How to Own the Austin Music Scene This Summer

Courtesy of Empire Control Room & Garage
Courtesy of Empire Control Room & Garage

Summer in Austin means music. With triple-digit heat on the horizon, the thing Austinites want to hear most is whether there’s water in the greenbelt. But once night falls and swimsuits have dried, it’s naturally time to indulge in the city’s Live-Music-Capitol-of-the-World-ness. So we’ve compiled a list of the best touring acts, venues, local up-and-comers, festivals, and weekly residencies to keep your dance card full until the temperature drops back down... to the mid-90s.

Francois Nel / Getty

Must-See Concert Tours

Incubus
August 5, Austin360 Amphitheater
The California kings of funky alt-rock, who made their major-label debut 20 years ago, will undoubtedly play hits like “Drive” and “Megalomaniac,” as well as their new single “Nimble Bastard.” Emo heroes Jimmy Eat World join them, as well as Christian folk rockers Judah and the Lion.

2 Chainz
August 6, Emo’s East
One of Fun Fun Fun Fest’s most memorable hip-hop performances was when 2 Chainz graced the blue stage in 2014; this time he’ll be rocking Emo’s East on the Pretty Girls Like Trap Music tour.

Thee Oh Sees
September 4, Hotel Vegas
Thee Oh Sees play Austin at least a half-dozen times per year thanks to their prolific SXSW schedules, but with one of the most energetic stage presences in rock music, they’re always welcome. Naturally, this summer they’ll be gracing the stage of garage-rock epicenter Hotel Vegas.

Janet Jackson
September 10, Frank Erwin Center
The original Nasty Woman visits Austin after canceling her tour stop back in May. Expect an elaborate stage show, devoid of any wardrobe malfunctions (we hope).

Courtesy of Antones

Coolest Venues

Mohawk
Consistently voted one of the best music venues on the planet, Mohawk is the cornerstone of the Red River district. Boasting an intimate indoor room and outdoor stage with terraced, multi-level standing space, it’s capable of hosting huge touring acts as well as upstart locals. With a serious draft list and rooftop patio, it’s also one of the best places in town for a happy-hour pint.

Antones
Longtime Austinites will remember Antones’ old location west of Congress Ave on 5th St. The latest incarnation on 5th St. near the convention center returns the club to its old glory under the guidance of trustworthy Austin music vets Gary Clark Jr. and Will Bridges.

Cheer Up Charlies
Cheer Up serves as a hub of queer culture as well as one of the city’s most diversely-booked stages. Noisey synth twiddlers and quiet acoustic strummers regularly grace the indoor stage or perform under the iconic pink patio parachute, but perhaps the biggest draw are community events like Greetings From Queer Mountain storytelling night.

Stubb's
Stubb's might be the only place in the world where you can see first-rate musical talent while devouring a plate of brisket. Although barbecue snobs might no longer consider the meat top tier, the outdoor stage attracts some of the city’s biggest touring acts and serves as one of those benchmarks of when a local band has made it big.

Hotel Vegas
The garage rock scene in Austin is alive and well, evidenced by the hordes of jean-jacketed punks crowded into Hotel Vegas every night of the week. But the best thing about the venue is its culture clash, like when the rowdy weekend dance crowd from Volstead spills over into the backyard.

ACL Live
The Willie Nelson statue outside ACL Live says it all. The venue is a perfect example of Austin transitioning from laid-back small town into world-class destination, with its performances offering some of the highest production quality in the city. Pro-tip: keep an eye on the schedule for their TV show tapings and you might just score a free ticket.

Empire
Hip-hop and electronic music sometime feel underrepresented in Austin, except at Empire. The massive garage stage (housed in a former auto shop) hosts some of the trendiest rappers who haven’t quite cracked the charts, and the interior stage’s 360-degree projections make it one of the trippiest rooms in town to see high-energy electronic music.

Courtesy of Joseph Riggs

Hottest Up-and-Coming Local Artists

Hard Proof
Hard Proof carries the torch of afrobeat legends like Fela Kuti with some of the funkiest and most technically talented musicians in town.

Survive
Best known for two of its members’ work on the Stranger Things soundtrack, Survive has been playing melodramatic, John Carpenter-inspired electronic music on an arsenal of vintage synths since back when Netflix was still mailing out DVDs.

Walker Lukens and The Side Arms
One of the freshest voices in Austin’s rock scene, Walker Lukens’ creative songwriting and energetic stage show won’t be a secret for long.

Capyac
Electro-funk pranksters Capyac have built a following thanks to some of the catchiest hooks in the city as well as anything-goes antics that make every show a surprise.

Golden Dawn Arkestra
Sun Ra devotees Golden Dawn mix world music, psych rock, and jazz into a funky stew turned carnival-like spectacle thanks to elaborate costumes, dancers, and makeup.

Mobley
One-man band Mobley combines electronic beats, hip-hop attitude, and emotive songwriting into engaging, loop-based performances that are quickly drawing national attention.

Magna Carda
Leading the pack of Austin’s hip-hop acts, Magna Carda takes cues from The Roots, bringing live instrumentation into the mix alongside some of the city’s fiercest lyricists.

Courtesy of Maggie Boyd

Best Music Festivals

KGSR Blues on the Green
One Wednesday a month, Zilker Park

Another long-standing Austin tradition, once a month, radio station KGSR takes over the park to bring attendees an evening of live music under the stars.

Sound and Cinema
July 26, Long Center

The lawn outside the Long Center is one of the most underused public spaces in the city, but during the summer it’s transformed for bi-monthly film screenings that are opened by trendy local bands like A Giant Dog.

Courtesy of King Louie's Fridays at Volstead

Weekly Music Nights

Africa Night
Saturdays, Sahara Lounge

Sahara Lounge is one of the few bars in town that still maintains that Old Austin slacker vibe, and there’s no better time to visit than on a Saturday night for their African house band, Zoumountchi. There’s even a free rice and beans buffet.

TuezGayz
Tuesdays, Barbarella

TuezGayz is one of the biggest queer dance parties in the city, but DJs spinning plenty of guilty-pleasure tracks combined with a fun-loving vibe also draws a diverse crowd far beyond the LGBT community.

Hip-Hop Night
Mondays, Nasty’s Bar

For 20 years, DJ Mel has held court at Nasty’s on Monday nights, masterfully playing hip-hop staples with a finesse unmatched by any other DJ in town.

Crashing in with King Louie
Fridays, Volstead

Arguably the rowdiest dance party in town, get to Volstead early as the floor always reaches capacity with dancers sweating it out to hip-hop and Latin-influenced beats.