Austin Texas — Live Music, Neighborhoods & Nightlife Walking Guides
36 videos · Explore Austin's best streets, bars, and live music spots through on-the-ground video guides.
Austin is a city of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own character, music scene, and collection of bars and restaurants. The videos on this page cover over a dozen different areas of the city — from the famous entertainment strips like 6th Street and Rainey Street to culturally rich neighborhoods like East 11th Street and East Cesar Chavez. Whether you're trying to figure out where to catch live music on a Wednesday night or what South Congress looks like during SXSW, these walking tours give you an honest, ground-level look at what's actually happening in each part of Austin.
The guides cover key areas including dirty 6th Street, West 6th Street, East 6th Street, the Red River District, Rainey Street, Congress Avenue, South Congress, Barton Springs Road, East Cesar Chavez, and East 11th Street. Along the way, you'll see specific venues like Hotel Vegas, the White Horse, Stubb's BBQ, Continental Club, Elephant Room, Sam's Town Point, and dozens more. You'll also get a feel for what each neighborhood looks like at different times — weekday afternoons, Friday nights, and during South by Southwest.
Beyond the music, the videos above document the food, the architecture, the culture, and the rapid changes happening across Austin. You'll see food truck parks, historic buildings, new condo towers, and everything in between. If you're planning a trip or just trying to understand how Austin's neighborhoods connect and differ, these walking guides will give you a practical, no-nonsense overview of the city's live music and nightlife landscape.
Videos
What These Videos Cover
What to do in Austin: Walking Barton Springs Road, Pool, Food, Music and Zilker Park
In What to do in Austin, the walk heads west along Barton Springs Road from South Lamar Boulevard toward Barton Springs Pool, covering the Restaurant Row strip that developed through the 1980s. Specific stops include Chuy's (opened 1982), Green Mesquite BBQ (opened 1988, featuring an open mic on Thursdays), Juliet Italian Kitchen (jazz during dinner), and a new spot called Love Lamp Matcha that was setting up a stage for live music. The video also covers a visit to the songwriter happy hour at Hole in the Wall and shows views of the Austin skyline from the bridge where Barton Springs water flows out.
Things to do in Austin: Trendy Bars, Live music and Nightlife along West 6th street
Things to do in Austin explores the West 6th Street area of downtown Austin at night, covering roughly four to five blocks of dense, trendy nightlife. Bars shown include Unbarlievable, Buford's Little Woodrow's Parlor, Yard Key Bar, The Dogwood, Cat's Pajamas, Green Light Social, and Kung Fu Saloon. For live music specifically, the video highlights Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Ice House (jam sessions and bands), Rustic Tap (featuring Callaway Rich and Dice), Devil May Care (underground jazz lounge), and Ranch 616, a more upscale spot located slightly off the main West 6th block.
Austin Tx Things to Do: East Austin's 11th Street | Historic Black Culture, Live Music & Food
Austin Tx Things to Do walks through the East 11th Street District, a historically Black neighborhood near the Capitol building and the Rosewood neighborhood. The video traces how Franklin Barbecue drew national attention and helped spark growth along this strip starting around the 2010s. Food stops include Hillside Pharmacy and Paper Boy, plus Nickel City bar. The video covers the Texas Music Museum, which highlights East Austin African-American musicians, and the historic Victory Grill, a former stop on the chitlin' circuit now hosting the Blue Monday blues jam. Kenny Dorham's Backyard, located next door, features a stage, food court, community garden, and outdoor gallery.
Downtown Austin during SXSW (vlog)
Downtown Austin during SXSW documents a Saturday afternoon walk across multiple Austin districts during South by Southwest, starting on dirty 6th Street and covering Rainey Street, the Red River District, and West 6th Street. On dirty 6th, live music was found at Friends Bar and San Jac Saloon. On Rainey Street, the only venue with live music that afternoon was Tipsy Alchemist. The Red River District turned out to be where the action was, with live music coming from Chess Club, Empire Control Room, 13th Floor, and Stubb's BBQ.
