Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 512-495-9669;
www.cedarstreetaustin.com
; 208 W 4th St; 4pm-2am Mon-Fri, from 6pm Sat & Sun)
Forget
the dark and crowded club scene; this sophisticated courtyard venue serves martinis along
with jazz and swing.
LIVE MUSIC
Elephant Room
( 512-473-2279;
www.elephantroom.com
; 315 Congress Ave; 4pm-2am Mon-Fri, from 8pm Sat & Sun)
This
intimate, subterranean jazz club has a cool vibe, and live music almost every night. The
cover charge stays low, mostly free except on weekends, and there are happy-hour shows
at 6pm weekdays.
Flamingo Cantina
MAP
LIVE MUSIC
GOOGLE MAP
( 512-494-9336;
www.flamingocantina.com
; 515 E 6th St)
Called 'the last place with soul on Sixth,'
Austin's premier reggae joint prides itself on its good Rasta vibes and bouncy dance floor.
Seat yourself on the carpeted bleachers for good views of the stage.
Donn's Depot
( 512-478-3142;
www.donnsdepot.com
; 1600 W 5th St; 2pm-2am Mon-Fri, from 6pm Sat)
Austin loves a
dive bar, and Donn's combines a retro atmosphere inside an old railway car with live mu-
sic six nights a week, including Donn himself performing alongside the Station Masters.
LIVE MUSIC
SXSW: SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST
For five nights in mid-March tens of thousands of record-label reps, musicians, journalists and rabid fans from
around the country descend on Austin for South by Southwest (
Click here
)
, a musical extravaganza that attracts a
couple thousand groups and solo artists from around the world to 90 different Austin venues.
Though SXSW started out as an opportunity for little-known bands and singers to catch the ear of a record-la-
bel rep, it has since become a wildly popular industry showcase for already-signed bands. Add to that a hugely
popular interactive festival, as well as a more subdued but still well-attended film festival, and you've got a major
international draw that takes over the city and sends most of the locals into hiding for two weeks every spring.
You can buy a pass for just one of the three festivals, or go all out and buy a combo pass. However, what you
can't do any more is buy a single-day pass. But this is one of those times when preplanning can save you a lot of
money: early-bird tickets are on sale through mid-September and they can save you hundreds of dollars; then, the
price inches up each month until the walk-up rate takes effect.
Too much hoopla? Come in October for a slightly more mellow experience at the
Austin City Limits Festival
(
Click here
)
, an outdoor music festival at Zilker Park.
