In Episode 127, Jesús dives into the harsh realities of the local creator economy, open mics, and the fine line between hometown loyalty and genuine talent. Why do so many creators expect local support without putting in the work? What does it actually take to build a brand in a mid-sized city, and why is active listening the ultimate podcasting superpower? From eating dirt on stage to calling out crab-mentality gatekeeping, this solo episode breaks down the unfiltered truth about what it takes to elevate your craft.
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Thanks to Premier Hearing Solutions Of South Texas for making this content possible! 🙏
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"City council was never meant to be entertainment. We need people there who just want to put their head down and get the work done." On this episode of The Corpus Christi Originals Podcast, host Jesús Hernandez sits down with District 2 city council candidate Laura Flores Commons.

Laura is a lifelong Corpus Christi native and a dedicated community volunteer. In this episode, she discusses what it means to run for public office for the first time after 30 years of local civic service. She shares her perspective on District 2's unique boundary footprint (stretching from shoreline neighborhoods to TAMU-CC) and addresses the city's most critical issues, including long-term water diversification, public safety staffing shortages, and animal care initiatives.

Laura also shares the deeply personal story of why she gives back to the Coastal Bend. Following the loss of her husband, the incredible compassion shown by the Corpus Christi community inspired her to step up her civic commitment. Tune in to hear her vision for a collaborative, drama-free city council focused on the real work.

Connect with Laura:
Website: laurafordistrict2.com
Email: [email protected]

Support the Show:
Subscribe for weekly episode drops every Wednesday!
Visit our network hub for more community storytelling.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests on the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast, its sponsors, the recording studio, or any affiliated entities.

• (00:00:00) - District 2 on the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast
• (00:00:58) - Living in District 2
• (00:02:01) - On the City Council's Ethics Commission
• (00:04:33) - Water shortage discussion in Corpus Christi
• (00:08:23) - Community Policing and CCPD
• (00:10:19) - Commonwealth First Responds on Police Training
• (00:13:04) - City Council Member on Stray Animals
• (00:16:41) - Animals in the City
• (00:18:35) - Democrat for Corpus Christi City Council
• (00:22:18) - City Council candidate on a more collaborative council
• (00:25:16) - "Don't Even Go and VOTE!"
• (00:28:16) - Countdown to the City Council election
• (00:32:15) - Local perspectives on Parks and Recreation
• (00:34:30) - Local perspectives on tourism in Corpus Christi
• (00:38:31) - CORP CHRISTI resident on issues facing the city
• (00:40:37) - A trade union meeting in the city
• (00:43:17) - Democrat candidate for District 2

"I'll see you when I'm looking at you!" On this episode of The Corpus Christi Originals Podcast, we are coming to you live from The Artisan at 218 N. Chaparral. Host Jesús Hilario Hernandez sits down with born-and-raised local comic and storyteller Wendell Williams (aka Mr. Wendell) for an incredibly candid, laid-back conversation.

Wendell drops decades of "old school knowledge," sharing his lived experiences growing up in the historic Hillcrest neighborhood from the 1960s onward. He pulls no punches discussing the environmental impact of local refineries, the city's ongoing water crisis, and navigating the era of Jim Crow and integration.

Beyond local history, Wendell shares the powerful story of surviving a life-altering car accident in 2015, which ultimately led him to the comedy stage in 2017. He breaks down his unique "storyteller" approach to stand-up, his famous positive-spin acronyms, and why he chooses to leave the bitterness behind and stay on cruise control.

Connect with Wendell:
Facebook: Wendell Williams
Instagram: @WendellWilliams13

Support the Show:
Subscribe for weekly episode drops every Wednesday!
Visit our network hub for more community storytelling.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests on the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast, its sponsors, the recording studio, or any affiliated entities.