South Congress, Austin: SXSW Walking Tour of Shops, Food & Live Music
South Congress, Austin covers a walking tour of the South Congress strip during SXSW. The video shows the street's collection of quirky storefronts, vintage shops, Allen's Boots, and restaurants like Torchy's Tacos, Magnolia Cafe, and Home Slice Pizza. For live music, the tour visits Sagebrush for the Soco Stomp with Dale Watson and His Lone Stars, catches buskers performing in front of Allen's Boots, finds Katrina Kane playing inside Tecovas boot shop, and visits Güero's Tacos which regularly features afternoon live music. The video also mentions White Tiger bar and the walk ends later at a gig at Slacker's Brewery in northwest Austin.
A walking tour of Austin's 6th Street (live music)
A walking tour of Austin's 6th Street covers the famous dirty 6th Street strip from Congress Avenue to Red River Street on a quieter Wednesday night (July 5th). The video compares 6th Street to Beale Street in Memphis, Broadway in Nashville, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Notable spots along the walk include Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership, which had lines of people waiting to get inside. The video provides a bar-hopping tour focused on finding live music venues, offering an honest take on the street's reputation among locals as being past its heyday while still serving as a major hub during SXSW.
Rainey Street at Night (A walking tour of Austin, Texas)
Rainey Street at Night walks through the Rainey Street district on a rainy Wednesday evening, showing the famous bungalow bars that were converted from single-family homes. Bars featured include Tipsy Alchemist, Unbarlievable, Icenhauer's, Idle Hands, and Stagger Lee. The video discusses the rapid development in this area, noting nine skyscrapers under construction and the demolition of earlier popular spots like Bungalow and Container Bar to make way for condos. The one spot chosen for the night was Half Step, where live music and a good crowd made it the best place to be despite the weather.
East 6th Street, Austin: What's going on in this East Austin neighborhood?
East 6th Street, Austin explores the portion of 6th Street east of I-35 on a quiet, icy Wednesday afternoon when 100,000 people were without power. The video captures the neighborhood's bars and restaurants in an unusually peaceful state, featuring Lazarus Brewing Company, The Liberty, Grackle, Zilker Brewing Company, Swede Day, Whistler's, Cisco's, The Lowdown Lounge, and The Lucky Duck. For live music, the video specifically highlights Hotel Vegas with The Volstead and the White Horse, which has music seven nights a week and draws huge crowds of tourists watching locals dance.
East Austin Nightlife: Bar Hopping & Live Music on East 6th
East Austin Nightlife covers East 6th Street on a Friday night, showing the area's hipster, gentrified character east of I-35. The video walks through blocks of bars and restaurants including The Lowdown Lounge, Grackle, Liberty Bar, In Cahoots, Austin Garden and Studio Rooftop Bar, Latchkey, and Whistler's. The historic Cisco's Restaurant is noted for its long history of serving Tex-Mex in the neighborhood. Live music is found at Il Brutto on one of the corners, and the video captures the Friday night energy of cars cruising, scooters rolling, and crowds bar-hopping along the sidewalks.
Congress Street in Downtown Austin: A Walking Tour of Music, Shops & City Life
Congress Street in Downtown Austin walks Congress Avenue from 6th Street southward toward the river, showing the tall buildings of the Austin skyline and the walkable character of this six-lane avenue that leads to the Capitol Building. Live music spots featured include Speakeasy, Elephant Room (a jazz club), and Ellis at The Fairground food hall. Cooper's BBQ is noted as having stopped live music. The walk continues into South Congress where the video covers a visit to Continental Club to see Jonathan Richmond, with window shopping at Güerin Bros. Hat Shop and Aviator Nation while waiting in line.
East Cesar Chavez, Austin: A Walking Guide to Bars, Restaurants & the East Side Scene
East Cesar Chavez, Austin walks through one of Austin's oldest neighborhoods in the 78702 zip code, located east of I-35 and sitting above Lady Bird Lake. The video shows the mix of old bungalow homes, food truck parks, taquerias, and gentrified bars and restaurants. Food highlights include Eastside Tavern (barbecue), One in a Million (Mexican food), Cenote coffee shop, and La Barbecue, where the usual long line was surprisingly absent. For live music, the video highlights Long Play Lounge on the East Cesar Chavez strip.
