When Austin declared itself the live music capital of the world, it sounded like Texan hubris. But the city lives up to its claim, writes JIM CARROLL
SELF-PRAISE IS NO praise, yet it’s hard to argue with Austin’s proclamation to be the live music capital of the world.
Back in 1991 a local blues musician named Lillian Standfield thought it would be a good idea to brand the city as the music capital of the US. She reckoned it should big up the fact that it had more live venues than New York, Nashville or Los Angeles. But seeing as it’s Texas, and everything in Texas has to be bigger than everywhere else, the city fathers thought they’d go one better and claim the bragging rights for the world.
A walk down the main drag, Sixth Street, will quickly shore up the veracity of that boast. Within a couple of city blocks you’ll lose count of just how many venues are running at full tilt, with bands of every hue rocking their socks off. Every bar on the street has at least one stage, and some, such as the sprawling Emo’s, at the corner of Sixth and Red River, have five in operation on busy weekends.
These venues come in all styles, from dive bars such as the Red Eyed Fly, Beerland and Flamingo Cantina to the atmospheric open-air amphitheatre at Stubb’s and the big room for big music at La Zona Rosa.
The city’s venues are not just limited to Sixth Street and its tributaries – the fabled Continental Club, for example, has been in operation south of the Colorado River on South Congress since 1957.
Although Austin gets a lot of international attention from annual jamborees such as South by Southwest, which attracts 2,000 bands every March, and Austin City Limits, one of the premier US music festivals, which has just taken place, this is a music city for all seasons.
A place where hard partying has long been the norm, Austin’s first music haunts were juke joints and blues clubs that made up the town’s own chitlin’ circuit in the late 1920s and 1930s.
But the real makeover occurred from the late 1960s onwards, as musicians began to migrate in their hundreds to the bohemian bolt-hole in the heart of Texas. They came to this southern refuge to take advantage of a laid-back attitude to creative types, a huge audience for live music and the presence of so many of their peers and heroes. Once settled, these blow-ins joined with local acts such as The 13th Floor Elevators to raise the roof – and, powered by cheap beer and subsidised by low rents, a scene began to emerge.
While outlaw country made up a fair slice of the musical pie to begin with – Willie Nelson, for instance, turned up in the early 1970s and never really left town again – a huge sense of adventure quickly became the norm. Musicians began to blend country and bluegrass with stoner and hippie rock in venues like the legendary Armadillo, and an Austin sound came to the boil.
From 1975 Clifford Antone’s blues club on Sixth Street provided a hollering and honking hangout for both visiting blues legends and musicians on the rise, such as the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan, who rose to prominence with gigs at the venue. Punk and new wave in turn also inspired disciples to get on a bus and become part of the city’s giant melting pot alongside bands such as Butthole Surfers.
These days about 10,000 musicians are estimated to live in Austin, powering what is, according to the Austin Music Office, a billion-dollar industry.
You can find them playing everything from blues, country and jazz to indie, hip hop and Mexican rock in the 200 live-music venues within the city limits. The roll-call includes well-known names (Alejandro Escovedo, Nanci Griffith, Trail of Dead and Joe Ely), rising acts (White Denim, The Octopus Project, Okkervil River) and strictly local heroes (Bob Schneider and I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness).
But what keeps them all living and working in this boho outpost is pretty much the same as what attracted their predecessors here four decades ago: this really is a city where the streets are paved with guitars, drums and microphones.
Where to stay, eat, check out, and hear the best music in Austin
5 places to stay
Driskill.604 Brazos Street, 00-1-512-4745911, driskillhotel.com. The most impressive and dramatic hotel in Austin was built by local cattle baron Col Jesse Driskill back in 1866. Breakfast in the lobby cafe is one of the most pleasant people-watching experiences in town. Twins from $285 (€195).
Embassy Suites.300 South Congress, 00-1-512-4699000, embassysuites.com. Great location to catch the nightly flight of the bats from underneath the South Congress bridge. The two-room suites are a budget-friendly family option. Suites from $182 (€124).
Mansion at Judges' Hill.1900 Rio Grande, 00-1-512- 4951800, mansionatjudges hill.com. A classy converted 19th-century mansion houses the city's swishest boutique hotel. Rooms from $195 (€135).
