ACL Live at the Moody TheaterĪt the risk of being cliché, we can’t exclude Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. Rattle Inn includes three different spaces: the Rooftop Deck, the Whiskey Lounge, and for live music, Ray’s Backstage, where singer/songwriters, roots rockers and Americana artists hold court. This relatively new (2012) venue makes the list partly due to the cachet of its ownership, which includes Ray Benson, frontman of Asleep at the Wheel, the Austin-based country music group that has won nine GRAMMY awards since its inception in 1970. Most shows are free, and if you’re there on a Saturday afternoon, you can spend that saved cash at their East Side Flea Market. Just a half-mile away, hit up The White Horse for a more modern take on the classic honky-tonk vibe with performances ranging from Americana to classic country to Cajun. It expanded in recent years and can accommodate up to 1,000 for shows by varied local and national artists such as Spoon, Houndmouth, Cracker and Mayer Hawthorne. Go east to find musical gems at the Historic Scoot Inn, which was founded in 1871 and is known as the oldest bar in central Texas. Another don’t-miss South Austin classic, The Broken Spoke, which dates to 1964, still delivers a true Texas dance hall experience with classic country music, ice cold beer and renowned chicken-fried steak. Owner Steve Wertheimer recently opened another venue just a half-mile away, C-Boys Heart & Soul, which is sure to please fans of R&B, soul and funk. It dates back to 1957 and since then has hosted shows by Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Ely, Gary Clark Jr., Kinky Friedman, and residencies by Junior Brown and James McMurtry, the latter of whom still plays acoustic solo sets Tuesdays and full-band midnight sets Wednesdays when he’s not on the road. The Continental Club calls itself “the grandaddy of all local music venues” for good reason. Other popular spots in the district are three-time Austin Chronicle “Best Live Music Venue” winner The Mohawk and Cheer Up Charlie’s, which moved to the district from East Austin in early 2014. For metal and rock, check out Red 7, or pair cold beer and barbecue with shows by nationally touring bands at Stubb’s Bar-B-Que, and then dance it all off to EDM at Empire Control Room. The Austin City Council designated this area along and adjacent to the 600 through 900 blocks of Red River Street, an official entertainment district in late 2013, and it comprises several small to mid-sized music venues spanning multiple genres. On those nights when you’re in the mood for music but aren’t sure exactly what type until you hear it, the Red River Cultural District downtown is a safe bet. Some are districts with concentrations of varied venues, others are must-dos for their rich history or established reputation, while others just offer novel experiences that can’t be had anywhere else.Īlso, be sure to check out the live music venue guide on, where you can customize your search to your music preferences by selecting among music districts, types of venues and types of music. Yet, here are 10 places for live music in Austin that stand out for different reasons. Within that context and considering the subjective nature of music and spaces best suited for it, it’s tough to be definitive with any list of “best” music venues in this town. It’s a city known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” notwithstanding a recently released study the city commissioned, which indicates the Austin’s decreasing affordability to musicians and venue operators threatens that status. Known for its nightlife, Austin has more than 250 live music venues, dozens of annual music-centric events, plus the impromptu jam sessions and casual house shows to be expected in a music scene so vast. Live music fans in Austin, Texas, can easily fill their calendars seeing a different show every day for an entire year, if not longer. Austin / Courtesy of Thomas Hawk under a CC 2.0 license.
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