Live Music

Big Venues

The term "big" is relative when it comes to venues. The following listings are venues I consider to be "big" because of their size and seating capacity, and/or "big" because they feature big-name national acts. Tickets can range from $15 to $55 depending on the act or lineup and the night.

Antone's (213 W. 5th St., 512/263-4194, www.antones.net) has been Texas's outlet for the blues for decades. In recent years they've expanded their repertoire to include pop, rock, and indie, bringing in some major national acts. The founder, Cliff Antone, had his highs and lows, operating the venue for the past 30 years until his death in 2006. Highs include receiving an award from the National Blues Foundation for his contribution to the blues, and lows include doing prison time for drugs. The record store on Guadalupe Street with the same name is owned by the venue. Scene: national acts, blues, rock, pop, and country.

Austin Music Hall (208 Nueces St., 512/263-4146, www.austinmusichall.com) is one of the main venues for artists you hear on the radio, such as Papa Roach and Sarah McLachlan. Located at the edge of downtown near Lady Bird Lake, the venue has a seating capacity of 3,000, a full bar, and folding chairs that you can chose to sit in or stand on. Scene: mainstream rock, pop, alternative rock.

The Backyard (13101 Hwy. 71 W., 512/263-4146, www.thebackyard.net) is Austin's premier open-air venue. Here you can catch big-name national acts in a down-home outdoor setting that used to feel like a giant backyard until the town of Bee Cave swallowed it. Artists love playing here and their performances show it. When Willie Nelson plays here he cuts loose. The amphitheatre has seating and standing room that can fit 5,000 people, and beer and merchandise huts line the perimeter. Shows are put on March<\#208>October. The Backyard is outside of Austin so you'll need a car to get there; parking can be tricky so show up early for a good spot. Scene: national acts, pop, country, folk, rock.

Frank Erwin Center (1701 Red River St., 512/471-7744, www.uterwincenter.com) is Austin's stadium for mega-entertainment. The coliseum can seat up to 18,000 people, so don't expect an intimate show. The center hosts acts like George Strait and Metallica and has also hosted the Dalai Lama and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. This is also the home of UT sports. Scene: mega-entertainment of all kinds.

The Glenn (13101 Hwy. 71 W., 512/263-4146, www.thebackyard.net) is the newest bigger venue in town. Birthed by the same folks that gave us the Backyard, this 1,800-capacity amphitheatre is also outdoors. Scene: country, folk, rock.

La Zona Rosa (612 W. 4th St., 512/263-4146, www.lazonarosa.com) is Austin's favorite Mexican food joint turned music venue. With two stages that can open up into one big room, they can pack in over 1,000 sweaty people. Scene: rock, pop.

Stubb's (801 Red River St., 512/480-4341, www.stubbsaustin.com) is the place to get famous BBQ sauce and famous national acts. Housed in a historic limestone building, Stubb's is the place where the hip parties go down during SXSW. There's a small indoor stage and a big outdoor stage in the backyard. Scene: national acts, local acts, rock, blues, pop, country.

Small Venues

There are so many smaller venues in town that it's not practical to give them all a nod here so I've distilled the list down to the very best. Generally doors open for these venues sometime around 8<\#208>9 <H>p.m.<P> and there's almost always a cover charge that is somewhere between $5 and $20.

311 Club (311 E. 6th St., 512/477-1630) is the top venue for Blues on 6th Street. This 21-and-up venue features local and national acts every night of the week in a bar atmosphere. Scene: blues, R&B, cover bands.

Room 710 (710 Red River St., 512/476-0997) is a cigarette loosely hanging from the bottom lip on Red River Street. It's not cool to smile too much here, or to be exuberant. The scene is a mix of denim-overall-wearing tattooed folks, cow-punks, and hipsters. Just stand around with a drink in hand and gently bang your head to the music. The bands can be diverse here but for the most part it's punk, thrash, or metal, all of it loud. The wagon-wheel bar is an interesting feature that divides the bar from the live music. It's not absolutely necessary to pay a cover fee because you can see the band from the bar area.

Beerland Texas (711 1/2 Red River St., 512/479-ROCK, www.beerlandtexas.com) is one of the older rock venues in the Red River District. The proprietors best describe their own place by saying, "Rock & roll club seeks bands, fans, and hangers-on for all-out orgy of loud music and cheap beer." Also here are arcade games and pool. Scene: rock.

Broken Spoke (3201 S. Lamar Blvd., 512/442-6189, www.brokenspokeaustintx.com) really should be a sight as well as a venue. This remarkable local institution will blow your Stetson off when you walk through the door. Remember John Travolta in Urban Cowboy? Well forget it, because the Broken Spoke is the real deal. First-timers have a hard time blending in because they end up standing there with their jaws hanging. This real honky-tonk is an original Texas dance hall where people still come to dance to live country bands. There's a front-room restaurant that serves up home cooking, but the real reason for being here is the humble dance floor, under a low ceiling that I swear is going to cave in in the near future. Finally there's the makeshift museum, containing dusty artifacts from country music legends and photos of the proprietor with famous folks. No one ever seems to go in there, except for newcomers and nerds. Word for the nerd: If the lady bartender asks, "What can I get ya, sugar?" she's not asking you if you want sugar. Scene: country, dancing.

