Sauntering through thick wafts of cigarette smoke in the parking lot on the late evening of April 2, I made my way through the doors of The Lighthouse Neighborhood Lounge near Woodlawn Lake. As this was my first time at The Lighthouse, I was both cautious and excited for what was in store at the Live and Local KRTU 91.7 FM Indie Showcase.

The cozy, atmospheric lighting, single pool table and eclectic decorations were on par with the dive bar vibe. Looking at the medium-sized audience interspersed throughout the tight bar, there was a pretty even survey of college students, middle-aged men and people who fit the bill as Lighthouse regulars.

I’m going to be honest — I didn’t make it to The Lighthouse Neighborhood Lounge in time to see the first artist, Dolphin Dilemma, play. However, from the whispers I heard in the crowd while the second band was setting up, Zachariah Applebaum (the musician performing under the name of Dolphin Dilemma) kicked off the showcase with energizing synth-pop sounds. Applebaum was raised by the local San Antonio music scene and has been performing for over six years under numerous titles. Dolphin Dilemma released its debut album, “ROUGH,” on Dec. 3, 2021, as well as a new music video for the song “NIGHT.”

The Indie Showcase featured two additional bands after Dolphin Dilemma, The Wizard and Jason Kane & The Jive, both of whom offer unique renditions of rock music.

The Wizard is a psychedelic rock trio featuring Arik Norris on guitar, Joel Mathis on drums and Vincent Garlisi playing bass. Mainly instrumental, the band produced sounds with a great deal of volume. This was the last show The Wizard will play in San Antonio as a full band for a while. Their future plans involve some recording and playing music in venues outside of the city. The trio has been playing live for four years and their most recent release is a digital album titled “NO HEAT,” which was released on Jan. 19.

Last to take the stage at The Lighthouse was the band Jason Kane & the Jive, who offered a more conventional interpretation of rock music. Formed in 2014 by Jason Kane and Nick Jive, the local band is still rocking with stylish clothes and long rock-star hair. Bringing an energetic stage presence, Jason Kane & the Jive gave the audience one last chance to get hype with lots of headbanging and hair whipping. The trio’s most recent release is their third album, released on March 21, 2020, which contains 11 original tracks and one cover song.

Anna Shockley, senior geosciences major and student music director at KRTU, said that this was the first Indie Overnight showcase since the pandemic hit. Shockley said that there were plans for three showcases this spring, but the pushback of the semester due to the Omicron variant limited the number to one. Shockley said they think that community events such as the Indie Overnight showcase are always valuable.

“One mission statement of KRTU is to connect listeners to the music community. I think that it is important for local San Antonio musicians to know they are supported by the community,” Shockley said.

Overall, the 21+ free show was a unique opportunity to experience new music, spend time with friends and celebrate local artists. I am very much looking forward to celebrating local musicians again by attending many more Indie Overnight showcases in the future.