Opened in 2006 in a cursed brick building where nightclubs had gone to die, the Mohawk flipped the script to become the cornerstone of the Red River Cultural District, the heart of Austin’s live-music scene. The area has changed a lot since then, but the Mohawk remains essential, with a massive outdoor performance space in addition to the 150-capacity indoor stage. All-timers of rock and rap have graced both, from Public Enemy and Iggy Pop to Bonnie Prince Billy and Bon Iver.

The official SXSW venue opened in ’92 as an offshoot of a Houston punk club, bringing a rough edge to the Red River District. Jawbox, Killdozer, and De La Soul tore up its tiny stage until 2011, when the building sold to a fancy event space. But Emo’s reemerged in a new location the next year—this time even bigger and louder, and with toilets that actually flushed. Now you can catch punk greats like Jawbreaker or noise rappers like Death Grips in its newfangled second incarnation.

The Historic Scoot Inn is steeped in Lone Star lore: It’s considered the oldest continuously operating bar in central Texas, having opened in 1871 as a railroad saloon where thirsty travelers once rolled up in covered wagons. The East Austin space looks a bit different these days—for one, there’s electricity, not to mention Skee-Ball and taco trucks—plus an indoor stage and sprawling patio where touring acts like Syd and El-P come to rock crowds, just as the pioneers intended.

Music is served with a side of brisket at this Red River institution, where iconic American artists have literally sang for their supper. Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash, and John Lee Hooker played at the original Lubbock location in the ’70s and were treated afterwards to pitmaster Christopher Stubblefield’s famous BBQ. That location’s closed today, but Stubb’s lives on in Austin, with a 2500-capacity outdoor amphitheater that’s hosted Wilco and Arcade Fire, plus a gospel brunch every Sunday.

Next door to the Mohawk is the Red River District’s nexus for queer nightlife, where drag shows and LGBTQ+ two-step parties coexist with forward-thinking electronics and SXSW after-parties. What began in ’09 as a food truck is now a buzzing female-owned venue decorated like an acid-trip log cabin, with kombucha on tap, a trailer slinging plant-based burgers, and an emphasis on inclusivity. Stop by to hear DJs spin house, R&B, and reggaetón, or catch a set from touring acts like Jessy Lanza.

PBS’s Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in U.S. TV history, created in ’74 to showcase the city’s singular mix of country, blues, folk, and psychedelia. (The pilot introduced America to a camera-shy local songwriter by the name of Willie Nelson.) In 2011, ACL moved from its former location on the UT campus to the 2750-seat Moody Theater. Now it regularly hosts big-name concerts in addition to its PBS tapings: Lyle Lovett, Grupo Frontera, and Liz Phair are just a few.

It isn’t actually a hotel, but the east side venue does reside in what was once a brothel and flophouse. The lovably scuzzy Sixth Street rock club opened in 2011 alongside its next-door sister bar, the Volstead Lounge, with a big backyard connecting the two spaces. Among the occasional monster showcases (like Spoon’s surprise set in 2014) and backyard performances from touring acts like Thee Oh Sees are raucous house bands specializing in punk, psych rock, and all things alternative.

This hot spot was known for being one of a few musically oriented bars on the “Dirty Sixth” strip until landlord drama forced the space to shutter in 2021. Locals were psyched, then, when Parish reemerged the following year, this time in a former soundstage on Brushy Street. (Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan filmed music videos here in the ’70s.) It’s the spot to catch buzzing artists before they get big, like up-and-comers Horsegirl and NNAMDÏ.

Far Out opened in 2019 with a mission to preserve the history of old South Austin. The building, a stone cabin over a century old, was already steeped in it: It had been a hideout for outlaws in the ’20s, a rehearsal space for Janis Joplin in the ’60s, and a biker bar in the ’80s. A renovation and the addition of an outdoor stage bridged the past with the present. Today, it’s one of the city’s only indie venues able to hold taste-making 2000-capacity shows (The Menzingers, Home Is Where).