Hilton Downtown.500 East Fourth Street, 00-1-512- 4828000, hilton.com. There's no shortage of brand-name hotels in Austin, and this recent arrival, located across from the vast convention centre, is one of the better ones. Good fitness centre and sizable bedrooms. Twins from $292 (€200).
Austin Motel.1220 South Congress, 00-1-512-4411157, austinmotel.com. The quirkiest digs in town may well be this family-owned and -operated old-school motel, where every room has idiosyncratic artistic touches. The first and last word in retro style. Rooms from $100 (€70).
5 places to eat
Manuels.310 Congress Avenue, 00-1-512-4727555, manuels.com. Funky downtown bistro serving modern Mexican grub with a few subtle twists. Don't leave without trying their tongue-smacking 21-ingredient mole sauce.
Juan in a Million.2300 Cesar Chavez, 00-1-512- 4723872, juaninamillion.com. Old-school east Austin hangout serving the best Mexican breakfasts in town, especially its trademark huevos rancheros and tacos.
Uchi.801 South Lamar Boulevard, 00-1-512-9164808, uchiaustin.com. A refurbished old home where one of the United States' best new chefs, Tyson Cole, holds court with premier-league sushi, Japanese-influenced dishes and wild desserts such as black-pepper sorbet.
Güero's.1412 South Congress, 00-1-512-4477688, guerostacobar.com. Hopping taco bar and watering hole on the South Congress strip. The Bill Clinton-endorsed El Presidente combo plate – chicken taco, tamale, beef taco and guacamole – comes with our heartiest recommendation.
Whole Foods.525 North Lamar Boulevard, 00-1-512- 5422340, wholefoodsmarket. com/stores/lamar. The giant Whole Foods organic-food chain first set out its stall in Austin; its front-of-house cafe and deli at this branch will sell you ready-to-eat curries, tacos, burgers, pizza slices and much more.
5 places to go
Austin City Limits Studio Tour.2504-B Whitis, 00-1-512-4759077, klru.org/about/tours.html. Now in its 35th year, Austin City Limits is a nationally-broadcast award-winning live music TV series that has featured hundreds of acts. Every Friday morning you can tour the studio where the show is shot, and you may also be able to get tickets for one of the live shows.
Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial.920 West Riverside Drive (between Lamar and First Street Bridge). The city's much-photographed tribute to the legendary blues-rock guitarist.
Waterloo Records.600a North Lamar Boulevard, 00-1-512-4742500, waterloorecords.com. Regularly voted one of the best independent record shops in the US, Waterloo stocks local acts, hip new releases and deep back catalogue.
Texas Music Museum.1009 East 11th Street, 00-1-512- 4728891, texasmusicmuseum. org. The colourful history of various strands of Texas music, from blues to country and everything in between, through a series of permanent collections and one-off exhibitions.
Barton Springs Pool.2101 Barton Springs Road, 00-1-512-9749331, ci.austin.tx.us/parks. Aside from all the music, Austinites are also mad for open-air activities, and there are town parks for jogging, hiking and biking (you might even cycle past local resident Lance Armstrong). You'll find this pool, fed by underground springs, in the middle of Zilker Park.
5 places for music
Stubb's.801 Red River, 00-1-512-4808341, stubbsaustin.com. Majestic open-air amphitheatre with space for 2,000 or so happy souls, who can also chow down on sticky barbecue while waiting for their favourite act to finish soundchecking.
Emo's.603 Red River, 00-1-512-5058541, emosaustin.com. What every rock club should be: a sleazy, no-holds-barred run of big and small rooms where the volume is always turned up to 11.
Continental Club.1315 South Congress, 00-1-512-4412444, continentalclub.com. Originally a swanky supper club where such big-band supremos as Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey would play when they hit town, the Continental is now the best rockabilly, country, roots and swing joint in town.
Antone's.213 West Fifth Street, 00-1-512-3208424, antones.net. Clifford Antone's venue has been in a couple of locations around town; its current site maintains the club's traditional appeal for blues and classic rock.
Club de Ville.900 Red River, 00-1-512-4570900, clubdeville.com. The only venue in town with 30m limestone wall at the back of the stage and a dingy bar straight out of a Robert Rodriguez grindcore flick.
Go there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin, Cork and Shannon to New York and Chicago, where you can transfer to JetBlue or American to Austin. Delta (delta.com) flies from Dublin via Atlanta.