The video above takes you on a tour across Houston, covering 14 different bars and live music venues that showcase the depth and variety of the city's music scene. David Bridwell hits spots in the Heights, Midtown, the historic East Side, and even a place up near Spring, giving you a real sense of how spread out and how good Houston live music is right now.
What Are the Best Live Music Venues in Houston?
Houston has an enormous range of places to hear live music, from intimate folk clubs dating back to the 1960s to restored theaters hosting touring acts. Here are the 14 venues featured in the video:
- The Heights Theater — A restored early 1900s movie theater on 19th Street in the Heights, hosting bigger touring acts on a large stage. Alejandro Escovedo was performing here.
- Dan Electro's — A self-described eclectic spot for live blues and acoustic music that works as an incubator for Houston musicians. Howard and the Nose Beds were playing genre-blending psych rock on a weekend night.
- The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club — Houston's go-to for live blues and zydeco, with blues six nights a week and zydeco on Sundays. Evelyn Rubio was rocking out here.
- Under the Volcano — Houston's first craft cocktail bar, with a colorful Mexican-inspired atmosphere and Latin American emphasis. The Hickoids, an old Austin band celebrating 40 years together, were performing.
- The White Swan — A live music venue in the historic East Side going back to 1937, featuring all genres and sometimes pulling a younger crowd.
- The Gypsy Poet — A Midtown spot serving wood-fired pizza alongside live music. The Rehearsal Sessions had a jazzy jam going on a Wednesday night.
- The Mares 2 — Home of the original Texas Tea, calling itself a dive bar but feeling fancier than that. Christopher Seymour and the Western Cosplay played as part of their Live at the Deuce series.
- Penny Whistle Pub — An unpretentious neighborhood Irish pub with a Thursday open mic night. On this visit, a Celtic folk music conference had taken over the inside.
- Echo — A family-run restaurant and bar with Greek and Mexican inspiration, named after the Pink Floyd song. The High Flying Jazz Trio performed on a Wednesday.
- Anderson Fair — A folk and acoustic nightclub with roots going back to the 1960s, known for its intimate, dimly lit room and excellent sound system. John Gorka was performing during this visit.
- J Bar M — A smokehouse and barbecue spot with a beer garden and views of the Houston skyline at sunset. Susan Hickman was playing here.
- Shoeshine Charlie's Big Top Lounge — A venue paying tribute to Shoeshine Charlie Miller, whose shoeshine stand still sits inside. Lauren Lacky was performing.
- The Continental Club — Located in Midtown right across from Shoeshine Charlie's, with a big stage and room for standing and seating. Bè Cole and the Zydeco Bulls had the Zydeco Sunday going.
- Sawyer Park Ice House — Located north of Houston with a Spring address, an expansive venue with a terrace, drinks, and Southern-style pub grub. Jarrett Ray Reddick of Bowling for Soup was performing.
A City That Keeps Showing Up With More Music
What stands out about Houston is the range. You can hear zydeco at The Big Easy on a Sunday afternoon, catch psych rock at Dan Electro's that same night, and find a jazz trio at Echo on a Wednesday. The neighborhoods each have their own character — the Heights, Midtown, and the East Side all feel different and pull different crowds. Anderson Fair alone has decades of history with major singer-songwriters passing through its small room. This isn't even David Bridwell's first Houston video, which says something about how much ground there is to cover in this city.