• (00:00:00) - Wendell Williams on Hillcrest!
• (00:03:32) - Hillcrest Residents: You need to move out
• (00:08:02) - Proposal to Tax the North Padre Island Community
• (00:12:04) - County resident on the tax issue
• (00:15:44) - Mary Gaynor on the Mayor's Comments
• (00:18:14) - Tony Romo on Comedians
• (00:22:05) - Comedian on Female Comedians
• (00:23:40) - Wendell Brooks on Clean Comedy
• (00:26:59) - Entertainer: I'm That N Word With the Heart
• (00:29:45) - Open Mic: Being Old Can't Help You
• (00:33:02) - James Madison on Social Media
• (00:36:57) - Wendell on His Comments on Death Row
• (00:41:02) - window willsiams 13

In Episode 124 of the Corpus Christi Originals podcast, host Jesús sits down with high school classmate and local business owner John Hanzalik, who is running for Corpus Christi City Council – District 5.

John strips away the political theater to discuss the pressing issues facing our community. He breaks down the realities of the Inner Harbor desalination project, clarifies how industry partners actively fund their own water infrastructure, and outlines his vision for managing the massive residential growth on the Southside. Beyond the politics, John shares his journey through Leadership Corpus Christi, his background as an industrial entrepreneur, and why true servant leadership means making hard, transparent decisions.

Connect with John Hanzalik's Campaign:
Facebook: John Hanzalik for District 5
Email: [email protected]
Phone (Text Preferred): 361-446-1579

Thanks to Premier Hearing Solutions Of South Texas for making this content possible!

Support the Network:
Like, comment, and subscribe to keep authentic community stories alive! Head over to CorpusChristiOriginals.com for more local culture, merch, and episodes.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests on the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast, its sponsors, the recording studio, or any affiliated entities.

• (00:00:00) - Meet John Hanslick
• (00:00:48) - Paulette Guardo on the Impeachment Case
• (00:03:04) - Residents speak out about water
• (00:05:24) - "Raising water prices?"
• (00:07:22) - Sept. 1st Desalinization vote in Corpus Christi
• (00:09:57) - Cussing in the Civil Debate
• (00:10:37) - Democrat for Corpus Christi City Council, District 5
• (00:12:48) - Jesse Campos on Paid Political Commentators
• (00:14:30) - Heb Supermarket
• (00:16:25) - John Smith on His Run for City Council
• (00:18:22) - Baltimore City Council candidate on infrastructure
• (00:20:09) - Tom Leyman on Leadership Corpus Christi
• (00:23:54) - Local politics in Austin
• (00:26:34) - If you win the seat for District 5, what is the very
• (00:29:22) - Local comment on the city's plan to own a diesel plant
• (00:31:39) - Will privatization keep water rates in check?
• (00:32:00) - John Hanslick on Local Government
• (00:34:47) - PODCAST: John on Podcasts
• (00:37:21) - Open Mics in Denver
• (00:39:08) - Are There Any Famous Comedians From Corpus Christi?
• (00:41:58) - "That Was A Hell of a Skit!"
• (00:42:07) - TikTok on Richard Caballero's Comments
• (00:45:03) - On Political Issues on My Podcast
• (00:47:46) - Tick Tock and Facebook: How to Get Views on Your
• (00:50:49) - Dave Ramsey on Canceling Subscriptions
• (00:53:09) - A Budget for Old People
• (00:54:37) - Dave Ramsey on His Dave Ramsey Money
• (00:57:33) - Married Dave Ramsey Guy: Share Everything With My Wife
• (01:00:09) - Married Millionaire on Being Debt Free
• (01:02:10) - How Long Has Your Debt Been Paid Off?
• (01:05:23) - Local residents talk about the city's water crisis
• (01:06:42) - Dave Ramsey On His Financial Freedom Podcast
• (01:09:09) - John Hanick for City Council

Corpus Christi Originals is back at it again! For Episode 123, we’re posting up at the Ink Plug (4701, Suite 202) to catch up with a true cultural heavyweight: Ledswards.

