MEET THE BAND

This is the website for Velvet Punch, based out of Houston, Texas.  This band contains some of the hottest players in the Houston area and they put on a show that you must see. Their performance is guaranteed to get you up and dancing and put you in the party mood! Come out and hear classic 80's, Disco, Motown and R&B tunes from the past, and current hits too!.... Just great dance music. Make sure you check out our schedule so you can come out and Get Your GROOVE On !!

 

Velvet Punch is one of the few bands in Houston where you can go and hear all FIVE members singing lead vocals during a performance. Many bands in this marketplace have a single vocalist doing every song. Regardless of how good they may be, in today's world of "The Voice", "American Idol" and "AGT", an audience can get listener fatigue quickly and want to change the channel..... Not the case with Velvet Punch.

 

And talk about song selection... Velvet Punch recreates accurate renditions of the original versions to capture the true essence, soul and emotion of each song they perform. This attention to detail brings the audience back to a time and a place, and stirs up all of those memories of when they heard these songs for the first time.....That can be very powerful!  It helps us to really connect with our fans.


Their song list is forever growing; adding in more  from past to current hit songs to enjoy. Inbetween sets - Rudy is always accommediating in meeting and taking pictures with fans. They are a personable band who are family friendly when the occassion requires it in their songs, and enjoys getting to know people in the audience as much as possible. 



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RUDY GARCIA - GUITAR & VOCALS

Rudy comes from a long history of musical influences. His father was a jazz drummer traveling around the USA for many years before settling in Houston. Rudy started his music career performing in his fathers band, then branched off to several other local Houston bands before launching Velvet Punch. His other musical influences include The Cure, John Mayer, The Colt, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Prince etc...  He loves Performing to Entertain and to keep people dancing and grooving to the music all night long. That is what you will experience with Velvet Punch. 

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XAVIER "X" GARCIA - KEYBOARDS & VOCALS

"X" comes from a very musical family. His father was a traveling jazz musician. He started playing at age 11 with his two older brothers, and at age 13 began playing professionally. His early influences were Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and Old Blue Eyes himself Frank Sinatra. He then integrated some rock influences like Journey, Queen, Stix, Yes, and Spyro Gyro into his playing style, but he still holds a soft spot for big band music from playing with the San Jacinto Junior College jazz band in 1993. However, his biggest influence to-date still remains to be his Dad.

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NICHOLE APPLEWHITE - VOCALS

Nichole brings a fresh face to the Houston music sceen. Migrating here from the Chicagoland area in 2012, she brings her years of experience and professionalism to Velvet Punch. Her addition widens the spectrum, diversity and appeal of the band, turning an all-guy 80's band into a High-Energy Variety dance band. Being the youngest, she captures the essence of the iconic disco and 80's dance music, and also delivers on her contemporary artists, bringing new and fresh material to the mix.

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Kevin Martin - BASS & VOCALS

Kevin hails from Maryland where he absorbed all the east coast funk he could find. He brings the soulful sounds of South Philly with him to Velvet Punch. Early in his music career he worked extensively on the road with several full time soul and blues style show bands touring the US during the 70's. After all that traveling Kevin settled down, raised a family and moved to Texas. During this break from music he built several successful businesses, but the music bug resurfaced and he started to work with many local bands doing weddings, corporate events and performing at some of the top local clubs since about 2000. Now some 13 years later, he has hooked up with Velvet Punch and is bringing his solid, funky bass lines to the band.

Dwayne Mayeaux

Dwayne Mayeaux

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