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Best Live Music Venues in Austin

They don’t call Austin “The Live Music Capital of the World” for nothing. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a true Austinite, you MUST take advantage of the countless opportunities to experience live music in Austin. There are so many amazing places to catch a show. Let us narrow down the list for you.

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q is one of the most popular places to see live music in Austin – and for good reason! Stubb’s legacy began in Lubbock, TX in 1968 as a barbecue restaurant and grew to host live music from Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash and Linda Ronstadt (just to name a few). It now serves as a legendary venue to drink a cold beer, watch a live show and enjoy some barbecue.

Apparently it’s a sin to live in or even visit Austin without attending Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. The Moody Theater is the new home to ACL, the longest-running music program in American television history.  The theater can accommodate more than 2,700 concert-goers in three intimate levels.  Plus, this state-of-the-art venue is LEED Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council – so that means it was built from sustainable materials and is VERY environmentally friendly!

If you’re looking for a “hole in the wall” dive bar, this place does not disappoint! A Hole In The Wall is located near the UT campus with a sign that reads “cheap music, fast drinks, live women”.  Founded in 1974, The Hole holds a rich and tumultuous history.  It remains one of the best places to see both established and new bands while sipping on cheap drinks.

The Continental Club (located in the ultra cool South Congress neighborhood) seems to be everyone’s favorite venue.  The club launched as a swank, private supper club in 1957, then became the first Burlesque club in the 60’s.  In the 70’s, the club hosted a variety of big names and the 80’s brought a complete retrofit that restored its original 50’s charm.  Today, the Continental Club features all kinds of live music along with such quirky events as Elvis Presley’s birthday and Toni Price’s Happy Tuesday Hippy Hour.

The beautiful and historic Paramount Theatre continues to be one of the best venues to experience live music.  It will bring you back in time with its Classical Revival and Baroque Revival architecture.  Opened in 1915 as the Majestic Theatre, the stage featured vaudeville acts, Houdini and silent movies.  During the 1930’s, the Theatre was renamed the “Paramount” and became a movie palace hosting live theatre and other entertainment. Today, the Paramount is known to have some of the best acoustics and regularly presents big name acts.

Austin Choice Limousine Service would be happy to drop you off and pick you up at any of these locations. There are many more venues we could add to this list. Let us know if we missed any!