< Previous10 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2025 W eeks ago, we were preparing to put together our July issue and Creative Director Melissa Rivera had an idea of riffing on the cov- er of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” album, which was released on June 4, 1984. The jeans, the red hat in the pocket and Springsteen’s physique against the U.S. flag were visually striking and evoked a blue-collar every man’s vibe captured by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. “Born in the U.S.A.” was the title track of the album and immediately became an anthem, despite the fact it’s a protest song about a disillusioned Vietnam War veteran struggling to find work, cope with the horrors of combat, and feeling abandoned by his country. Springsteen described the song as a “demand for a ‘critical’ patriotic voice along with pride of birth.” But as our Indepen- dence Day-themed issue deadline inched nearer, hostilities arose between Springsteen and Donald Trump after The Boss criticized The President from a British stage. Our idea of recreating that famous album cover for Coast Monthly’s rock-and-roll- themed Fourth of July issue seemed ill-timed and a distrac- tion to our efforts to celebrate the American art forms of rock and roll and the blues. To borrow from sing- er-songwriter John Mellen- camp, “But ain’t that America?” As you can see, we regrouped and decided to riff on Jimi Hendrix, who famously played “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival on Aug. 18, 1969. But Hendrix’s reimagined version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” wasn’t as patriotic as some people might think. “It’s seen today as one of the greatest moments of his career, but at the time some Americans were offended that his take on the song — which used squelching feedback to simulate the sound of exploding bombs — was a means to protest the Vietnam War,” according to a 2019 article in Rolling Stone magazine. “I don’t know, man,” an exhausted Hendrix said shortly af- ter, admitting he’d slept only eight minutes the night before, Rolling Stone reported. “I’m an American, so I played it. They made me sing it in school, so it was a flashback.” Cover model Lillian Giacona, a Galvestonian building her rock reputation one tour at a time, wore a fringed jacket styled by guest creative designer Mateo Sifuentes to pay homage to Hendrix. This issue celebrates rock and roll, its rebellious roots and all that makes it singularly American. We also put the spotlight on Texas City, which over the decades has been a hotbed of musical talent. And we feature mainlanders who go all out for what they consider sacred civic celebrations of our nation’s birth. In this issue, you’ll also meet Texas City’s Madison Swain, who was named the first Miss Juneteenth Texas in 2023 when she was 18. Swain sees Juneteenth pageants as important because they celebrate freedom, making it a perfect fit for our Indepen- dence Day issue. In whatever way you celebrate Fourth of July — whether it’s protesting or picnicking — we hope it’s safe, memorable and meaningful. LAURA ELDER Coast Monthly Editor FROM THE EDITOR BUT AIN’T THAT AMERICA? PHOTOS: CO u RTESYNeed emergency care? Visit houstonmethodist.org/er to fi nd emergency care near you. If you are experiencing a serious or life-threatening medical emergency, please call 911. LEADING EMERGENCY CARE in Clear Lake 24/7 Don’t Ignore Your Symptoms It’s important to know where to go when unexpected injuries or illnesses occur. Whether you have a minor emergency or a life-threatening one, Houston Methodist provides state-of-the-art emergency care 24/7/365 to patients of all ages. We offer: • Board-certifi ed emergency doctors • On-site laboratory • Full-service X-ray, CT and ultrasound • Private treatment rooms • Admission to Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital, if needed 45 225 146 96 528 518 270 2351 HOUSTON METHODIST CLEAR LAKE HOSPITAL Deer Park League City Houston Methodist Emergency Departments Houston Methodist Emergency Care Centers12 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2025 SHORELINES WE ASKED ON FACEBOOK: What’s your favorite patriotic rock song? “R.O.C.K. in The u.S.A.” — John Mellencamp. Teri Hawes Simon & Garfunkel’s “America” always gives me a warm feeling — “So I looked at the scenery, she read her magazine And the moon rose over an open field ….” Karen Barbier “America” — Neil Diamond. Debbie Levine “Galveston“ by Glen Campbell. Rick Markette I think “Born in the u.