After stepping away from music for two years following a horrific accident where he fell four stories—breaking his back, wrist, and feet—Ledswards is back to reclaim his spot and serenade the city. We dive deep into the pain, the recovery, and the monstrous creativity behind his upcoming 10th independent studio album, Look Mom, It's Raining.

Ledswards breaks down why he refuses to write his lyrics down, his creation of a new emotional hip-hop genre he calls "Lossless," and why artists need to stop acting "too cool" to work a 9-to-5 job to fund their dreams. We also get into how he and his brother, D Green of D Green Films, are trying to eliminate the North Side/South Side barriers to unify the Corpus Christi music scene.

If you love what we're doing for the culture, hit Subscribe, leave a comment, and share this episode!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests on the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast, its sponsors, the recording studio, or any affiliated entities.

• (00:00:00) - Kipling Originals
• (00:00:15) - Let's Words In The Building
• (00:00:46) - Look Mom, It's Raining
• (00:04:15) - "Poems About What I'm Not" by Kendrick Lamar
• (00:05:03) - D. Green On His Relationship With His Brother
• (00:06:25) - Dean Green on His 10th Album
• (00:09:39) - Celebrating Corpus Christi's Culture
• (00:11:29) - Dask 1 on Sounding Like A Texan Rapper
• (00:14:56) - The Importance of Self-Realization
• (00:16:30) - Mom's Rain Album Launch
• (00:17:24) - CORPUS CHRISTI Originals
• (00:20:08) - Don't You Think You're Too Cool to Work A 9-
• (00:22:33) - Virgil on His Fans
• (00:25:36) - "When You Get Money, Do You Change?
• (00:27:41) - Rainer on Artists' Longevity
• (00:30:32) - Artists on AI and The Lossless
• (00:34:04) - Last Words: A Celebration of Our Community
• (00:37:26) - Iron Sharpen Iron Shout Out To Mugging
• (00:39:46) - Expletives: The Culture Needs Our Legends
• (00:42:50) - Ledsward
• (00:45:29) - Shout Out to Molly Wap & DJ Dwan Gotti
• (00:46:17) - Tom Petty

The Art Center of Corpus Christi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit at 100 North Shoreline Boulevard — right next to the Whataburger by the bay — and most people have driven past it a thousand times without knowing what's inside.

In this episode of the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast, recorded on the second floor of the Art Center (same floor where Jesús had his wedding reception), he sits down with Kailey Diaz, Exhibit Coordinator, and August from the Education department to talk about what's actually going on in there. They cover the 50+ classes available, the Clay Studio membership, the Wednesday farmers market, Kids Walk on the first Friday of every month, the artist in residency program at Laguna Madre, the HEART veterans program, Super Bowl (the soup fundraiser, not the football one), the 70/30 split for artists selling their work, the surrealism exhibit coming up, what a "call for entry" means and why it's less scary than it sounds, and why 200,000 people walk through those doors every year.

No admission fee. Open Tuesday through Sunday. More local art than you'd expect. Some of it is very weird. They want more weird.

Art Center of Corpus Christi: 100 North Shoreline Blvd | @artcenterofcc on Facebook and Instagram

Corpus Christi Originals amplifies the unheard voices in our community — the people making this city unique but not always getting the spotlight.

Art Center of Corpus Christi website: artcentercc.org

• (00:00:00) - Diet and the NFL
• (00:00:03) - The Cryptids of Corpus Christi
• (00:02:16) - The Coastal Bend Community Art Center
• (00:06:22) - Local artists talk about their work
• (00:07:03) - Art Center Discusses AI
• (00:11:06) - How do you get new people into the art center?
• (00:14:02) - Ceramics Studio
• (00:18:23) - The Art Center: Membership and Call for Entries
• (00:21:24) - What Should an Art Gallery Charge?
• (00:25:00) - Mexican and Indian Art at 100
• (00:28:41) - Family Art Time and Farmer's Market
• (00:31:02) - Local artist talks about her work
• (00:34:11) - Art classes and workshops in the studio
• (00:35:17) - Mural Projects Go Up Downtown
• (00:38:39) - Art Walk
• (00:42:05) - Heroes Engaging Through Art
• (00:44:18) - August, That's a Cool Name
• (00:44:50) - Questions about the Art Center
• (00:47:46) - Jimmy Kimmel on His Wedding Dress
• (00:48:46) - Local Art Gallery, Ocean Drive
• (00:52:07) - Corporate Originals: The Art Center

