Austin: Live Music & Nightlife Venues

As the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin’s self-proclaimed title is best exemplified during the annual South By Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) in mid-March, when hundreds of bands converge at Austin bars, theater spaces, coffeehouses and even parking lots. But Austin’s recent cultural changes have added wine bars, lounges and ultra-lounges to the mix of Austin’s after-dark attractions.

Though Austin’s nightlife is typically associated with Sixth Street and its many bars and nightclubs, there are four distinct downtown zones to be aware of—plus some hidden gems off the downtown grid.

Austin’s Sixth Street Nightlife

Maggie Mae’s

For those looking for the consummate Austin Sixth Street experience—and the college crowds to go along with it—the venerable Maggie Mae’s is a good place to start. Multiple rooms, live music and a 25-year tradition as an essential nightspot for several generations of Austinites, have helped the club maintain a steady identity, even as the clubs around it have changed names and identities. 323 E. Sixth St., tel. 512-478-8541. Hours: Tue. to Sat. 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sun. and Mon. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. www.maggiemaesaustin.com

Aces Lounge

The new Aces Lounge (on the site of the former Hard Rock Café) combines an upscale aesthetic with eclectic musical offerings. Yet the club’s Texas Tuesdays are as close as you’ll get to a honky-tonk downtown, serving up some of the Lone Star State’s best-loved country troubadours, like Cory Morrow and Gary P. Nunn, along with 75-cent Lone Star Beers. 222 E. Sixth St., tel. 512-477-2237. Hours: Mon. to Sun. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. www.acesaustin.com

 

• The Alamo Drafthouse plays everything from new releases to classic Monty Python, which is usually a raucous quote-along showing.

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Esther’s Follies

One of the longest-standing traditions on Sixth is Esther’s Follies, a comedy troupe that combines music with irreverent send-ups of current events every Thursday through Saturday. Though many in Austin have attended Esther’s Follies, many more have gawked at the show from the sidewalk—only giant glass windows separate the action inside from the action outside. 525 E. Sixth St., tel. 512-320-0553. Check the Web site or call for show times and information. esthersfollies.com

Alamo Drafthouse Ritz

The Alamo Drafthouse Ritz offers an enticing combination of food, drinks and movies in one of Sixth Street’s most distinctive buildings. An Alamo-style night at the movies can be a purist’s delight or a raucous affair in which audiences are encouraged to participate in sing-alongs. Consulting the schedule beforehand is highly recommended. 320 E Sixth St., tel. 512-476-1320. Hours: Daily 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Check the Web site for movie times. www.originalalamo.com

Red River

Emo’s

The four-block-long stretch of Red River from Sixth to Tenth streets anchors a different sort of nightlife experience, geared toward a generally edgier, alternative-minded group of 20- and 30-somethings. Emo’s, closing in on its 20-year anniversary, is one of the best-known live music venues in Austin, with a decidedly minimalist décor—in fact, “décor” might be too strong a word—and a consistent lineup of top alternative, punk and genre-bending acts. 603 Red River, tel. 512-505-8541. Hours: Open 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. when a show is scheduled. Check Web site for calendar. www.emosaustin.com

Stubb’s

Stubb’s, in addition to boasting some of Austin’s best barbecue, is also one of the most integral Austin live-music venues, hosting major alternative touring acts like Neko Case, Modest Mouse and TV on the Radio in a giant outdoor expanse behind the restaurant. There’s also a more intimate indoor venue for local shows and touring acts with more selective audiences. 801 Red River, tel. 512-480-8341. Hours: Mon. 5 to 10 p.m., Tue. to Thu. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. to Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. www.stubbsaustin.com

 

• A band plays at the outside venue at Mohawk.

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Mohawk

Mohawk, though one of the newer Red River clubs, has earned the mantle as Austin club du jour, featuring a solid lineup of up-and-coming Austin bands, cutting-edge touring groups, and other homegrown live performances on indoor and outdoor stages, and a rooftop deck from which to survey the place’s hipness. 912 Red River, tel. 512-482-8404. Hours: Live music, Mon. to Sun. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Bar, Mon. to Sat. 5 to 8 p.m. www.mohawkaustin.com

Club Deville

Austin’s Club Deville, Mohawk’s neighbor to the south, has been one of the most reliable venues in town for swanky drinking and dishing since its 1994 opening. Most of the club’s action takes place on its expansive outdoor patio, complete with a stage for the occasional live band or fashion show. 900 Red River, tel. 512-457-0900. Hours: Tue. to Fri. 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sat. to Mon. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. www.clubdeville.com

Next: Warehouse District/West Sixth Street