Musicians and Artists at Texas State: Showcasing the Local Scene

Desarey Elizondo Lopez 

Music Journalist 

The music scene in San Marcos has flourished in recent years, and one Texas State club is helping to get bands together and encouraging musicians to put themselves out there. The community showed up and showed out at the Musicians and Artists Club Showcase Saturday night, where various acts from the club got together to show off their skills. It’s one of the first events this semester that the club has put on, and I was fortunate enough to not only attend, but to also play since I am part of one of the bands that performed. From acoustic sets to full on mosh pits that the crowd formed, this event really showcased all that the club has to offer. 

I was able to interview club president Katie Tomakin on what makes this club unique and essential to both Texas State students and the local music scene. “The Musicians and Artists club is for everyone. Music is the one thing that everyone connects to at the end of the day regardless of genre and skill level. There’s something for everyone and that’s all I want to give.” Starting off the evening was an acoustic set from member Dylan Hunter, who played various covers such as from Mom Jeans and All Time Low. I was really impressed by his skills on the guitar, and his vocals had me mesmerized the entire time. It was a really passionate set, and I hope to see more performances from him soon. 

Afterwards, three-piece band Lilium performed, a band that I’ve heard of before but never got the chance to see so I was glad to finally catch them live. They had a very grungy sound that reminded me of Nirvana, and they played a mix of covers as well as original songs, some of which are available on platforms to stream. A few of the attendees even started a pit and were dancing around, which captivated everyone’s attention and made the show all the more enjoyable. Safe to say they had a great first impression on me, and I can’t wait to see how the band will progress in the future. 

The third performance was a band called Backswimmer, a relatively new alternative rock duo also based here in San Marcos. I met and had a conversation with one of the members a few weeks before the showcase was even announced, so I was pretty stoked to hear that they were going to be playing as well. Their sound took on a more alt-prog sort of approach, which made for very intriguing and catchy riffs. Despite being relatively new to the scene, this duo has already captured the attention of both fans and other musicians, and I hope to play with them again soon. 

Finally, it was time for the final band to perform: Cuerno. We set up and already the crowd was hyped up and impatiently waiting for us to begin. Since I can’t exactly give my own band a review of our performance, I asked concertgoer Cobe Arevalo about his experience during our set. “I have seen the band one time before along with a couple of other bands. I literally thought that they were the best,” Cobe said. “I enjoyed the fact that they got me moving and how Latino they are. I don’t see many local hardcore bands that sing in Spanish.” Overall, we had a blast playing onstage in front of all our friends and are grateful to have played in the showcase. 

After all the bands had performed, I asked Cobe about his thoughts on the showcase overall. “My favorite part was seeing people who only came for food encounter the performances. One person asked where to see more stuff like this.” Club president Katie shared some final thoughts on the showcase as well. “I was hoping to give my members an opportunity to perform for a live audience as well as give everyone a chance to support their friends and have fun,” Katie said. “We have a great community, and everyone is very supportive, so there’s no reason not to join.” 

This showcase was not only great exposure for the bands that played, but an opportunity to bring the community closer. The club hosts jam sessions every other Tuesday and open mic nights at George’s, and Katie said that they are planning plenty more events in the coming months. The Musicians and Artists club’s future is looking bright, and I can’t wait to see how it’ll grow.