been playing together since 2013, but they prefer to remain, for the most part, underground. They have next to no music available online, but that hasn’t kept them from gaining popularity, or from landing the weekly Monday night slot at the Crepe Place.
Mark London & the Supergreens secured the Mixtape Monday gig through a local band that they originally met at Hibernation Fest. Hibernation is a winter music festival usually hosted at private houses, and often features not only musicians, but also other Santa Cruz artists and local home-brewers. Out of respect for their hosts, Mark London & the Supergreens try to keep the festival “low profile,” opting to reveal the location to a handful of people a few days before the event. Invitations are largely by word of mouth.
“Hibernation has played a huge role in defining our sound, our goals, our mission,” explains bassist Tauvin Pursley. “There are so many pockets of different artists and musicians in Santa Cruz, and we’re trying to bring them all together. That’s what we’re doing with Hibernation, and what we’re trying to do with Mixtape Mondays.”
Sharing the spotlight is the weekly approach, with each Monday featuring a different genre. This furthers the Supergreen mission of building up the musical community while simultaneously expanding their network and ensuring that they play before a different crowd each week.
“We want to encourage other musicians and artists to contact us and try to be a part of Hibernation, of Mixtape Mondays,” says guitarist Matt Barnett. “We need other people to get in on this to actually create something for Santa Cruz. That’s the goal.”
INFO: 9 p.m. Mondays. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $3. 429-6994.
