About Us

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Our story

Mike Cota

The Cosmic Clash was born in 2012 when Mike Cosmic launched the site already sitting on a treasure trove of live video, interviews, and photographs from shows ranging from his El Paso post-punk roots mixing with bands like At the Drive-In, Attempted Erns, V.B.F., Sicteens and Texas Exiles to more contemporary acts in Austin, Los Angeles, and El Paso. Mike and his friends hosted legendary backyard parties while publishing one of the first El Paso’s event websites, (Soiledsun) before relocating to Austin.

 

 

Greg Ackerman

Greg Ackerman had been covering live music in Austin for over a decade when he met Mike Cosmic. The two soon discovered a mutual love of live music and vinyl. Greg joined The Cosmic Clash first as a contributor, then as Editor in 2018. He convinced more writers to join him, expanding coverage from primarily Austin and El Paso independent bands to wider national coverage keeping editorial focus on Texas and Austin artists. 2019 saw site traffic double from the previous year. TCC more than doubled site traffic growing 242% in 2020. Find Greg on Twitter here.

 

 

Scott Rollins

Scott Rollins is a published songwriter whose earliest memories are of music. Growing up with a musical extended family, he quickly took to the art, crafting songs at a young age. Rollins made a study of music his entire life and considers himself a student of the art.
His love of music acts in concert with a critic’s ear and natural ability to as a storyteller lends itself to music journalism. His cousin (our editor, Greg) encouraged him to write reviews and experiences of live music and albums for the Cosmic Clash in 2019. Follow Scott on Twitter here

 

Brian Hillsman

Brian Hillsman is a longtime music fan. Born and bred in Austin, Mr. Hillsman has been an educator for over 15 years. He enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with his wife Jennifer.

Brian joined the staff at The Cosmic Clash in 2019, specializing in punk, hip-hop, indie rock and good taste. Follow Brian on Twitter here.

 

 

Sonya Hernandez

Sonya Hernandez, like the rest of The Cosmic Clash staff is a rabid live music fan who hails from El Paso like our founder but got to Austin not long after graduating college. A geologist for Texas Department of Transportation, Ms. Hernandez enjoys hiking, seeing live music and hanging out with her cats.

In addition to being TCC’s resident Number One Fan, Ms. Hernandez also serves on the Board of Girls Rock Austin. Follow Sonya on Twitter here.

 

 

Drew Doggett

New to the Austin scene, Drew Doggett comes by way of Nashville and D.C. A former music teacher and constant student of guitar, he’d rather jam in a garage for hours than learn a new song. His favorite venues are the Ryman Auditorium, the 9:30 Club., and Mohawk here in Austin.

Drew works in digital marketing and is excited to amplify independent artists around town, particularly those in the psych-rock, blues, alternative genre. You can always find him at the front of shows, whether he’s taking pictures or just acting like a teenager again. While you’ll most likely see posts about his corgi, the Tennessee Titans, and the Austin DSA, you can follow him on Twitter here.

 

 

Christina DeStefano

Christina DeStefano has been around Austin since 2015. She moved to ATX without a job or knowing anyone, taking up a residency at a hostel for a few weeks before moving into a condo. She found talking about music to be one of the easiest ways to connect with people and break down barriers across cultures. Her favorite spots around town are The Mohawk, Cheer Up Charlie’s, and Shangri La.

Christina now works as a DevOps Engineer. When she is not at shows or working, you can find her paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake or climbing walls at the Greenbelt or Crux Climbing Gym. Email: cdestefa777[at]gmail.com

 

Case Cockrell

Case Cockrell landed in Austin in 2021. An avid fan of the Austin music scene, Case moved to the area just to bask in its eclectic glory. A lover of all music genres, Case is always looking for outlets to discover new music. His favorite spots in town are Far Out Lounge, 13th Floor, and Hotel Vegas.

Case works in tech in the marketing sector. When he isn’t at shows or doing something music related, he can be found hiking the Greenbelt or seeking out the best taco truck he can find.

Email: casebaylorcockrell@gmail.com

Troy Gonzales

Troy Gonzales was neither born nor raised in Austin, but has long considered it his home since he attended the University of Texas in Austin, where he received a BFA in Studio Arts in 1993. He’s an artist/photographer, who has also dabbled in animation, film editing, acting, and writing. A long time supporter of the Austin music scene since the late Eighties, his voracious appetite for new music has remained unabated. If he had to pick a favorite venue, it would probably be Hotel Vegas or The 13th Floor. The only thing that can match this addiction is his love of cinema, usually at AFS Cinema or Alamo Drafthouse. When he’s not doing either of those things, he’s spending time with his wife, reading, or doing camera work for a local access program.

He is married to native Austinite, Yvette Evans and has one cat named Esmeralda, who is demanding to be fed again.

Email: Moonfrog1967@yahoo.com

Robert Dean

Robert Dean is a journalist, cultural editorialist, and self-proclaimed enlightened dumbass. His work has appeared in over 50 publications worldwide, including VICE, MIC, Eater, Fatherly, Yahoo, Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, Consequence of Sound, Ozy, USA Today, and Channel Void. He’s appeared on CNN and NPR and currently serves as a features writer for Culture Clash and The Cosmic Clash, as well as a weekly political columnist for The Carter County Times. He lives in Austin, Texas, and loves ice cream, koalas, and calling out bullshit. His collection of essays, Existential Thirst Trap, is out now.

Email: robertdeannola@gmail.com

 

 

 

April Riggs

April has big opinions about unimportant things and she’s not afraid to tell you why. Stop by for the reviews and stick around for the enlightenment. Hopefully you learn something new and laugh out loud, too.

Email: aprilriggs12@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Contributors/Writers	Video Hosts	Video Production
Greg Ackerman (Editor)	Cassandra Saturn	Mike Cosmic
Sonya Hernandez	Mike Cosmic	Former Video Production
Brian Hillsman	Brian Hillsman	Jaz Meza
Scott Rollins	Former Video Hosts
Daniel Salas	Carleigh Venus
Ethan Guion	Kitty Kat Star
Drew Doggett	Malicia La Negra
Troy Gonzales	Jenni Nix
Case Cockrell
Robert Dean
Former Contributors
MikeyMoreOrLess
Nick Splint

 

Photographers	Partnerships	Booking
Brandon Sandler	Mike Cosmic	Email us here.
Mike Manewitz
David Castaneda
Michael Maly
Drew Doggett

Located in Austin, TX. Supporting local Austin music and beyond.

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