By Kaitlyn DeHaven | A&L Editor
Up-and-coming music artists Ryan Thomas, Thomas Csorba and Jack Thweatt will be performing at Common Grounds during the month of January. Each of these artists have a distinct music style, and these concerts are giving them a chance to perform for a wide range of people, Baylor students, and Waco locals. The doors to each show will open at 7:30 p.m., and the shows will begin at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $5-$12 depending on the artist.
Ryan Thomas
January 20th at 8:00 p.m.
Hip-hop/rap/slam poetry artist Ryan Thomas is currently in the process of moving back to Waco from Austin, where he has recently aided in the start-up of Antioch Community Church.
Throughout Thomas’ career, he has performed in many diverse places overseas such as Russia, Mongolia and Greece. Thomas stayed in Greece for about three months, and while he was there, his mindset toward life and music was altered.
“The stories that you hear on the navy bases really make you grateful for what we have here,” Thomas said. “People are dying or losing their families to get where they are. It was very perspective shifting.”
Through this experience, Thomas realized that sometimes the most strenuous times in his life and the lives of others, the ones filled with pain and discomfort, lead him to inspiration in his music.
“The discomfort leads me to want to find comfort,” Thomas said. “The pain leads me to want to find hope within it.”
Thomas hopes that his performance later on this month will be filled with authenticity, hope, and a chance for people to hear multiple genres of music.
Thomas Csorba
January 21st at 8:00 p.m.
Folk/American artist Thomas Csorba is currently attending Baylor University and pursuing an English degree while also working on his growing music career.
Csorba started writing songs when he was 15 years old, inspired by the stories he read in literature and the music his parents played for him.
“You can only create good things if you put good things in,” Csorba said. “Your product is directly influenced by what you’re taking in.”
Moving to Waco last year has been one of the most prominent impacts on Csorba’s music. He shared that being independent and figuring out how to balance music and homework has helped him grow into the singer/songwriter he is today.
In addition, Csorba shared that his peers, whether at Baylor of just part of the Waco community have aided him in the personal growth he’s experienced.
“I’ve met a lot of folks who have pushed me and challenged me in ways I hadn’t expected,” Csorba said.
Csorba shared that he hopes for each show he performs to be an authentic experience that the audience can take something away from.
When people come to see a performance by Csorba, “You’ll see a young man on stage, bleeding publicly, and I think that’s something people can relate to and where people can feel something,” Csorba said. “I think I can offer that, whether it’s sadness, laughter or joy.”
Jack Thweatt
January 26th, 8:00 p.m.
Indie/Pop music artist Jack Thweatt is currently continuing to grow his artistry after releasing his first album in September of 2016.
Thweatt began his music career young by playing in the church. As he progressed into his high school years he began to write songs and finally began to explore the potential his love for music could have for him in college by singing at open mics in cafes.
Even after college, Thweatt continued to expand his horizons by playing with different bands and different writers, including the Jeff Johnson Band.
“The more you work with creative people, the more it enhances your ability to write,” Thweatt said.
Thweatt also shared his belief in the importance of live music, especially in a streaming-based world where consumers no longer have to buy albums or songs in order to obtain the music they want.
“If we lose the live aspect of music, we lose the heart of music,” Thweatt said. “It becomes just trying to create songs that are going to get to the top of a Spotify playlist rather than songs that are really going to connect with people.”
Thomas shared that audience members in late January can expect a fun show with catchy music, an upbeat vibe and relatable lyrics.
