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| Venues |
 Emo’s
603 Red River St.
Is one of the most revered, beloved alternative lounges in the country still punk rock? The conundrum is a heated debate with warring factions of polar opposites that have exchanged blows since the man – personified here by Charles Attal and his media empire, C3 Presents, the bullies behind ACL and Lollapalooza – became the institution’s exclusive talent buyer for national acts last summer.
It’s difficult for local units to land gigs given the stature and name, doubly so to share national bills. The door men disgruntled, elitist; they’ll kick your ass out and not think twice about it.
The spot is forging a new, decidedly less punk identity. Yet its reputation carries weight, and this means nights upon nights of world class hip-hop, indie, metal, experimental shit and punk, spread across its three consolidated branches. Consider this a shaky vote of confidence based on the unflappable lineups, with hopes the politics sort out soon. -- Ramon Ramirez
 The Mohawk
912 Red River St.
In a reactionary power play to C3’s Emo’s siege, the ousted management bonded with other venues to form Transmission Entertainment, a coalition of owners, promoters and multi-media artists that have escalated the arms race for sick shows tenfold. We, the consumer, reap benefits. The Mohawk is home plate. Its shiny, emerald fence is made of recycled lumber straps, tables from tree trunks. Mounted, stuffed animals line pine walls. Bands actually get a green room; an egalitarian, glorious plot with big windows, a full bar, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a platinum artist or a D-grade rapper riding the coattails of a dance you invented – access is for all performers.
Not even two years old, this visionary establishment adjusts to cater key crowds without strain. It poaches cool ideas left and right. Its in-house videographer task force captures everything – an ace supplement for any band given today’s emphasis on Internet viral marketing. The Mohawk is the future. -- Ramon Ramirez
 The Continental Club
1315 South Congress Ave.
Once upon a time, South Congress Avenue was not the sort of place you wanted to be after dark. The main downtown thoroughfare on the south side of the river offered an iconic view of the Austin skyline and the Texas State Capitol Building, but had a certain reputation for being a little … seedy during the evenings, with a steady stream bikers, criminals, drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes.
Of course, none of that remains today, as Austin’s upward mobility has remade the street, now fashionably referred to as “SoCo,” a haven for upscale and trendy restaurants, galleries, boutiques and destination shopping. But one club has ridden out the street’s long and tortured history since 1957 — the sleepy live music venue known as the Continental Club. In its 50th year of operation, it remains the quintessential Austin live music spot — cheap, laid-back, populated by a mixture of hippies, actors, politicians and professionals and, best of all, regularly booking the best of Austin’s blues, rock, folk and Americana talents.
The sound is good and the service chill, making the Continental club an ideal place to get you a slice of charming, easy-going South Austin. Some things, thank God, never change. – Patrick Caldwell
 Antone’s
215 W. Fifth St.
As local folklore would have it, it was a hot Texas afternoon in 1974 when a gawky young guitarist named Stevie Vaughan dropped by a Sixth Street auto shop to see mechanic and legendary bluesman WC Clark and announce a particularly juicy bit of news.
“Guess what?” posed little Stevie, charging into the garage. “Clifford is starting a club. A club for us.” “Clifford” being Clifford Antone, the gregarious, Chicago blues-obsessed fellow who seemed to know everybody in and everything about the local blues scene. Thirty-three years and several buildings later, Clifford’s namesake club continues to be the epicenter of Austin’s blues scene, a perpetually packed box on Fifth Street that’s played host to everybody who’s anybody when it comes to blues — from Buddy Guy to B.B. King, to Muddy Waters to, yes, that skinny little Vaughan kid.
Antone isn’t around anymore, having left Austin to grab drinks with Howlin’ Wolf and Jimmy Reed in that great big blues bar in the sky. But as long as his club continues to open night after night, offering a home to everyone from up-and-coming blues players like Gary Clark Jr. and Eve Monsees, to the occasional non-blues surprise, like Alice in Chains or the Meat Puppets, he’ll remain in our hearts. – Patrick Caldwell
 Stubb’s
801 Red River St.
It’s a cool, crisp November 2007 evening in Austin, and Regina Spektor appears quite pleased with the venue.
“Wow, this place is just like a giant backyard,” said the 27-year-old singer/songwriter with a giggle. “It’s like I’m playing all of your barbecues!”
And indeed, such is the vibe at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, a combination BBQ restaurant and outdoor music venue on the banks of Waller Creek. With a modest stage and room for about 1000 attendees to pack themselves shoulder to shoulder, Stubb’s is the first place to look for Austin’s biggest and best touring shows, offering a surprisingly intimate atmosphere in which to take in some of the world’s most popular rock bands, from the White Stripes to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to the Queens of the Stone Age. The food is delicious, the old oak trees majestic and the lines of sight readily available. Hell, even the front row is never more then a few minutes of shoving away. – Patrick Caldwell
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This section's contents are produced entirely by student journalists, brought to Billboard.com by UWIRE, the leading provider of student-generated content. UWIRE aims to identify and promote the brightest young content creators and deliver their work to a larger audience via professional media partners such as Billboard.com. Visit UWIRE.com to learn more. |
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University of Texas, Austin
This town profile was produced entirely by student journalists from The Daily Texan, the leading news source for the University of Texas community. You can learn more about the individual student contributors by visiting their profiles on UWIRE.com:
Text: Patrick Caldwell, Cass Luskin, Ramon Ramirez
Photos:Patrick Caldwell, Kim Espinosa, Eliot Myers, Callie Richmond
Video: Callie Richmond, Vikram Swaruup, Ranjana Thomas
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