By Atlas Cage
Austin has no shortage of live music. These are ten venues that stood out to me from years of seeing shows around the city.
1) ACL Live at the Moody Theater
The first band I ever saw here was Cypress Hill. There wasn’t a bad seat in the house. The venue has hosted a wide range of major touring acts, and one of my personal favorites was Primus and the Chocolate Factory.
2) Stubb’s BBQ
Stubb’s is a large outdoor venue, and I remember going there to see Clutch with the entire lot packed with people. And to be honest, the BBQ is pretty great too.
3) Elysium
Elysium combines a steampunk vibe with a gothic aesthetic. It became one of my weekly hangouts for a while when I first moved to Austin, with industrial music and late-night events helping define the atmosphere.
4) Emo’s Austin
Emo’s has brought in some big names in music while still feeling like an Austin club. I remember seeing bands and artists including The Sword, Bonobo and Tech N9ne and being blown away by the production.
5) Buzz Mill
Buzz Mill has mixed local music with community events such as trivia and movie nights, giving it a different feel from a traditional concert-only venue.
6) Come and Take It Live
Two words: Mac Sabbath. This place has hosted some wonderfully unusual regional, local and national acts. Mac Sabbath was one of my first shows there, and it was amazing.
7) Empire Control Room
I was sitting at the bar one night before a show when a guy came up trying to buy a drink before service had started. He sat down next to me and said, “What’s up man?” It was Busdriver, the musician everyone was there to see that night. Empire has always stood out to me for its eclectic mix of shows and events.
8) The Elephant Room
The Elephant Room is one of my favorite hidden gems in Austin. It is literally underground and has the intimate feel of a classic jazz bar.
9) Antone’s
Antone’s is one of Austin’s best-known blues spots. I never had the pleasure of going when it was still on 6th Street, but I came to love the later 5th Street version.
10) Mohawk
Mohawk has long mixed local and national bands with other live events. What always appealed to me was the sense that the venue was built around Austin’s music community rather than simply functioning as another room for touring acts.
Atlas Cage is a multi-instrumentalist and producer known for projects including Strings Of Atlas, Chords Of Eve and Mnemonic Frequency. Based in Austin, he is also the founder of indie record label Sky Titan Media.
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