Tour Austin’s music history during SXSW

Half of the locals you’ll meet in Austin, Texas, are either (a) in a band, (b) about to start a band, or (c) just recently left their old band. At last count, a MySpace search turned up more than 10,000 musicians or groups in Austin — and no wonder, as this city has an uncanny knack for attracting creative types and, better yet, supporting their various and sundry projects.

But in order to fully appreciate the artists and clubs that make Austin the Live Music Capital of the World today, you might want check out some of the many landmarks around town that tell of the city’s rich and expansive musical heritage. While you’re out and about, keep an eye out for these popular sights:

The Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial
Auditorium Shores
920 W. Riverside Drive [map]

Standing on the south bank of Lady Bird Lake (née Town Lake until late last year when it was changed to honor the late Mrs. Lyndon Johnson), this oft-photographed memorial was erected in 1994 to pay homage to the legendary blues-rock guitarist who used to play at Antone’s. It’s now one of the most easily recognizable symbols for Austin’s live music scene and is regularly gifted with flowers by locals and visitors alike.

Victory Grill
1104 E. 11th St. [map]
(512) 902-5057

The hallowed halls of Austin’s oldest existing blues joint — opened in 1945 to cater to black and white soldiers returning from WWII — recently underwent a massive renovation. When it’s not busy hosting debaucherous SXSW parties, the Grill is booked for a variety of eclectic events, including political rallies, interdisciplinary artistic performances, musical cabarets and Scandinavian jazz quintets.

Continental Club
1315 S. Congress Ave. [map]
(512) 441-2444

Decades before some painfully hip kids decided to start calling South Congress “SoCo,” this live-music venue was serving up Texas cool by the glass. Today, it’s still one of the most popular venues in town, with nightly offerings that range from rockabilly and swing to gypsy jazz and indie rock.

The “Hi, How Are You?” Mural
2100 Guadalupe St. [map]

Cult hero/musician Daniel Johnston’s striking mural near the University of Texas’ Austin campus is one of the few local landmarks that have managed to withstand the encroachment of urban developers.

Antone’s
213 W. 5th St. [map]
(512) 320-8424

The late Clifford Antone’s storied blues club helped launch the careers of countless Texas artists, and since 1975 has played host to the likes of Muddy Waters, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King.

— Allen Y. Chen, Austinist Editor (and LAT guest blogger)

[Guitar and Continental Club photos: Austin CVB]
[Stevie Ray Vaughan photo: Chad Wadsworth / flickr]
["Hi, How Are You?" photo: Patrick Dentler / flickr]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 7:26 pm by Editor and is filed under Arts & Culture, Festival, Los Angeles, News, Tips & Advice, Southern States, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.