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen. It’s a mixed message but so is patriotism. Also, “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie, though it’s more folk than rock. Marsha Canright “American Girl” — Tom Petty. Leonard Woolsey “God Bless America” — Ray Charles. Gladys Haak “Red, White & Blue” — Lynyrd Skynyrd. Brandon Noto “The Star-Spangled Banner” — Jimi Hendrix. Steff Wells “Pink Houses” — John Mellencamp. Jill Russo Termini “Red, White & Blue” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Vivian Hernández “Born in the u.S.A.” — The Boss. Linda Dobbs Willis Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” Stacey Gottlob “Rockin’ In The u.S.A.” — KISS. William ‘Boog’ Cram “Surfin’ u.S.A.”— Beach Boys. Holly Thorson Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American.” I saw him live and will never forget the feeling we all got when he sang his song! He really brought out the patriotic spirit in the crowd! Karen Giusti Stripling “American Woman!” Suzy McAdams “Rock in America.” Night Ranger. Willy Gonzalez “God Bless the u.S.A.” — Lee Greenwood. Patricia Forbes Tewksbury “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue.” Toby Keith. Steve Farrow Nicol “American Idiot” by Green Day. Christopher Smith Gonzalez Jimi Hendrix — “Star-Spangled Banner.” Glynda Parker Oglesby “Born in the u.S.A.” Bruce Springsteen. Wanda Buttner FREEPIKBET JENNINGS 2022-2025 Real Trends America’s Best Real Estate Pros in Galveston & Texas 281.773.3477 | bjennings@greenwoodking.com Chase Jennings, Associate RSPS | chasejennings@greenwoodking.com Breathtaking Panoramic Views in Laffite’s Cove 13415 Jibstay Court 14 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2025 FEATURE ULTIMATE AMERICAN ART FORM Each generation has used rock and roll for self-expression and a collective voice story by SHANNON CALDWELL R ock and roll was invented in the South and is the quintessential American music. It provides the soundtrack to our lives and Texas Gulf Coast locals want to make sure we keep on rocking. Galveston’s Lillian Giacona is building her rock reputation one tour at a time. At just 20 years old, she has gone from playing in local teen bands to touring with pop rock group LVVRS. She was on the road for two and a half years before deciding to leave LVVRS but can’t wait to tour again with a new band, she said. “I’m traveling back and forth between Nashville and L.A. networking and setting things up,” Giacona said. “I was outside The Grand theater in Galveston recently and I bumped into Leland Sklar. I would love a career like his.” Sklar is a bassist and session musician who has appeared on more than 2,000 albums by art- ists including The Doors, Toto, James Taylor and Lyle Lovett. At age 78, he’s still touring. Giacona thinks bass players deserve more rock glory, she said. (Opposite) Lillian Giacona was 13 years old when she began pestering her father for a bass guitar. The 20-year-old Galveston musician now has five guitars, including a custom bass made by her uncle that she covered in mirror pieces. She loves the rebellious spirit of rock and roll, she said. Concept and styling by guest creative designer Mateo Sifuentes. PHOTO: STuART VILLANuEVA16 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2025 FEATURE “The rhythm section is so import- ant,” she said. “The kick drum is the beating heart and bass is the vibration that carries the emotion of the song.” In addition to networking, Giacona posts social media videos of herself practicing her craft. Often she’s play- ing a diamond-colored Fender 75th Anniversary Jazz Bass, one of her five guitars. Another favorite is a custom bass made by her uncle and which she covered in mirror pieces. She finds ca- reer inspiration from fellow musicians, especially guitarist Jon Jourdan, a Gal- veston native, who will be touring this summer with Wolfgang Van Halen’s band Mammoth WVH. Giacona loves rock and roll’s re- bellious spirit and history of protest songs, she said. Faith No More’s “We Care a Lot” is a favorite. Jeb Adame, a live music and event promoter in Galveston, said rock and roll always has given voice to disen- franchised people. “It was invented in the South when people took the finger-plucking style of bluegrass and mixed it with the pitch distortion of blues to make rock,” Adame said. “It’s about a cultur- al back and forth and giving people without a voice their voice.” Rock and roll first became a hit with (Above) Clear Lake area musician Briean Day is an accomplished pianist, singer and songwriter. Rock music is exciting to sing because it’s emotional and relatable, she