The same day Mitch James joined a band, he bought a bass guitar and learned to play. Nothing could deter him from being a part of music like that he had seen at a David Lee Roth concert.

“Every band was a garage band at some point — at least every rock band,” James says. “If you give up, you are never going to know what happened with it, so stick with it, and something may come from it.”

In James’ case, something did come from it. After 10 years of switching band names, he and fellow bandmates Tony Byroads, Ed Sloan and Brian Geiger went from a band of friends to a band making albums and touring the country.

In the beginning, Crossfade toured in a seven-passenger conversion van and took turns driving. James says the members have recently stepped up to a tour bus and got their own driver. James says this is one of the biggest benefits to the band.

“We don’t have to work all day, play all night, then drive to the next city,” James says. “[We would] try to sleep in shifts and scare each other to death; everyone sleeping with one eye open.”

The band has been touring all over the country, playing for packed venues, and has recently been invited to perform on television programs like ESPN’s “Cold Pizza,” “The Tony Danza Show” and, more recently, an episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”

The move from unknown to well-known has been shocking, at least for James.

“I tell you it’s like a dream come true; it’s what we’ve been trying to do for half of our lives,” James says. “To all of a sudden know that people recognize you, recognize our talent enough to invite you on a national show, it’s just amazing.”

James says the newfound fame he and his bandmates have been experiencing hasn’t changed anyone, and the experiences have only been positive.

“I think the only thing it may affect is our brokering power as far as playing shows and getting on certain tours,” James says. “We have had several offers for touring next year. Those probably wouldn’t have come if we didn’t have the kind of clout that we are getting from having a top 20 VH1 video. All those things kind of come together to help you out. I don’t think it has affected us adversely.”

James says Crossfade’s hit single “Cold” has helped the band achieve its “brokering power,” but it is also a very personal song for the quartet.

“It was personal to all of us in that we all gave up so much and really stepped on a lot of people that loved us and that we really loved to get where we are,” James says.

“We all wanted to be musicians from the beginning and no matter how many people told us that it was stupid to keep doing it or it was something that we need to give up and grow up, we never grew up and we never gave up.”

Although James says he has some regrets about how some things were handled in the early days, he says he feels that ending up with a record deal justified the means.

James says he feels the hard work and sacrifice was paid off on the day Crossfade was welcomed into the Columbia Records family.

“It was like, ‘finally,'” James says. “We had been doing this for so long, and we had no recognition. We never had the one little bump that had got us over the top, never had any help. No one had taken any interest in us and tried to help us along or financially give us a boost. Finally we did it ourselves. Everything came together, and we didn’t owe anybody anything. It was all because of us.”

Who: Crossfade

Where: Val Air Ballroom, 301 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Cost: $21