Live music fills dozens of stages across Corpus Christi every week. From Sunday to Sunday, you can find everything from singer-songwriters creating an intimate atmosphere to metal bands reminding you to wear ear protection, and Jimmy Buffett tribute acts keeping the island vibes alive. Whether you’re looking to get loud, sweaty, and shoulder-to-shoulder in the crowd or unwind with jazz and a glass of wine, these are some of our favorite local musicians who perform regularly across the Coastal Bend.
Animal Mood | @animalmoodofficial
A four-piece rock powerhouse born out of jam sessions among well-known scene dwellers. Raised on the sounds of South Texas and the punk music of their youth, Animal Mood leans toward indie sleaze nostalgia without ever overreaching. Whether in the Latin groove Joshua Huberto adds in “SALSA PUNK” or within Gilliam Nikles’ bright keys adding a taste of pop to the yearning in “About the One I Like,” the songwriting always finds a sweet spot to land on within their list of influences. Regardless of the genre explored, vocal-guitar-lyricist triple threat Jose Del Toro lays himself bare, grounding the band’s genre-hopping in the consistent intensity of the emotions he expresses.
Indio | @indio_band
Indio wants to take you on a journey. Over the last few years performing as a two-piece psychedelic triphop group, Esaiah “Mattman” Martinez and Kat Mireles have led devoted followers to nirvana through drum loops, reverbed synths and haunting vocals. Incredibly stylized individual performers, the group came together from casual jam sessions, each one further building up their world––first acoustic sets, then adding in the loop pedal, then the synths and electric guitar and so on. With Martinez on the electro-instrumentals and his partner-in-gigs further entrancing the listener, Indio finds a way to pull you in. According to Mireles, “at times [it’s] deliciously intoxicating. We are doing our thing and taking you on a journey; it’s up to you if you want to jump on the ride.”
Moniq | @moniqmusic
Bubblegum pop so sweet it’ll make your teeth hurt. As part of the Freddie Records lineage of music legacy, singer-songwriter Moniq’s buttery R&B vocals and dreamy pop production come together to give us a peek into how she sees, feels and exists in the world. Inspired by early-2000s pop stars, both in sound and in image, the balanced mix of vulnerability and glamour in her storytelling lets her stand out from the crowd with songs about love and womanhood.
“I’ve always viewed music as more than just sound,” Moniq explained. “It’s a world that people can step into. Whether I’m performing for a small crowd or a larger audience, my goal is to always create a space where people can be part of the story.”
Claudia Melton | @theclaudiamelton
For Claudia Melton, “jazz represents freedom. The freedom to create, to explore and to express myself without limitations.” During her decade-spanning career playing alongside such legends as Erykah Badu and Norah Jones, jazz has taught Melton how to live her life, how to be spontaneous and how to trust herself. Now living back in her hometown with her family, the multi-instrumentalist can be found teaching jazz alongside her brother Carl and performing weekly at the Republic of Texas. World-class, award-winning vocals to the tune of piano jazz fusion sent straight to the gods, easily available in a city run by rock and country. Make use of it!
Brooke Graham | @brookegrahammusic
The soundtrack to sandy toes and tan lines starts with Brooke Graham’s Texas TropRock. She grew up in Port Aransas, so Texas Gulf Coast culture colors everything she does, from her songwriting to her annual Beach Bash festival. Blending country, rock and a touch of Tejano with her beach-loving lyrics, Graham puts a South Texas spin on the island sound Jimmy Buffett made famous. Her country twang and tropical steel drums hit just right when you’re living in the Coastal Bend, so let her music bring you into a world of endless summer.
Ghosthouse | @ghosthousetx
Any teenager in the scene will tell you: Texas hardcore has never been better. Ghosthouse’s brand of metalcore abrasion attacks the senses whether you’re catching it in its purest form, live and loud, or on the band’s debut record, Off With My Wings, which drummer Justin Rios describes as “drastically heavier” than Ghosthouse’s previous synthier releases. Rooted in the sounds and DIY ethos of the ’90s hardcore boom––bassist Jesse Jay’s father played in local thrash metal band Devastation––the band keeps its sound fresh by pulling from every corner of the hardcore spectrum. Between the relentless guitar work of Miah Hernandez and Marcos Treviño, Brandon Arriola’s piercing vocals to unfalteringly poetic lyrics and adventurous production choices, Ghosthouse jolted the scene awake upon arrival and continues to pump it full of life. Proceed to these shows with caution (ear protection).
Chris56 | @chrisfiftysix
Chris56, now settled in Corpus with a powerhouse creative team, has spent his decade as an artist fine-tuning his craft. Proudly boasting the label “Y’allternative,” a genre making it big across national stages today, his sound sits squarely where country, Tejano, hip hop and rock have always met: deep in South Texas.
“I’m the embodiment of Corpus,” Chris said. “Knucklehead who was forced to listen to Tejano and country while taking every influence from hip hop and street culture. I slept at the asada! Chris56 is Corpus to its core.” Characterized by an Americana sound, look and feel, Chris’ lyrics stay wide-eyed and hopeful over the melodic guitar. Whether he’s singing about heartbreak with a country twang or growing pains that come with getting older, across genres and subjects, Chris56 remains authentic.
Left Handed Knives | @lefthandedknives
Local pop-punk royalty Left Handed Knives make music that satisfies the inner emo kid. Drawing on the sounds of late-90s angst anthems from legends like Blink-182, this four-piece troupe of longtime punks keeps the energy high across the band’s released singles and EPs. Lead Tyler Chrobocinski’s raw vocals balance out the drummer’s high-energy snare hits and the main melodies from the guitars, creating that classic headbanging sound sure to take you right back to the good ‘ol days. Singing songs about heartbreak and bad bosses, find them in their best form live at Black Monk Tavern.