said. (Opposite) Erin and Jeb Adame, owners of U.S. Backline, take a break from setting up sound equipment for an event at the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa in Galveston. Rock and roll gives people without a voice their voice, Jeb Adame said. “Rock and roll is about freedom. ... It’s about individuality and self-expression, and each generation uses rock as a collective voice to say what they like and what they won’t stand for.” JEB ADAME PHOTO: ST u ART VILLAN u EVA COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2025 17 PHOTO: JENNIFER REYNOLDS18 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2025 FEATURE teenagers in the 1950s helped by Ra- dio personality Alan Freed and Top 40 inventor Todd Storz. Artists including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Bill Haley broke down color barriers and took rock mainstream. Since then, rock has morphed from the psyche- delic ’60s to heavy metal ’70s, hair bands and alt rock in the ’80s, grunge in the ’90s, and onto the 2000s with punk, garage indie and classic rock all sharing the airways. Adame, who owns U.S. Backline with his wife, Erin, considers rock and roll to be the ultimate American art form. “Rock and roll is about freedom,” he said. “Each generation takes the pulse and rhythmic identity of rock and makes it their own. It’s about individ- uality and self-expression, and each generation uses rock as a collective voice to say what they like and what they won’t stand for.” For more than 15 years, U.S. Back- line has provided sound production for many of Galveston’s free con- certs, music festivals and large events including Mardi Gras. Adame hopes to inspire a new generation of musicians with Galveston Musical Youth, a free music camp from July 14-19. To listen to live music on Galveston Island, you can head to MOD Coffee- house, Hotel Lucine, The Proletariat, Old Quarter Acoustic Café, 23rd Street Station Piano Bar, The Old Galveston Club and even the weekly farmers market. On the mainland, the Kemah Boardwalk, T-Bone Tom’s, Coco’s on the Canal and Scout Bar are popular places for live music. Clear Lake area musician Briean Day performs on the local circuit sing- ing a mixture of covers and her own compositions. “It is always exciting to sing rock because it’s so emotional and relat- able,” Day said. PHOTO: CO u RTESY JEREMY RODRIG u EZ (Above) Hitchcock’s Aaron Williams plays bass in the Houston-based indie/alternative rock band Sasser. He’s also the music director for School of Rock Clear Lake. He gets his love of performing from his father, who was in a progressive rock band, and his love of teaching from his grandfather, who was a band director. (Opposite) Thor Johnson, 9, a guitar student at School of Rock Clear Lake, plays in a rock band of like-minded young musicians called the Flaming Skulls. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2025 19 A gigging musician in Louisiana in her 20s, Day took time off to raise her three children but never stopped writing. She has a catalog of more than 100 songs being promoted by her publishing company for television and movie soundtracks. The pure adrenaline of performing live is what keeps Hitchcock’s Aaron Williams hooked on rock, he said. Williams plays bass in indie-pop-rock band Sasser, which recently released its debut EP “Star-Crossed.” Williams is the music director for the School of Rock Clear Lake. A multi-instrumentalist who studied music at College of the Mainland, Wil- liams was the assistant band director at Hitchcock ISD for four years. “My dad was in the prog rock band Six Minute Century who opened for Alice Cooper, and my grandfather Charles Williams was the Hitchcock band director for 40 years,” Williams said. “I got my love of performing from my dad and my love of teaching from my grandfather.” School of Rock Clear Lake has 9-year-old Thor Johnson hooked on rock. Johnson got his first guitar at age 7 and plays in a band with friends. He recently played solo at his elementary school talent show. “I played a mix of ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica, ‘Smoke on the Water,’ ‘Mess Around’ and then ‘Seven Nation Army,’ Johnson said. ‘I thought it would be cool to start ‘Seven Nation Army’ really high then go low.” His mother, Monica, is impressed Thor thought of the key change himself and by his commitment to practicing. “My husband, Mike, and I had our first date at a Metallica concert, so I’m not mad Thor plays guitar.” Further proof rock and roll will have us rocking on for generations to come. PHOTO: ST u ART VILLAN u EVANext >