Actors Creating Together Facebook

Actors Creating Together YouTube 

• (00:00:00) - CORP Christi Originals Podcast
• (00:00:37) - Theater Voices: A Podcast
• (00:03:55) - Lighting the Night Creature
• (00:05:04) - Local actress and director on the challenges of promoting local theater
• (00:09:59) - Local theatergoers talk about musicals
• (00:11:28) - Getting the Word Out About Community Theater
• (00:14:53) - Bonnie and Clyde
• (00:20:35) - What Makes Your Podcast Different?
• (00:22:12) - How Do You Decide What Really Belongs In an Episode?
• (00:24:21) - Interviewing the Directors of the Current Show
• (00:26:06) - In the Elevator With Rocky Horror
• (00:26:42) - Alex On The Podcast And The Drama
• (00:29:52) - Actress Throws A Cucumber Sandwich At Someone's Face
• (00:32:44) - Interviewing Directors
• (00:35:14) - Favorite HEB Store in Texas
• (00:38:13) - How To Edit A Podcast
• (00:39:38) - What is a touring production in Corpus Christi?
• (00:41:48) - Bonnie and Clyde at the Royal
• (00:43:25) - Evil Inheritance

Tony Gomez has been in the Corpus Christi metal scene since 1979, when he rode the C101 party bus to see Kiss on the Dynasty Tour and decided that was what he wanted to do with his life. Since then he's fronted or played in more bands than most people can count — Malignancy, Sintegrity, Killamora, War Cult, Annihilator, a Pantera tribute, an AC/DC tribute, and several others — and now hosts The Tony Gomez Show, a podcast dedicated to musicians making things happen.

In this episode of the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast, they talk about the early Corpus Christi metal scene — Anchor Watt, Devastation, Hypnotic State, Final Assault, the Stardust Ballroom, Zeros, Equalize — the role Hispanic musicians played in building the heavy music scene here, the story of his first gig with his dad in the audience (and a song called Cops Suck), his annual Tony's Twisted Christmas Spectacular benefiting the Coastal Bend Food Bank, the Annihilator vinyl that went worldwide, what he looks for in podcast guests, and why he still believes high tide raises all ships.

Find The Tony Gomez Show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Corpus Christi Originals amplifies the unheard voices in our community — the people making this city unique but not always getting the spotlight.

CorpusChristiOriginals.com

Caitlin Shook is the co-owner of The Annex — a bar at 312 South Chaparral in downtown Corpus Christi that doubles as a comedy venue, event space, and community gathering spot — and the host of The Bad Blonde, a live radio show on 1440 KEYS turned podcast about automotive history.

In this episode of the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast, recorded at The Annex, they talk about how Caitlin went from busing tables at 16 to opening her dream bar with her mom and sister, the Porsche 912E her dad gave her at 14 to keep her out of trouble, six years hosting a radio show she never thought she'd be on, why Corpus Christi is better than people give it credit for, chicken ship bingo, baby goat happy hour, the Ford Nucleon (Ford's nuclear-powered concept car), weed smugglers who funded their racing careers, and why birding is basically the original Pokémon Go.

Find Caitlin at The Annex — 312 South Chaparral, Corpus Christi. The Bad Blonde podcast is available wherever you listen.

Corpus Christi Originals amplifies the unheard voices in our community — the people making this city unique but not always getting the spotlight.

