The Continental Club
It’s the go-to spot for an easy night of listening to the blues, rock, country, and jazz. The Continental Club opened its doors nearly 70 years ago and is known as “the granddaddy of live music venues.” The flashing neon sign above the club’s entrance is a famous landmark on South Congress.
The club started as a swanky supper club and then transitioned into Austin’s first-ever burlesque club. The Continental Club once featured bands such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, Paul Ray and The Cobras, Joe Ely, Bill Carter, The Blame, and many other well-known acts.
Now a historical landmark, the Continental Club is the premier home of rock, traditional country, and blues in Austin. The club is not only recognized as a historical landmark by the city but it’s also known nationally as an award-winning live music club. It has been recognized by The Austin Chronicle as the “Best of Austin” in both 2019 and 2021, and Rolling Stone Magazine has even recognized the Continental Club as one of “The Best Clubs in America.” Other notable recognition has come from Playboy and Ameripolitan Music Awards.
Check the Continental Club’s calendar for upcoming shows and featured performers. They also hold shows in Houston.
1315 S Congress Ave. | Austin, TX 78704
Cedar Street Courtyard
For more than a decade, Cedar Street Courtyard has provided an intimate space for guests to enjoy live music every night of the week. The venue offers great music and delicious cocktails. Creative, skilled bartenders create unique and appetizing cocktails and offer a variety of beers and wines. Cedar Street also has a main lounge that features a great selection of cigars, while the VIP Veranda section offers the perfect location to watch the band up close and enjoy some drinks just a few steps away.
The bands that perform here range from blues to jazz to hip hop. Some regular performers feature big horns and a big band flair, while others celebrate popular acts from the 70s and 80s. Some of the bands that regularly play Cedar Street include the Spazmatics, Austin Party Band, Joanna Lee, More Cow Bell, Radio Star, Skyrocket, Swagger, and The Grooves.
Cedar Street Courtyard also allows guests to book a private event. Private parties are held in Cedar Street’s VIP Veranda area and the Lido Room, while the entire venue is open to corporate events. Cedar Street makes a great location to hold business events, receptions, fundraisers, reunions, and birthdays. The Lido Room is an indoor space that features lounge seating and a large granite bar, while the VIP Veranda overlooks the stage and features a private bar and patio seating.
Private events can be booked through Cedar Street’s event coordinator. You can also head to their website to check out upcoming performances from local bands.
208 W 4th St. Suite C | Austin, TX 78701
Moody Theater
Located in the heart of downtown, Moody Theater is a popular and modern venue that hosts a diverse array of performers, music genres, and events. The venue hosts nearly 100 concerts per year and functions as the permanent home for tapings of KLRU-TV’s “Austin City Limits Live,” a show produced by PBS. Austin City Limits, or ACL, is the longest-running music series in American television history.
The venue sits right next to the W Austin Hotel and Residences, which can both be found within Block 21. It is the first mixed occupancy building of its kind in the world to be LEED-certified, a mark of excellence developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Moody Theater is the premier destination in Austin for live performances as well as special and private events.
The venue can hold over 2,000 guests and has three different floors for entertainment. The first floor is general admission and reserved seating. The second floor has premium seating and suites and also features the Austin City Limits gallery and Scott Newton’s iconic photographs. The third floor also has seating and features the Jack and Jim Gallery, which shows a selection of Jim Marshall’s famous photography.
Moody Theater not only hosts ACL Live, but it also hosts tours of famous and local artists' performances, private events, and special programming such as the Pachanga Latino Music Series. Visit the ACL Live website to discover which upcoming tours and performances will be happening during the time of your visit.
310 Willie Nelson Blvd. | Austin, TX 78701
Elephant Room
The perfect hole-in-the-wall jazz bar does exist at The Elephant Room. Offering great live music, a full bar, more than 20 draft beers on tap, and wine by the glass, this venue is the perfect setting for a date night or adults-only night with friends.
Since 1991, The Elephant Room has been serving some of the best beers from around the world and the very best live local jazz acts. Downbeat Magazine has named the venue one of its “Top 100 Jazz Clubs in the World.” USA Today also calls the club “one of Wynton Marsalis’s Ten Great Places to Get Jazzed About Great Jazz.”
The Elephant Room has nearly a five-star rating from guests, who say it’s an ideal spot if you’re a jazz lover. If you’re ever in the area and looking for a night of great jazz music, stop by The Elephant Room.
315 Congress Ave. | Austin, TX
Antone’s Nightclub
Since 1975, Antone’s Nightclub has been an iconic blues venue located in the heart of downtown Austin. For more than 40 years, the nightclub has featured iconic blues musicians from across the country, such as B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, and even The Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Antone’s even fosters talents such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bob Schneider, and Gary Clark.
The club was established by Clifford Antone in the mid-1970s. It’s been said the blues chose Antone when he decided to open the best nightclub in America. Not just any nightclub, either — one that would go on to showcase legendary musicians.
Antone’s Nightclub hosts plenty of events, both public and private, throughout the year. There are two sections of the club: the downstairs concert hall and the upstairs event space. The downstairs concert hall has more than 5,000 square feet of space and can hold more than 300 people. It also offers a high-volume bar offering four different cocktail stations and two draft beer towers. The upstairs event space also has 5,000 square feet of space, but can only accommodate up to 250 people. This section of the venue also has a high-volume bar offering three cocktail stations and one draft beer tower.
To book a private event or to purchase tickets for a public event at Antone’s Nightclub, head to the website and view their events calendar, or you can email their event coordinator.
305 E 5th St. | Austin, TX 78701
Hole in the Wall
This establishment’s name speaks for itself. It’s well-known that “hole-in-the-wall” places have some of the best food and best live entertainment, and it’s where we’re likely to cross paths with childhood friends, old classmates, and regulars from around the way. That’s the story of Hole in the Wall — it’s one of the most legendary live music spots in Austin for those precise reasons. The club adores its regulars, always plays host to incredible live bands, and the staff and family are dedicated to the Austin community.
Hole in the Wall was founded in 1974 right across the street from a University of Texas campus building (which was also where Austin City Limits once broadcasted live, before tapings moved downtown). Since then, Hole in the Wall has remained one of the go-to clubs in Austin’s music scene for generations. It was the perfect place for local bands, touring acts, and even a few famous rockstars. Spoon, The Gourds, Shakey Graves, and Bob Schneider are among the local honorable mentions who have performed at The Hole in the Wall.
In recent years, the club has featured touring acts such as Old 97s, Mother Hips, John Doe and Johnathan Richman. Hole in the Wall has also received recognition from VICE, The Austinot, The Austin Chronicle, Texas Monthly, and the Texas State Historical Association. For a list of upcoming tours and acts, you can visit Hole in the Wall’s calendar of events on their website.
2538 Guadalupe St. | Austin, TX 78705
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