There's an on-going argument about whether or not Austin is still the "Live Music Capital of the World." The evidence against is that the city is becoming so gentrified and expensive that the musician class can't actually make a living here any longer. Then there's the fact that all the go-to live music spots are being threatened by the condos being erected around them. You'll find as many noise complaints in Austin nowadays as you can the bands generating them. It's a shame.
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Dirty Sixth
The contrary evidence, however, is fairly deafening, with music at just about every spot in town. Come SXSW, it'll be every spot, corner, bedroom, from here to the county line. The main drag of Sixth St.—or Dirty Sixthas as it's known (see Neighborhoods We Tolerate)—is ground zero. On weekend nights, the street gets blocked off from traffic, so comparisons to Bourbon and Beale streets and the like are inevitable. Either way, it's a total clusterfuck, with the dregs of Austinites and mesmerized tourists going out on the prowl. Want to hear standard bar rock and blues? Literally just walk down the bar-lined street and pick a spot. Maybe try the Blind Pig Pub (really, they're all the same). The windows and doors for each place will be swung wide open for a preview. The dance clubs, with their light shows and bass, can be easily spotted by the young little things in their trashy best lined up at the door so deep they block foot traffic. A decent game of pool can be played at the massive Buffalo Billiards. True dullards can go to Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill, or, ugh, Coyote Ugly. No judgments to anyone who spends a few hours on Dirty Sixth at least once. But if you go there on the reg, the good locals will rightfully edge away from you.
The contrary evidence, however, is fairly deafening, with music at just about every spot in town. Come SXSW, it'll be every spot, corner, bedroom, from here to the county line. The main drag of Sixth St.—or Dirty Sixthas as it's known (see Neighborhoods We Tolerate)—is ground zero. On weekend nights, the street gets blocked off from traffic, so comparisons to Bourbon and Beale streets and the like are inevitable. Either way, it's a total clusterfuck, with the dregs of Austinites and mesmerized tourists going out on the prowl. Want to hear standard bar rock and blues? Literally just walk down the bar-lined street and pick a spot. Maybe try the Blind Pig Pub (really, they're all the same). The windows and doors for each place will be swung wide open for a preview. The dance clubs, with their light shows and bass, can be easily spotted by the young little things in their trashy best lined up at the door so deep they block foot traffic. A decent game of pool can be played at the massive Buffalo Billiards. True dullards can go to Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill, or, ugh, Coyote Ugly. No judgments to anyone who spends a few hours on Dirty Sixth at least once. But if you go there on the reg, the good locals will rightfully edge away from you.
Photo by Ben Sklar
Red River
The cross street that pretty much signals the end of the Dirty Sixth Chaos, Red River is significantly better. The best dance club in town, Barberella, is there, as is Cheer-Up Charlie's, one of the best music venues for up-and-coming bands that prefer experimentation, shoe-gazing, or really, anything remotely original. It is the preferred place for hip musicians. For the old punk-rockers—guys who still look not-too-embarrassing in leather jackets—Beerland is a simple Austin staple that is borderline iconic just by the sheer force of perseverance. And just up the block is Mohawk, probably one of the better venues for up-and-coming mid-sized acts (basically those with a "respectable fanbase"), and not only because of the stadium-ish concert viewing of your favorite bands that just graduated from dive bars. It also hosts events like beard-offs, launch parties for artsy magazines, and amateur wrestling. Old Austin
If there is still one redeeming quality of the quickly changing new Austin, it's two-stepping. It's a rite of passage in Texas. You can do it anywhere, although it's particularly encouraged at a few older locations. White Horse, with an always-solid band, is sort of carrying the torch, as young and old alike mix it up on the dance floor. The self-proclaimed "granddaddy" of Austin venues, however, which no one would dispute, is the Continental Club. All the people who can actually handle their instruments have played there (yes, this includes Stevie Ray Vaughn). It's been the venue of residence for Junior Brown, and one of the world's best country guitarists, Redd Volkaert, has a standing gig there. The crowd is decidedly relaxed and older, so there'll be plenty of time for friendly chatter and Lone Star beer-sucking between dances.
