01Introduction
Austin offers several different kinds of music night. The Lost Well, Kick Butt Coffee and Come and Take It Live have punk or metal in their programmes. Mohawk and Hotel Vegas cover a wider range of rock and alternative music, while the Continental Club and Antone's add roots and blues options.
This guide distinguishes bars with live music from larger concert venues and from rooms focused on related styles such as jazz, soul or industrial music. Choose a venue by its current bill: a listing here does not mean every night is a rock show.
Checked in September 2026
02Downtown & Red River
Antone's Nightclub
305 E 5th Street, Austin, TX 78701 | Downtown
Antone’s is a blues venue whose wider programme also includes rock and alternative acts. Check the individual bill for the music and admission conditions that night.
Official website and programme
Mohawk
912 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701 | Red River Cultural District
Mohawk has indoor and outdoor stages and books rock, hardcore and other styles. Check whether your chosen show is indoors or outdoors before buying a ticket.
Official website and programme
Chess Club
617 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701 | Red River Cultural District
Chess Club is a small live music bar on Red River with an outdoor patio. Local bands and touring acts share its programme, including punk and alternative music.
Official website and programme
The 13th Floor
711 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701 | Red River Cultural District
The 13th Floor is a rock bar and music venue with a psychedelic focus. Its Red River programme includes live bands; check the current calendar before choosing a night.
Official website and programme
Elysium
705 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701 | Red River Cultural District
Elysium is an alternative nightclub with goth and industrial live music as well as DJ nights. Check whether the event is a concert or a dance night before booking.
Stubb's Bar-B-Q
801 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701 | Red River Cultural District
Stubb’s combines a barbecue restaurant with indoor and outdoor concert spaces. Rock acts share the calendar with other genres; check the stage listed on your ticket.
03East Austin & Riverside
Hotel Vegas
1502 E 6th Street, Austin, TX 78702 | East Sixth Street
Hotel Vegas hosts live rock and alternative music on East Sixth Street. Check the named venue on each ticket, as local promoters also put on shows at other Austin rooms.
The Lost Well
1141 1/2 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78702 | East Austin / Airport Boulevard
The Lost Well is a rock and metal bar with live bands and other bar events. Its current calendar gives the address as 1141 1/2 Airport Boulevard; use that listing when planning a visit.
Crow Bar + The Raven Room
523 Thompson Lane, Austin, TX 78742 | East Austin / Thompson Lane
Crow Bar combines a neighbourhood bar with The Raven Room, its live music space for punk, rock and metal. The bar and concert room are parts of the same venue.
Official website and programme
Come and Take It Live
2015 E Riverside Drive, Building 4, Austin, TX 78741 | East Riverside
Come and Take It Live is a concert venue with substantial metal and punk programming within a wider range of events. Its entrance is in Building 4 behind the gas station at East Riverside and Royal Crest.
Official website and programme
Emo's Austin
2015 E Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741 | East Riverside
Emo’s Austin is a concert venue on East Riverside with rock and metal among a broad programme. Its calendar includes both guitar bands and electronic or pop events, so choose by the bill.
04South Congress & Beyond
Continental Club
1315 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 | South Congress
The Continental Club presents rock, rockabilly and roots music on South Congress. Its ticketed shows and the upstairs Gallery have separate listings, so check which room your chosen act is playing.
The Continental Gallery
1313 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 | South Congress
The Continental Gallery is the upstairs room associated with the Continental Club, with jazz, soul, R&B and singer-songwriters in its programme. It offers a different musical focus from the club downstairs; use the Gallery’s own calendar.
The Far Out Lounge & Stage
8504 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78745 | South Austin / South Congress
The Far Out Lounge & Stage hosts rock, psych and metal alongside a broader live programme in South Austin. Use its current ticket listings to choose a show.
05The Drag & University Area
Hole in the Wall
2538 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78705 | The Drag / university area
Hole in the Wall is a live music bar on Guadalupe Street with two stages and a patio. Its programme includes indie and guitar bands alongside other styles.
Official website and programme
Kick Butt Coffee
5775 Airport Boulevard, Suite 725, Austin, TX 78752 | Airport Boulevard / ACC Highland
Kick Butt Coffee combines a coffee shop and bar with a live programme that includes punk and metal. Check the event listing for the show time and age policy.
Official website and programme
29th Street Ballroom
2906 Fruth Street, Austin, TX 78705 | University area / Fruth Street
29th Street Ballroom presents punk, rock and alternative bands alongside dance nights and other events. Check the current listing to distinguish a live gig from a party.
06History: Closed Venues
These places are closed. Their entries describe past venues and are not suggestions for a night out.
Armadillo World Headquarters
525 1/2 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX | Barton Springs / South First | Closed
Armadillo World Headquarters was a concert venue at 525 1/2 Barton Springs Road, active from 1970 to 1980. Its final show was on 31 December 1980, and the building no longer survives.
Kings Village Rock Grounds
Former site near I-35 and Howard Lane; exact street address unverified | North Austin / I-35 and Howard Lane | Closed
Kings Village Rock Grounds was an outdoor concert site near I-35 and Howard Lane, active in the early 1970s. It belongs to Austin’s music history, not a present-day night-out itinerary.
Empire Control Room & Garage
Former venue; closed in 2026 | Red River Cultural District | Closed
Empire Control Room & Garage is a historical entry: local reporting confirmed its closure in summer 2026. Older festival pages still naming it should not be treated as a current recommendation.
07Practical Tips
Plan around the venue and the bill
Red River, East Sixth Street, East Riverside, South Congress and the university area are separate destinations. Use each venue's full address when planning your route. The Continental Gallery has its own address and calendar, and Come and Take It Live specifies Building 4 behind the gas station.
Check the event page for ticket price, doors, age restrictions, accessibility arrangements and whether the show is indoors or outdoors. A venue's general bar hours do not establish when a particular concert starts. Festival admission and regular concert tickets can have different terms.
Check for venue changes
Local reporting on Red River venue changes