The best places for live music in Austin, Texas

Live music in Austin – Austin’s official motto is the “Live Music Capital of the World” due to the city’s high volume of live music venues. Austin is known internationally for the South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festivals which feature eclectic international lineups. The most significant concentrations of music venues in Austin are around 6th Street, the Warehouse District, Downtown, Central East Austin, South Congress, the Red River District, the University of Texas, South Lamar, and South Austin.

“Austin Music” in its modern form emerged in 1972 when “a new form of country music exploded on the scene that turned its back on Nashville and embraced the counterculture,” much of it centered around the Armadillo World Headquarters music venue, which opened in 1970, alternating country and rock music show. In 1972, Willie Nelson left Nashville and moved to Austin.

Austin became renowned as a haven for innovative young musicians drawn in by creativity, liberal politics, and low cost of living. Austin’s reputation grew and became celebrated for its folk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, Tejano, zydeco, new wave, punk, and indie music scenes.

The City also supports two orchestras: the Austin Symphony and Austin Civic Orchestras, the Austin Opera, the Austin Baroque Orchestra, and La Folia Austin Baroque.

Below is a short list of notable venues: