ANTONE'S

Antone's was established in 1975 by Clifford Antone, and over the past five decades it has earned its reputation as the home of the blues in Austin. The venue brought national blues legends to Texas, hosting acts like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, and James Brown, while simultaneously nurturing local talent like Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Gary Clark Jr., and Bob Schneider. Clifford Antone passed away in 2006, but the club's legacy continued through several locations around the city before a new team restored the brand in 2015 and brought it to its current home at 305 East 5th Street downtown. The current room is a proper venue with good sound, a well-designed stage, and a layout that works for both standing shows and seated events. The booking still centers on blues but has expanded to include rock, soul, funk, Americana, and touring acts from across the genre spectrum. Antone's also co-produces the Austin Blues Festival at Moody Amphitheater, further cementing its role in the city's musical fabric. The walls are lined with history, both literally in the form of photographs and memorabilia, and figuratively in the stories that have been told and retold about this place for half a century. If you want to understand how Austin became the live music capital, Antone's is an essential chapter in that story.