ATXGuide
Live Music

The Live Music Capital

"Live Music Capital of the World" has been Austin's official slogan since 1991, and it earns it — there's a show almost every night across rock, country, blues, Latin, and everything between.

The scene

Music is woven into the city, from honky-tonks to festival stages. Austin City Limits, the long-running PBS concert program taped here, is the oldest music program of its kind on American television and gave the city a global stage.

Historic venues

The Continental Club on South Congress is a decades-old cornerstone; the Broken Spoke is a classic Texas dance hall and honky-tonk; ACL Live at the Moody Theater downtown hosts big touring acts and the Austin City Limits tapings.

Districts

The Red River Cultural District is the grungy heart of the local live scene; Sixth Street is the historic (and rowdier) bar-and-band strip; South Congress and the east side fill in with everything from listening rooms to patios.

Any night works, but check what's on before you go — the calendar turns over constantly.