The cross street that pretty much signals the end of the Dirty Sixth Chaos, Red River is significantly better. The best dance club in town, Barberella, is there, as is Cheer-Up Charlie's, one of the best music venues for up-and-coming bands that prefer experimentation, shoe-gazing, or really, anything remotely original. It is the preferred place for hip musicians. For the old punk-rockers—guys who still look not-too-embarrassing in leather jackets—Beerland is a simple Austin staple that is borderline iconic just by the sheer force of perseverance. And just up the block is Mohawk, probably one of the better venues for up-and-coming mid-sized acts (basically those with a "respectable fanbase"), and not only because of the stadium-ish concert viewing of your favorite bands that just graduated from dive bars. It also hosts events like beard-offs, launch parties for artsy magazines, and amateur wrestling. Old Austin
If there is still one redeeming quality of the quickly changing new Austin, it's two-stepping. It's a rite of passage in Texas. You can do it anywhere, although it's particularly encouraged at a few older locations. White Horse, with an always-solid band, is sort of carrying the torch, as young and old alike mix it up on the dance floor. The self-proclaimed "granddaddy" of Austin venues, however, which no one would dispute, is the Continental Club. All the people who can actually handle their instruments have played there (yes, this includes Stevie Ray Vaughn). It's been the venue of residence for Junior Brown, and one of the world's best country guitarists, Redd Volkaert, has a standing gig there. The crowd is decidedly relaxed and older, so there'll be plenty of time for friendly chatter and Lone Star beer-sucking between dances.
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If you want your country and two-stepping to be a little on the kitschy side, go to The Broken Spoke. Well, go there regardless, because it, too, is a legendary venue that more than the others is being threatened, swallowed on all sides by fancy-ass condos. It's more than 50 years old and looks every bit of the roadhouse honky tonk it began as (they may even be playing it up a bit, for the tourists). All the obvious legends have played on the stage. Most of the venue is a dance floor, and if you missed the dancing lessons offered earlier in the night, the lovely waitresses providing table service, who themselves looks like they time traveled from old Texas, might show you how to get to shuffling. It kinda goes without say that this place is cash only.
Photo by Ben Sklar
Congratulations, you made it to Sunday, without getting arrested, punched, or both. Reward yourself with another Austin standby, Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon. Fittingly for Sunday, it looks like a provisional church, steeple and all. Once threatened with closure, local musician/hero Dale Watson bought up the place, put some fresh paint on it, and kept the good times going. It's a Sunday staple because of Chicken Shit Bingo, which is exactly what it sounds like—a chicken gets brought out to a bingo-looking cage, and you bet on which square it will shit on. Being a local institution run by a musician, the band is always top notch. And crowded as the place will be (again, "Little"), there's always room for dancing. Fair warning to the fair young ladies who show up though: You will never have a chance to rest, as those old dudes love to court and boogie all afternoon.
A few intimate stalwarts of the live music scene remain as well. The Saxon Pub pretty much has music from before happy hour on, and if the names on the marquee aren't enough to make you do a double take while driving down the road, the to-be-discovered names will be more than enough to keep you entertained. Just expect that cover. The 12th Street/Weberville area used to be a town-within-a-town for black folks. And while Weberville residents haven't been completely kicked out yet, 12th Street now has a yoga studio. There's still great blues music (and more), however, at the Sahara Lounge, which is about as old school of a music joint as you can get, to say nothing of the Africa-and-world-focused nights and events. Last but not least, yes, there is a place for you Jazzheads: The Elephant Room on Congress, unassuming from the outside, is all low basement lights and hep-cat cool in the inside.
