I’d say Austin does something very well that other cities should aspire to: having a great balance between outdoor activities and indoor festivities. There’s no shortage of outdoor activities in Austin with Ladybird Lake, paddle-boarding, and hiking trails galore. When the sun goes down, there’s the lively nightlife scene, which usually occurs… indoors.
How do you keep the daytime outdoor fun going into the night? Here are a couple outdoor/indoor music venues in Austin for your nightly (outdoor) summer fix.
The Blackheart
The Blackheart is a whiskey bar on Rainey Street that doubles as a outdoor music venue. There’s two bars, two stages, and renowned whiskey and bourbon. The venue is also on Rainey Street, which is a more low-key atmosphere for drinking if Dirty Sixth is too much of a commitment for you.
Website
86 Rainey Street
Austin, TX 78701
Cedar Street Courtyard
Cedar Street Courtyard has been around for over a decade now and specializes in cocktails. According to Cedar Street, the music ranges from “bluesy jazz groups with horns and a big band flare to celebrated local and touring artists to rockin’ ’70s and ’80s cover bands for pure party fun.”
Website
208 W. Fourth Street
Austin, TX 78701
You might recognize the next few from our guide to walkable venues around Dirty Sixth:
Mohawk
It is a multilevel space complete with indoor and outdoor bars, an intimate indoor stage, and amphitheater-style outside stage. The bar has cheap beer and specializes in highlighting local talent.
Website
912 Red River Street
Austin, TX 78701
Empire Control Room
Another indoor/outdoor venue space not to miss in Austin. This is much bigger than Mohawk, but they are often compared. There are three stages: indoor, outdoor, and patio, but the patio hardly gets used as it is very small. The indoor stage has great visual capabilities with easy lines of sight.
The outdoor garage space is much larger but perfect for summer nights. The patio stage doubles as a cool-down space with picnic tables if you get overwhelmed by all of the shows and need a light breather.
Website
606 E 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Did we miss your favorite outdoor venue? Let us know on Twitter.
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