El Paso-based post-hardcore rock band A Thief Named Time took the Tricky Falls stage this past Saturday, July 9, playing for a crowd that, for lead singer and guitarist Rafael Rojas,  was a career high.

“My goal in El Paso was to play Tricky Falls,” Rojas said. “All the bands had good shows and there was a good crowd to hear them. It was such a surreal experience seeing so many people coming out to see us. It was a real ‘oh, people actually like us’ moment.”

For Rojas, being able to play for a crowd that does more than stand and stare is all he could ask for at a live show.

“I saw Pierce the Veil in high school and saw how pumped up people got, moshing and dancing,” Rojas said. “I decided that that was the reason I would play music.”

Rojas has had his fair share of awkward shows, however. It’s a sight he’d rather not see at A Thief Named Time show.

“I’ve played shows where everyone is just staring at you, and I feel like telling them ‘hey you got to move’ you know?” Rojas said. “Make it a memorable night! You can be chill at home.”

Fortunately, the music A Thief Named Time has to offer, mainly heavy metal influences and the overwhelming, in-your-face riffs and drum beats of punk, draws an audience that refuses to stand still.

“In the middle of our second song I looked up and there was a bunch of people moshing,” Rojas said. “I was worried someone was going to hurt themselves it was so crazy. It gets me pumped up that they were pumped up and made me want to play harder.”

That sense of fandom and empowering energy is a relatively new experience for Rojas.

He recalls the first time the band took the stage, which was not quite as good as their most recent one. From the beginning, Rojas had bad vibes about the show. Feeling like something was destined to go wrong, he showed up to Papa Joe’s Metal Shop—where the show would take place—with three guitars just in case something went wrong.

“The first song went super fluid, but the second one, my guitar just died, no sound at all. So I left the stage to get the second one from my car, apologized for the awkward disappearance,” Rojas said. “We start playing again and my strap broke. My third guitar didn’t have a strap, so I just said screw it and pulled up a chair and finished the set like that.”

A Thief Named Time is one of many local bands here in El Paso looking for opportunities to play for the city’s music lovers. Although the city has a multitude of hungry audiophiles ready to hear about the nation’s newest artists, Rojas wishes El Pasoans would support their local artists just as much.

“People here are selective with what they support,” Rojas said. “They can support an artist that charges $300 just to show up because it’s a big name, that’s fine, but when a local artist trying to make it to that level asks for $5, they pass. We can’t get famous without our city’s help. Every artist was a local artist before they were famous.”

For a free listening of A Thief Named Time’s music head to athiefnamedtime.bandcamp.com and reverbnation.com/athiefnamedtime, along with Spotify and iTunes. For more information on the band’s upcoming shows and latest EP releases, visit their Facebook page.

Eric Vasquez may be reached at [email protected]