Photo by Ben Sklar
The Big Shows
When you're not originally from a big town, it can be weird to see top-billing bands advertised so constantly in your new backyard. Even better, the big venues are about as downtown as you can get. UT's Frank Erwin Center is the place where all the national and international pop acts do whatever it is they do, their upcoming appearances impossible to miss thanks to the Las Vegas–worthy billboard screen over I-35. Moody Theater is the home of Austin City Limits, and it features a gianormous statue of Willie Nelson at its entrance, so you can pretty well guess what to expect: lots of bigger names in blues and bluegrass, and basically any band with an extensive merch table. If you want classy and/or coffeehouse music for old people, it's the historic Paramount Theater on Congress, a stone's throw from the Capitol. It's also a popular spot for better comedians with a strong following (think all your smart favorites versus, say, Jeff Dunham's appearance at the Erwin Center). Everything's changin', man, and the same goes for Emo's. It used to be the go-to venue for punk rock, and anything with some goddamn teeth. But it moved from its old home on the Red River District to south and across the river, where it got a major facelift and is now an official venue for the likes of SXSW and Austin City Limits Festival. So you can surmise how much cred it still has among locals. Comedy, Etc.
Austin has a surprisingly active comedy scene, one that began to develop before the national "craze" really took off (shout out to Master of None actress and Saturday Night Live alum Noel Wells!). The Moontower Comedy Festival seems to be picking up steam every year. Esther's Follies, at the edge of Dirty Sixth, is a long-running "vaudeville" show that's a bit corny and seems a bit touristy, sure, but sometimes that's what you need. Or, just go to the adjoining Velveteen Lounge, another Austin institution, the Cap City Comedy Club (Bill Hicks wuz here). All the up-and-comers into stand-up or improv seem to love the New Movement, the Hideout, and ColdTowne. Basically, if you want comedy, we got that shit covered. For a super classy date night, there's Violet Crown Cinema in the bustling yuppie district of Second Street. Essentially the same premise as Alamo Drafthouse (see: What to Do During the Day), except the premium is on fancier food and cocktails available at the counter/restaurant. An "art house" venue for people whose definition of that are those emotionally difficult, Oscar-nominated movies, foreign and domestic.
When you're not originally from a big town, it can be weird to see top-billing bands advertised so constantly in your new backyard. Even better, the big venues are about as downtown as you can get. UT's Frank Erwin Center is the place where all the national and international pop acts do whatever it is they do, their upcoming appearances impossible to miss thanks to the Las Vegas–worthy billboard screen over I-35. Moody Theater is the home of Austin City Limits, and it features a gianormous statue of Willie Nelson at its entrance, so you can pretty well guess what to expect: lots of bigger names in blues and bluegrass, and basically any band with an extensive merch table. If you want classy and/or coffeehouse music for old people, it's the historic Paramount Theater on Congress, a stone's throw from the Capitol. It's also a popular spot for better comedians with a strong following (think all your smart favorites versus, say, Jeff Dunham's appearance at the Erwin Center). Everything's changin', man, and the same goes for Emo's. It used to be the go-to venue for punk rock, and anything with some goddamn teeth. But it moved from its old home on the Red River District to south and across the river, where it got a major facelift and is now an official venue for the likes of SXSW and Austin City Limits Festival. So you can surmise how much cred it still has among locals. Comedy, Etc.
Austin has a surprisingly active comedy scene, one that began to develop before the national "craze" really took off (shout out to Master of None actress and Saturday Night Live alum Noel Wells!). The Moontower Comedy Festival seems to be picking up steam every year. Esther's Follies, at the edge of Dirty Sixth, is a long-running "vaudeville" show that's a bit corny and seems a bit touristy, sure, but sometimes that's what you need. Or, just go to the adjoining Velveteen Lounge, another Austin institution, the Cap City Comedy Club (Bill Hicks wuz here). All the up-and-comers into stand-up or improv seem to love the New Movement, the Hideout, and ColdTowne. Basically, if you want comedy, we got that shit covered. For a super classy date night, there's Violet Crown Cinema in the bustling yuppie district of Second Street. Essentially the same premise as Alamo Drafthouse (see: What to Do During the Day), except the premium is on fancier food and cocktails available at the counter/restaurant. An "art house" venue for people whose definition of that are those emotionally difficult, Oscar-nominated movies, foreign and domestic.