The live music capital? Austin. You knew that.

It’s just something people say, right? Every city has live music, so what would make Austin so special?

It must be experienced to truly understand it. But grasping the volume, variety, and eclectic nature of that scene begins to paint the picture. 

I’ve seen more than 100 live acts in Austin. The list ranges from world-famous bands to those rushing from their day job to a weeknight gig, in venues too big to recognize faces as well as tiny ones so crowded you feel clausterphobic. And there is someone to see somewhere every single night.

Just this year the kid pleaded to see Greta Van Fleet at the Moody Center, even penning a persuasive essay making her case. How could I say no? So even though I had a pair of tickets for Steel Pulse the next night, I didn’t hesitate to make the purchase, setting up a unique back-to-back live music experience that you don’t find everywhere. One night you’re in a dark cavernous arena with pyrotechnics, intense rock, and long lines for everything, and the next you’re sharing a bathroom with the band, standing four feet from the stage enjoying an open-air chill reggae vibe with 800 of your newest good friends.

That’s live music in Austin. Anything, anytime, anywhere.

The household names are there packing the big venues. Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie, and Foreigner at the Moody Center. Down the street a bit it’s the Moody Amphitheater with the Austin Blues Festival or maybe a night of Gary Clark, Jr. Take a drive out to the F1 track and catch anyone from Willie Nelson to Carlos Santana, or Duran Duran to Alice in Chains.

Then there are the two weekends in October every year when hoardes of music lovers pack Zilker Park. Thousands elect to surrender an entire weekend to long walks, parking struggles, intense heat, and pricey snacks and still go home with lifelong memories of having seen dozens of artists across multiple stages in a live music weekend on steroids at Austin City Limits Festival. It’s practically a pilgrimage.

If the Austin music scene began and ended there, Central Texans would have more live music to enjoy than most. The truth is, though, that these venues and bands are just the shiny commercial lining to a much more eclectic and unique world where live music boasts an unmatched personality and pedigree.

Austin is full of storied small venues that may keep fire marshals up at night, but thrill music lovers. Have you been to Skylark to see the smooth energy of Brian Scartocci or the incomparable 95-year-old Texas Music Hall of Fame great, Lavelle White? What about a Saturday evening at the Sahara Lounge for Africa Night and a rythmic slate of international talent?

Maybe you were one of the lucky ones to see the Tex-Offenders at the Carousel? 

Surely you’ve stood around in Antone’s and soaked in the blues of Soul Man Sam.

You might not even care for country music, but a visit to the Broken Spoke is a must. The Elephant Room for some jazz perhaps? The Historic Scoot Inn, Stubb’s, Mohawk, and Hole in the Wall always have a surprise on stage.

These are historic venues that have seen the greats grace their stages. And even as we continue to enjoy this hefty list, we’ve been forced to say goodbye to the likes of Liberty Lunch, Nutty Brown Cafe, and Steamboat that would gut the music scene in many cities.

Hell, in Austin we have a couple of grocery stores that spotlight incredible local live music. Not so sure? Watch for Frederico7 at Central Market and you’ll know what I mean, or duck into Whip In on any given night. 

When SXSW is ruining your commute and jamming up your restaurant plans, remember that you can see dozens of acts for free all over town. At Scholz Garten, you can spend three early mornings during spring break watching little known bands from all over the world rub sleep from their eyes as they play while you stuff your face with breakfast tacos and free coffee. No one else does that.

Then there’s the iconic sleeping giant, ACL Live, the current home to one of the most iconic music shows in the world, now in its 50^th season. The Austin City Limits recording list is a who’s who of musical greats including Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Alabama Shakes, Johnny Cash, and Johnny Paycheck. In all, there have been more than 900 episodes.

Each of these venues and events has a character all its own from gritty, narrow, dark basements to oak tree-shrouded stages in the middle of downtown. 

Getting an education in music appreciation is easy in Austin, all you have to do is show up and listen.