You don’t have to go far in the Hill Country to find a place to boot scoot, jam out or hear your favorite headliners take the stage. The most wide-ranging and widely known of the local music scenes is of course in Austin, also known as the Live Music Capital of the World, where the most popular venues take their headliners to heart and nurture their vibe. Scattered throughout the city, you’ll find clubs like Beerland, Cheer Up Charlies, the Mohawk and the Skylark Lounge. In these venues alone, you can find shows that run the gamut from hardcore punk and indie eclectic to soul and rock and roll.

There’s a lot of history in the venues around here, too. The Historic Scoot Inn has been a local mainstay since 1871, when it was established as a local saloon that featured food, drinks and live music. It recently received some superficial updates in celebration of its 145th anniversary, a miracle considering similarly beloved venues have closed up shop in recent years.

And while dancing shoes are not required for your trip, they are highly recommended. Should your night on the town in Austin inspire you to go dancing, the Continental Club, Broken Spoke and The White Horse are all great choices. While watching the dance floor and finding your footing, you may be surprised to see that two-stepping is not the only way Texans like to dance; a really great turnout for a dance floor around here almost always yields a dazzling mix of talented country and west coast swing dancers. If you’re interested at giving the high-energy twists, turns and swings a try, just look for a good lead and let them do all the work. For an authentic dance hall experience outside of Austin city limits, you can always try Mercer Street Dancehall in Dripping Springs or Twin Sisters Dance Hall in Blanco.

On your next trip to Austin, do yourself a favor and check out the local venues to see if any upcoming shows strike your fancy. You might just find a band you’ve been dying to see or discover a whole new favorite genre.

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