• (00:00:00) - The Annex
• (00:01:05) - Tina Fey on Starting a Comedy Bar
• (00:04:08) - The Only Green Restaurant In The City
• (00:07:06) - Working On A Car
• (00:08:45) - Repairing a Porsche 912E At 14
• (00:11:43) - I Had A Talk About Automotive History
• (00:15:33) - How Do You Handle Negative Comments?
• (00:18:39) - The Bar's Community
• (00:23:07) - "You Turn Into Your Own Best Friend"
• (00:23:31) - The Best Part About Auto History... The Podcast
• (00:27:03) - The History of the Automobile
• (00:31:32) - The Ford Nucleon Car
• (00:33:16) - Lowrider Cars
• (00:34:56) - Born and Raised in Corpus Christi
• (00:38:47) - Protesters voice support for oil workers
• (00:39:34) - "Let's start a club..."
• (00:39:51) - Working at the Chicken Bingo
• (00:40:06) - How do you go about hiring people for your businesses?
• (00:43:06) - Experiences Are Better Than Physical Sales
• (00:44:51) - The Little Longhorn Saloon
• (00:46:22) - College Student On Getting Kicked Out Of High School At 16
• (00:50:14) - Austin and the College Experience
• (00:50:33) - Farmworker on College Being the Play for His Life
• (00:51:55) - Working While in College
• (00:55:35) - Birds in Corpus Christi
• (00:56:49) - Let's Talk Flamingos
• (00:59:40) - Jimmy Kimmel on Birding
• (01:02:46) - Birding in the Panhandle
• (01:05:29) - Ke$ha on Pokemon Go
• (01:07:55) - Caitlin on Why She Doesn't Get Her Driver's License
• (01:09:00) - Bad Blonde on the Couch

In this unfiltered, adult-oriented "bull session," host Jesus Hilario Hernandez sits down with the Sports with Roland crew—Andy Gomez, Merri Garcia, and Roland Alaniz—for a raw and hilarious look at the Corpus Christi comedy scene. The group covers everything from their 200-episode podcasting journey and the "catalyst" that started it all to the gritty reality of bombing on stage at local pizza joints. Between Andy’s legendary "move" for getting out of traffic tickets and Merri’s candid insights into the challenges of being a woman in the local circuit, the conversation touches on the Corpus "Mexican OT," the frustrations of the city’s water crisis, and the evolution of their creative voices. Whether they are dissecting the plot of a "Lifetime movie" reboot, debating the merits of Mario Galaxy and GTA: San Andreas, or discussing the future of AI in media, this episode captures the authentic, unscripted spirit of the South Texas hustle.

• (00:00:00) - Bull Session
• (00:01:47) - Michael Myers In The Dark
• (00:02:43) - Andy Gomez On The DEI Comedy Podcast
• (00:06:10) - Decided to start a podcast... with Adrian
• (00:06:58) - Comedians Talking About Podcasting
• (00:07:26) - How Long Can You Drive An Expired Car Registration?
• (00:11:08) - China Develops Low-Cost Iron Battery
• (00:14:02) - "Think About Her..."
• (00:14:40) - Water crisis in Arlington, Texas
• (00:15:19) - Trump Wants His Face on His Passports
• (00:18:42) - Andy on Yodeling
• (00:22:10) - Woodstock: Burn It Down
• (00:24:04) - Mario Mario Galaxy
• (00:26:08) - Bear Suit Insurance Fraud
• (00:30:17) - Dune 3 and Mortal Kombat
• (00:33:29) - What Does It Feel Like Being a Woman in Comedy?
• (00:36:31) - Fake Border Patrol Agents Get Arrested
• (00:38:43) - In the Elevator With
• (00:40:32) - Champagne At
• (00:44:01) - Drunk People Talk About The Night They Had Sex
• (00:44:44) - Roland on His Comedy
• (00:48:29) - Louis CK on His Clean Comedy
• (00:52:17) - Louis CK on Andy Daly's
• (00:55:14) - Slow Rose And The N-Word