GALVESTON — Local bar 1877 on the Strand hosted Battle of the Jams Monday night, a new live music event organized by local musician Cole Johnstone, aimed at showcasing the area’s growing talent pool.

Johnstone, who began performing publicly just over a year ago, said the idea came from seeing so many new musicians emerge in the local scene.

“I’ve met so many amazing musicians this past year,” Johnstone told KGTX 7’s David Warner. “I thought, why not bring everyone together and make something happen?”

The event featured live performances, raffle prizes, and food provided by Chef Jay Lombardi. Raffle tickets were sold for $1 each or 25 for $20. First place went to Austin Gaston, second place to Katelyn Willis, and third place to LadyBird.

Among those attending were Jason O’Donahue and Katherine Stroud, two long-time performers and co-hosts of one of Galveston’s most popular open mic nights, which has run weekly for over three years.

Stroud described the local scene as “vibrant and teeming with energy.”

“When we started our open mic, we were the only one on the coast,” she said. “Now there are seven or more, and the talent that’s come up through them has been phenomenal.”

O’Donahue added, “There are a lot of young songwriters who’ve grown so much in just the past few years. They’ve each created their own little scene, which is really great to see.”

With the success of Battle of the Jams, Johnstone hopes to keep the momentum going for both artists and audiences across the island.