Corpus Christi is no stranger to music culture. While the population is not as dense as cities in central and north Texas, the area still gets to enjoy a melting pot of diverse genres.
Even the smaller music scenes are bigger in Texas.
Blues, hard rock, and heavy meatal bands ranging have taken the stage at popular venues such as the House of Rock and The Artisan. Solo artists step in with hip hop, soul, and even classical tunes, shaping a vast space that defines the music scene in Corpus Christi.
It starts with a tune, then hours of rehearsal, before finally reaching an audience. Bands and artists across Corpus Christi come together to make many forms of music happen live, blending genres similar to how the city mixes its urban/country/coastal vibe.
Performance lineups featuring diverse bands bring concertgoers and creatives together who may not have crossed paths otherwise.
"A lot of our relationships with other bands come from either seeing them at an open mic, or at a performance,” said Ginger Martin, guitar and bass player for "The 99s." "It really comes down to just the respect for who they are as musicians."
Local bands like The 99s showcase the vast talent in the community with every individual musician that makes up the larger group. The magic truly happens, however, when bands work together.
Last December, the 99s, along with two other bands, "Ahava" and "Frauds," joined together to perform at The Artisan to celebrate the venue’s one year anniversary.
Local poet laureate and musician Kiya Vance said the three bands' connection could fit on any stage worldwide.
"We’re gonna see the same thing we’re seeing in Austin and Houston," he said. "Where people are gonna come . . . from around the world, just to come to Corpus Christi, just to make it with music."
The local music scene also offers a platform for other area artists, even those who don't necessarily take the stage. Photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and people that work in the venues all are integral parts of promoting the acts.
"It’s a beautiful community," said Debra Scott-Brown, lead singer for Corpus band Dreaming in Color. "To see all the artists — to see all the different musicians, the talent that we have here with photography . . . graphic artists, promoters. It’s really blown up, and so many venues have also risen up here."
The two biggest music events in town — downtown First Friday ArtWalk and the Bay Jammin' Concert Series — create opportunities for artists to show what they can bring to the table.
"At the end of the day, it takes young artists who want to break that mold and don’t care what the established . . . status quo is,” said 99s keyboardist and frontman Devereaux Martin. "We just got to take it and make it into something that we love and cherish and it doesn’t come easy."
The community welcomes artists from different cultures and influences, leading to a growing number of people with appreciation of music, fortunate enough to even perform together in celebration of the art.
"Support live music," said Bay Jammin' Concert and Cinema series founder and organizer JJ Nelson. "Support the live music venues that support live music, that’s how it’s all done. You got to support those venues, or they can’t pay and hire the sound companies or the bands. Our mission was to bring all kinds of music to all kinds of people."