Spring break gave me the opportunity to do a lot of things. I had the chance to clean my room, to work on my music, and most importantly of all, get out there and have fun.

One of the most important forms of fun to me and my music-riddled brain would be going to see some local live music. Now that I had some time off, I was able to see some shows, and boy did I go see some!

During the break, I went to see two concerts, meaning I got to see a whopping six sets altogether.

Now that the break is over and I’ve collected my thoughts about the concerts, I’d like to tell you, dear reader, about what I saw. So let’s get started on that shall we?

The first concert I went to see was on March 7 at Studio B, a venue which was previously called The NASA. I went with a few of my friends and enjoyed some semi-local acts, the first of which was…

LOVED IN RETURN

The self-proclaimed “best worst band” from Kingsville, Texas, Loved in Return is an alternative rock/punk rock quintet that specializes in ‘90s-influenced rock with some modern sensibilities thrown into the mix.

The band utilized a novel way of performing their eight-song set: frontman Elijah Thamaravelil had a list of songs written out on his phone, and between songs, asked the audience for a number between one and eight. Afterwards, the band would perform the corresponding song.

Loved in Return’s set was very good, furthering a previously-set precedent of quality performances from previous sets I had seen of the band.

The band was very noticeably energetic, with their prevalent banter and the ever-moving stage presence of Thamaravelil making for an infectious set that perfectly complimented the band’s fast style of music.

RAW NONSENSE

A particular act of note in the Kingsville scene is Raw Nonsense, and one of my personal favorites of all of the Coastal Bend bands I have seen to date.

While their original music primarily consists of indie-affected shoegaze, Raw Nonsense is not afraid to occasionally stray from that convention and play in another vein, a quality of theirs I heavily respect.

Their March 7 set was more of the traditional affair, with the entire crowd (myself included) swaying heavily to the group’s simultaneously down-to-earth and dreamlike music.

Raw Nonsense had absolute control over the crowd. Each song acted almost as stage directions on how the crowd ought to move. If they were playing a dreamy original number, then the crowd bobbed and swayed. When the intensity ramped up, then in came the mosh pits.

CHILL KILLER

One of the larger, more well-known acts in the Kingsville scene is Chill Killer. Having already released an album, “What’s Left, And Then Some” in 2023, the band’s music leans heavily toward alternative rock affair, with a sliver of Midwest emo-esque soundscapes peeking its head into their sound as well.

I found their numbers to be interesting, though admittedly I found myself to be spent by Raw Nonsense’s set by the time Chill Killer had taken the stage. Still, I found their performance to be a very solid outing.

Parts of their music had always interested me, such as their command of vocal harmony and their heavy reliance on loud-quiet-loud dynamics. It came through on the Studio B stage, utilizing both sides of the audio spectrum very well.

That was the first show I saw during spring break, with the second coming on March15 at House of Rock. As part of a larger St. Patrick’s Day event, several acts took to the stage before main event Identity Crisis, which I unfortunately did not get to watch. I did, however, get to see…

HEAVY SOUL

A Corpus-based blues and roots rock trio, Heavy Soul utilizes the Delta blues tradition and mixes it with Southern boogie to make a really interesting fusion that not many Corpus acts touch upon.

They played very well, captivating me with just how different they sounded compared to everyone else (of course, I mean that in a good way).

I really enjoyed getting to hear them play, because their original music really appeals to a certain flavor of my music sensibilities that I haven’t touched upon in several years.

BAD HABIT

Hailing from San Antonio, Bad Habit’s music invokes the spirit of ‘80s heavy metal and hard rock and brings it forth as a tribute act of sorts. That being said, they lean very heavily into the party spirit of that realm of music.

I found their set to be rather interesting. There was an itch to move, however the frontman was the primary source of most of the band’s stage presence. The two guitarists’ tendency to swap lead and rhythm duties was a very neat touch.

That being said, I had a gripe with the sound levels of House of Rock during this set. Yes the guitarists were trading their blisteringly hot solos, but one of them could barely be heard whatsoever. I found that to be a real shame, because I really wanted to hear what he was bringing to the table.

RAW NONSENSE (AGAIN)

Yes, I had seen them before. Yes, I saw them again. I was really interested in seeing how they would perform this time, and I was not disappointed.

This time around, after a flurry of original songs, frontman Mikey Soliz expressed his worry about a lack of movement, thus leading to a frenzy of hardcore punk covers that definitely got the crowd moving.

One of those mosh pits was the first time I actually got hit in a pit. I wear that punch to my ear as a badge of honor.

With that, I’ve now gone over all of the bands that I got to see over my spring break. Who will I see in the next concert I go to? I don’t know who, but you’ll find out who it was soon enough.