Cactus Cafe (Texas Union on the UT campus, 512/475-6515) is the premier intimate venue for all things unplugged (nowadays everything's actually semi-plugged). Big-name acoustic, singer-songwriter, country, and folk acts have graced the small corner stage for over 70 years. Among them are Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, and Ani DiFranco. The space is small, upscale, and outfitted with a full bar in the back. People tend to dress up a bit for shows at the Cactus. It's a safe bet that any show here is worth seeing. Scene: unplugged, singer-songwriter, folk, Americana, bluegrass, and jazz.

Cedar Street Courtyard (208 W. 4th St., 512/495-9669), in the Warehouse District, always has a groove on. The space is like none other in town: It's an open courtyard flanked by basement bars that have a party-in-the-dungeon vibe. Music on the stage is always groovy and upbeat, and dancing is unavoidable. Scene: jazz, funk, tango, groove.

Continental Club (1315 S. Congress Ave., 512/441-2444, www.continentalclub.com) is Austin's legendary retro hook-up that has been around since the 1950s. With a steady lineup of regular local musicians as well as touring acts in a throwback atmosphere, the Continental is another venue where you're sure to catch something good on any given night. Patrons love showing up on their hogs or in their classic cars, looking like a million bucks. Regular acts include Dale Watson and Jon Dee Graham among others. Scene: country, blues, rockabilly, rock, singer-songwriter.

The best way to experience live jazz music is in the basement of the Elephant Room (315 Congress Ave., 512/473-2279, www.natespace.com/elephant). Jazz lovers come from all over to descend into this unique environment and sink back in a chair for a couple hours of toe tapping. The Elephant Room has a full bar with over 20 drafts and wine by the glass. Scene: jazz, big band, swing, smooth.

Elysium (705 Red River St., 512/478-2979, www.elysiumonline.net) is the venue for goth and industrial music. Here the unspoken dress code is black, makeup, and chains, and the attitude is depressed and sullen. For the most part this is a dance club with a beat going on, but there's also live music. Scene: goth/industrial dance club.

Emo's (603 Red River St., 512/477-EMOS, www.emosaustin.com) is the town's premier punk, metal, stoner, and indie venue and has been for a long time. You can't use the word "alternative" to describe this scene or the music, as this is sacrilegious, and people will smirk. Trail of Dead got their start here, Johnny Cash has played here, and sometimes Emo's offers a surprise by featuring an unusual headliner such as De la Soul or Cheap Trick. Scene: punk, heavy metal, stoner rock, indie.

Flamingo Cantina (515 E. 6th St., 512/494-9336, www.flamingocantina.com) is the premiere reggae venue in town. This 18-and-up roots venue has big-name acts from all over the United States and from "the Islands." Scene: reggae, hip hop, funk.

Hole in the Wall (2538 Guadalupe St., 512/477-4747, www.holeinthewallaustin.com) is a historic little venue on The Drag that puts on all sorts of music in an average bar atmosphere. As for history, Stevie Ray Vaughan played here. $1 beer on Monday is crucial for the students. Scene: alternative rock, country, pop, singer-songwriter, bar bands.

Jovita's (1619 S. 1st St., 512/447-7825) serves up great Mexican food and excellent live music. Here you can sit at one of the many small tables, eat tacos, drink beer, and be only a few feet from the band. Scene: Americana, rock, country, folk, singer-song writer.

If Dracula lived in a loft in Manhattan it would probably look a lot like The Mohawk (912 Red River St., 512/482-8404). This space has been through so many incarnations over the years--from club after club, to swank bar, to full-on cocaine den. This time around I hope the Mohawk can survive. It's a unique space that's friendly and not too crowded, but this may change if it gets off the ground.

The Parish (214 E. 6th St. upstairs, 512/478-6372, www.theparishroom.com) is one of the newer live venues on the 6th Street scene. The upstairs venue caters primarily to the punk/alternative scene, and often features the type of bands that take themselves too seriously. If you are a band playing here be sure to have roadies, because you have to carry everything up a flight of stairs. Scene: indie, punk, hard rock.

Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River St., 512/474-1084) is the punk/rocker/DIY scene that's gaining footing in the red River District. Second to Emo's, the Red Eyed Fly has a great outdoor stage, a bar that's often so packed you can't see the bartender, and a juke box featuring Jane's Addiction, Son Volt, Tool, Fugazi, Johnny Cash, The Shins, and Queens of the Stone Age. There's a loud PA system, and bands push it to the limit. Toilet paper wadded up and stuffed in the ear won't save your hearing because the sound will travel straight through your skull. Scene: punk, metal, indie rock, stoner rock, grunge.

Saxon Pub (1320 S. Lamar Blvd., 512/448-2552, www.thesaxonpub.com) is a venue down South Lamar that's guarded by a giant knight in shining armor. The best of Austin's local musicians are found here, both enjoying music and playing it. Besides being a great venue it's also a pub complete with darts, pool, and microbrews. Scene: folk, Americana, blues, country, bluegrass, light rock.

Threadgill's (301 W. Riverside Dr., 512/472-9304, www.threadgills.com) is one of Austin's venues with the most history, as the young Steve Miller, Janis Joplin, and the Doors, among many others, have played here. In fact, Threadgill's claims to have been the first outlet in town for the '60s counter-culture movement. Today, you can find all sorts of acts here as well as Austin's new residents, the Neville Brothers and Family, who relocated here after New Orleans was flooded by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Scene: country, rockabilly, Americana.