A day in East Austin, Texas (neighborhood tour)
A day in East Austin, Texas follows a recovery day at the tail end of SXSW, starting with the aftermath of an epic late night of music at Sam's Town Point where bands played past noise ordinance hours. The daytime walk covers the gentrified East 5th Street area near the light rail station, passing Brew and Brew, Stout's Pizza Company, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Snooze, JuiceLand, and Ramen Tatsu-Ya. The video also catches afternoon live music at the White Horse, noted as having music seven nights a week, before heading to a gig at Industry East Side for the "Take Back Austin" event marking the end of SXSW.
Frequently Asked Questions
What live music venues are in Austin's Red River District?
Based on the walking tours on this page, the Red River District venues that were featuring live music during SXSW include Chess Club, Empire Control Room, 13th Floor, and Stubb's BBQ. The Red River District runs along Red River Road right off of 6th Street and was described as the place where the most live music action was happening during South by Southwest.
What is the difference between dirty 6th Street, West 6th Street, and East 6th Street in Austin?
Dirty 6th Street runs between Congress Avenue and Red River Street and is Austin's most famous (and rowdiest) entertainment strip — it's the drunkest area with a reputation for being shady and past its prime. West 6th Street is trendier and more upscale, popular with college students, with bars like The Dogwood, Kung Fu Saloon, and Cat's Pajamas. East 6th Street is east of I-35, more hipster and gentrified, with cocktail bars like Whistler's, dive bars like The Liberty and Grackle, and live music venues like Hotel Vegas and the White Horse.
Where can I find live music on Rainey Street in Austin?
Rainey Street is primarily known for its bungalow bars and cocktail scene rather than being a major live music destination. In the videos on this page, Tipsy Alchemist was the one spot on Rainey Street that had live music during a SXSW Saturday afternoon walk. On another visit, Half Step was the standout spot with live music and a good crowd on a rainy Wednesday night. The street's rapid development has displaced some earlier venues like Bungalow and Container Bar, which were demolished for condo construction.
What is the Victory Grill in East Austin and does it still have live music?
The Victory Grill on East 11th Street was part of the chitlin' circuit — a network of venues, lodging, and services that were safe for African Americans during segregation, helping propel blues and jazz music across the country. The site now operates as Victory East serving breakfast and is associated with Busy Signal. Live music continues through the Blue Monday blues jam, which originally took place at Kenny Dorham's Backyard next door, a community space with a stage, food court, community garden, and outdoor gallery.
What does South Congress look like during SXSW?
During SXSW, South Congress is packed with people and extra live music. The walking tour on this page shows Sagebrush hosting the Soco Stomp with Dale Watson and His Lone Stars early in the day, buskers performing on street corners and in front of Allen's Boots, Katrina Kane playing inside Tecovas boot shop, and Güero's Tacos featuring afternoon live music. The usual shops selling vintage clothing, boots, and quirky gifts are all open, and bars like White Tiger are busy.
Which Austin venues have live music seven nights a week?
The White Horse on East 6th Street is specifically called out in multiple videos on this page as having live music seven nights a week. It draws large crowds of tourists who come to watch locals dancing. Hotel Vegas with The Volstead nearby is also noted as a venue that frequently features a wide diversity of live music acts.
What are the best neighborhoods to walk around in Austin for live music and food?
The guides on this page cover the most walkable areas for live music and food. East 6th Street has the densest collection of bars and music venues like Hotel Vegas and the White Horse. South Congress is great for daytime walking with food at Torchy's Tacos, Magnolia Cafe, and Home Slice Pizza plus music at Güero's Tacos and Continental Club nearby. Barton Springs Road offers Restaurant Row dining with music at Green Mesquite BBQ and Juliet Italian Kitchen. East 11th Street is a more culturally rich walk with Franklin Barbecue, the Texas Music Museum, and the Victory Grill. East Cesar Chavez is one of Austin's oldest neighborhoods with food truck parks, La Barbecue, and Long Play Lounge for music.