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Austin Nightlife
Midtown Live
At 16 years and
counting,
Midtown Live is the oldest black owned club in Austin.
Midtown's Happy Hour and free Soul Food Buffet
represents one of the best chances to network and rub elbows
with local politicos and movers and shakers.
Sixth Street
Austin's Sixth Street is a unique blend of urban cultures,
where jazz joints and rock 'n' roll hangouts mix with bars
and dance clubs to create the backbone of the Live Music
Capital of the World. The Victorian-era buildings now house
some of Austin's most renowned nightspots and cafes. Sixth
Street is closed to traffic on weekends, which gives it a
Bourbon Street environment. Twice a year it hosts the
Pecan Street Festival — which is a huge outdoor family
festival with plenty of food, drink and art vendors.
 The
Warehouse District
The Warehouse
district is where the grown folks go out to play. True to
its name, the restaurants and clubs in this district have
been renovated from former warehouses into trendy
restaurants, top-notch concert halls, and distinctive bars.
Live
Music
Everyone knows that
Austin prides itself on being the Live Music Capital of the
World. What Austin lacks in quantity of live bands that play
music targeting black folks — it definitely makes up for it
in quality!
Some of the
best jazz, funk, old school and R&B bands and vocalist to
keep an ear out for include
Memphis Train,
Les and the Funk Mob,
Taboo,
Pam Hart,
Courtney Sanchez,
All U Need,
The Brew,
Dysfunkshun Junkshun,
Bavu Blakes,
Blue Mist,
Foxxy B, and Thomas Hughes.
A list of
clubs and restaurants that regularly feature live funk, jazz
and R&B bands include
Cedar Street Courtyard,
the
Elephant Room,
Speakeasy's,
the Oasis,
Eddie V's,
Tangerines,
Reed's Supper Club
and
Ringside at Sullivan's.
Theatre and Performing Arts
The
ProArts Collective is the leader in creating black
theatre in Austin with
over 70 productions under their belt.
Visit their web site for information on their upcoming
productions.
Other venues in town that host
plays and concerts include
the Zachary Scott Theatre,
One World Theatre, the
UT Performing Arts Center, the
Frank Erwin Center,
the Austin Symphony, along with
Ballet Austin and the
Austin Lyric Opera.
Festivals, Events and Other
Celebrations
Dozens of music and
art festivals are held during the year throughout Austin and
Central Texas. The biggest event of the year for the black
community is the
Texas Relays. Held the first weekend in April, it brings
in over 25,000 visitors from all over Texas and the surrounding
region. See
InDMix.com or
TexasRelays.com for
event listings.
Other large festivals and celebrations include
Austin’s annual
MLK Holiday Events,
The
Urban Music Festival,
Juneteenth Celebrations,
KAZI’s Summer Fest, the
Austin City Limits Music Festival,
Texas Wildlife Expo, the
Bob Marley Festival, the
Austin Jazz and Arts Festival,
Blues on the Green, the
Austin Powwow and American Indian Heritage Festival, the
Old Pecan Street Festival, the
Clarksville Jazz Festival, the
Texas Book Festival,
A Christmas Affair and the
Laguna Gloria Art Museum Fiesta.
There are several
organizations that plan events on a regular basis. Those
groups include
soulciti,
The Firm,
South Flavas Entertainment
and the graduate chapters of
Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha
Phi Alpha, and Omega Psi Phi fraternities.
Museums, Galleries and Gardens
 Founded
in 1989,
Mitchie's Fine Art &
Framing Gallery is central Texas'
largest African and African-American Art and Gallery. The
gallery is located at 6406 N. IH 35 in the Lincoln Village
Shopping Center. Mitchie's is open Monday through Friday
from 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from
Noon-5pm.
Mitchie’s
offers a huge selection of African and African American
originals, serigraphs, giclees, and limited/open edition
artworks by local and national artist, books, cards,
calendars, collectibles, African carvings and clothing,
greek and masonic gift items.
Austin’s list
of museums include the
LBJ Presidential Library
and Museum, the
Bob Bullock Texas State
History Museum, the
Austin Children's Museum
and the
George Washington Carver
Museum – which recently completed
a multi-million major renovation in 2005. The theatre inside
of Carver Museum was recently renamed in honor of
Boyd Vance the patron saint of
African-American art and culture in Austin. The arts are
equally well represented with the
Umlauf Sculpture Garden
and the
Austin Museum of Arts.
Tour the Town
Capital Metro’s “Tour the
Town Route”
Capital Metro has a weekend bus route that lets you tour most of
the above cultural attractions without having to worry about
parking or getting lost.
Route 470, also known as “Tour
the Town,” runs every 45 minutes on Saturdays from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Museums
along the route include the
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum,
Austin Museum of Arts,
Austin Children's Museum, and the
Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum.
For a
route details and schedule, visit the
Capital Metro Website.
Return to Guide to
Austin
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