Houghton-based band Mr. Cesar and the Lucha Tones have reached the Top 10 in the America's Next Top Hitmaker Competition. Image courtesy of Mr. Cesar and the Lucha Tones.

Mr. Cesar & The Lucha Tones, a Houghton-based surf rock band, have reached the Top 10 in a competition with America’s Next Top Hitmaker. The winner of the competition will receive $10,000, a feature in Rolling Stone magazine, and the opportunity to perform at Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase in Texas. 

The Lucha Tones have beat out thousands of other acts to reach the Top 10, and they hope to continue to rise in the competition. As of 4 p.m. Friday, they were second in their group. The band is described as a “high energy experience” that includes, “melding elements of surf rock with latin flavors that anyone can enjoy.” 

“You can vote once every 24 hours, and you can also donate votes, and all of the donations are tax-deductible, and they go for a good cause for charity,” Cesar Solorzano said in an interview with TV6 News. Solorzano uses the stage name Mr. Cesar, and is the frontman of Mr. Cesar & The Lucha Tones. “Pretty much we’re asking the whole U.P. to not just help us reach number one, but help us help you and represent the whole U.P.,” Solorzano added. 

The local band draws their inspiration from 1960s beach music. They also wear masks on stage as a nod to Mexican lucha libre wrestlers. According to Solorzano, he wanted to pay tribute to this tradition, which he learned about as a child in California. 

“I was playing surf music in Los Angeles, and then when I moved up here, I wanted to regroup and just bring that here to the U.P., as I’d noticed there really wasn’t any surf bands. I worked hard and found a couple of cool dudes and they joined the band.” Solorzano explained. 

The group’s current standing in the America’s Next Top Hitmaker competition can be found at Tophitmaker.org. For those interested in seeing the band live, they have two performances coming up. Mr. Cesar and The Lucha Tones will have a show on Isle Royale on July 26. They will also be part of the lineup on Aug. 7 as part of the Good Times Summer Slam concerts. 

For more information on Mr. Cesar & The Lucha Tones, find them on Facebook.