Entertainment in South Central Texas
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Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Easily the most fun you can have at the movies: sing along with Grease, quote along with Princess Bride, or listen to professional hecklers skewer whatever movie they feel like mocking as part of the Master Pancake series. All that, and you can have food and drink delivered right to your seat.
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B
Broken Spoke
If you are ready for a little Texas two-steppin’, there is only one place you should dream of going: the Broken Spoke. This is country-and-western nirvana – a totally authentic Texas dancehall that’s been in business since 1964. Here you’ll find dudes in boots and Wranglers two-stepping around a crowded dance floor alongside hipsters, college students and slackers; many consider it an essential Austin experience. (You’ll know you’ve arrived when you spot a big old oak tree propping up an old wagon wheel out front.)
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C
Emo’s
Long one of Austin’s great punk-rock clubs, the expanded Emo’s still has some of the cheapest cover charges in town. Alternative bands rule here, including quite a few touring acts. There are at least three or four bands nearly every night with punk, alternative rock and heavy-metal tendencies, and two stages along with outdoor tables. Shows are all ages unless explicitly stated otherwise.
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D
Tiniest Bar in Texas
The lounges around the Warehouse District (near the intersection of W 4th and Colorado Sts) are a bit more upscale and attract a more sophisticated crowd. Far W 6th St (from Lamar Blvd to Congress Ave) is the newest eat-and-drink destination: the fun-loving Tiniest Bar in Texas has a Wii game inside and a huge patio outside.
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E
Cactus Cafe
Inside the UT student union, this tiny venue has seen a stellar array of performers, including Lyle Lovett and Shawn Colvin, since it opened in the 1970s. Seating starts 45 minutes before showtime, but people start lining up even earlier. The focus is on the music, mostly acoustic.
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F
E 6th St
The frat-boy brawl that is E 6th St gets started evenings when middle-aged tourists fill the bars; as the night goes on, the crowd gets younger and more raucous than a pig in heat. It's not the best Austin has to offer, but it is something to see.
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Overtime Theater
This upstart produces innovative shows and keeps ticket prices low. The names of some of its original shows gives you an idea of the vibe: Sheer Bloody Lunacy!, Pirates vs Ninjas, and The Brain That Wouldn’t Die: A New Musical.
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G
Saxon Pub
The superchill Saxon Pub, presided over by ‘Rusty,’ a huge knight who sits out the front, has music every night, mostly Texas performers in the blues-rock vein. A great place to kick back, drink a beer and discover a new favorite artist.
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H
Scholz Biergarten
Near the capitol complex, this enormous 19th-century German pub was one of O Henry’s hangouts back in the day. It’s a low-key spot, and is equally popular with politicians, UT students and European expats.
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Opal Divine’s Freehouse
Named for the owner’s grandmother, a woman who supposedly enjoyed ‘good drink and a good card game, ’ this breezy and spacious pub serves microbrews, imported lagers and almost 20 types of tequila.
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Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon
This funky little cinder-block building is one of those dive bars that Austinites love so very much – and did even before it became nationally famous for Chicken-Shit Bingo on Sunday nights.
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Donn’s Depot
Austin loves a dive bar, and Donn’s combines a retro atmosphere inside an old railway car with live music six nights a week, including Donn himself performing alongside the Station Masters.
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Casino El Camino
With a legendary jukebox and even better burgers, this is the spot for serious drinking and late-night carousing. If it’s too dark inside, head for the back patio.
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M
Deep Eddy Cabaret
This great little neighborhood bar is known for its excellent jukebox, loaded with almost a thousand tunes in all genres. Yep, it’s a dive, but a top-rate one.
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Highball
Bar? Brunch spot? Bowling alley? Karaoke? Skee-ball? Retro-swanky amusement emporium? The Highball is all of those things.
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Frank Erwin Center
Known as ‘The Drum’ among UT students, this major venue for concerts and UT sports can hold up to 17,000 screaming fans.
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Dobie Theatre
Part of the Landmark chain, the Dobie is a four-screen venue for independent, foreign-language and other offbeat films.
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Spider House
Spider House has a big, funky patio bedecked with all sorts of oddities. It’s open late and also serves beer and wine.
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Capitol City Comedy Club
Far from downtown, Capitol City hosts national headliner comics. Mondays are often reserved for local talent.
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IMAX Theater
The Bob Bullock Texas State History museum also houses Austin’s first IMAX theater.
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Martini’s
For a taste of Las Vegas in the heart of San Antonio, head to what can only be described as a kitsch lounge bar. Wayne, the owner–singer–guitarist–trumpeter–saxophonist, fronts a three-piece band. He can impersonate anyone by request, from Neil Diamond to Willie Nelson, to perfection. Located in a strip mall next to the Avon shop, the only indication of the bar’s existence is a small brass plaque reading ‘Martini’s’ screwed to the wall next to the entrance.
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Rivercenter Comedy Club
Check out the up-and-coming local funnymen and -women – as well as occasional major headliners – at this lively club in the Rivercenter. There’s no cover for the open-mic show on Saturdays at 3:30pm, and you usually get what you paid for, although you never know. There’s also a free adults-only ‘After Midnight Madness’ show on Saturday night. Three-hour parking at the Rivercenter Mall is available with validation.
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R
John T Floore's Country Store
This terrific old bar and dance hall first opened in 1942 as a store run by a friend of Willie Nelson. (Willie used to play here nightly; the sign still says so.) Today at John T Floore's Country Store, whether in the outdoor stage yard or by the fire in the rustic building, this is the true way to hear Texas country music on a Friday or Saturday night. Bandera Rd is off Hwy 16.
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The Landing
Jazz at the Landing is not just a San Antonio tradition; it’s also a syndicated show on NPR. Catch a taping of Riverwalk Jazz on Saturday nights, when advance reservations are definitely required. The rest of the week, live jazz duos play starting at noon on the outside riverside patio, weather permitting. On many evenings, you can catch the seven-piece Jim Cullum Jazz Band.
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Magik Children’s Theatre
This merry theater troupe stages adaptations of favorite children’s books, hilarious original musicals and modern retellings of Texas legends and classic fairy tales, such as the witty (and bilingual!) La Cinderella. The theater’s regular season runs from September to May, and includes a contemporary play series for adults, too.
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