136. Austin’s Fourth of July Picnic
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 476-6064
Insider Pick:
Description: Austin’s biggest free concert is the performance by the Austin Symphony Orchestra at the annual July Fourth Concert and Fireworks Show on the shores of Lady Bird Lake.
137. Austin Symphony’s Summer Concert Series
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 476-6064
Address: 701 West Riverside Dr.
Description: Presented on Sun evenings June through Aug, these outdoor concerts are performed by different ensembles of the Austin Symphony. Genres include jazz, light classical, pops, and even film scores, so each week brings a new surprise! This is a casual event, so grab some picnic food and a blanket and head on down to the show. The event is officially known as the Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park, in tribute to the generous benefactor that makes these concerts possible.
138. Blues on the Green
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Address: 2100 Barton Springs Rd.
Description: This excellent series of six outdoor blues concerts has been a summer staple in Austin for more than two decades. Presented every other Wed evening beginning in June, these concerts are always packed with Austin music lovers. Bring a blanket or lawn chair—then sit back and enjoy the show! You don’t even need to pack the picnic basket, as food and nonalcoholic drinks are sold at the concert. The venue is on the east side of the park near Barton Springs Pool.
139. Christmas Sing-a-long Concert
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 476-6064
Address: 4214 North Capital of Texas Hwy.
Description: Another family friendly event presented by the Austin Symphony and chorus, the Christmas concert is held around mid-Dec at the beautiful Riverbend Centre. Santa Claus is in attendance, as are Frosty the Snowman, and other beloved characters of the Christmas season. The songs are all familiar—"Joy to the World," "Silent Night," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and many others—so the sing-a-long is a snap! Although the one-night-only event is free, seating is limited so tickets must be obtained in advance. They usually become available around Dec 1 at the Symphony box office. Check the website.
140. Live from the Plaza
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Address: 301 West Second St.
Description: There are two seasons to this wonderful outdoor concert series, featuring an eclectic assortment of Austin music acts. Sponsored by the city of Austin, the concerts are held on Fri from Mar to June and from Oct to Nov. Most are hourlong concerts that begin at noon, although the first and last shows of both seasons begin after work, around 5:30 p.m. If you can’t make it in person to the show, you can tune in via the city’s government access TV channel.
141. Zilker Hillside Theater Concerts
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 477-5335
Address: 2206 William Barton Dr.
Description: The fabulous natural amphitheater near Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park presents an array of free concerts during its season, which runs from late Mar to mid-Oct. Performances are given by the Austin Symphonic Band, the Austin Civic Orchestra, the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble, and other groups. The Civic Orchestra’s 2-night Pops Concert and the Symphonic Band’s Father’s Day Concert, both in June, are just a couple of the highlights.
142. Antone’s Record Shop
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 322-0660
Address: 2928 Guadalupe St.
Description: Reflecting the music played at the venerable Austin club of the same name, Antone’s focuses on blues music. There is also a large selection of Texas and Cajun music, country sounds, soul, vintage rock ’n’ roll, rockabilly, and jazz at this Central Austin store. Customers can buy, sell, and trade here. This is also the place to buy advance tickets to shows at Antone’s club.
143. Cheapo Discs
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 477-4499
Address: 914 North Lamar Blvd.
Description: Housed in the old Whole Foods store, just north of the West Sixth shopping district, not far from downtown in Central Austin, Cheapo features used CDs, one of the largest selections in Austin. The shop buys used CDs. Technically, Cheapo is part of a small Minnesota-based chain, but it retains the atmosphere of an independent outfit. Check the website for an impressive schedule of live in-store performances.
144. End of an Ear
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 462-6008
Address: 2209 South First St.
Description: This Austin record store wasted no time in capturing a loyal clientele base when it first opened a few years ago. Offering an eclectic mix of sounds, not to mention a huge collection of used LPs, the store aims to please. Music lovers can find everything from indie and French pop, to jazz, techno, soul, funk, punk, reggae, and much more. It also hosts free in-store music events. This is a good-size shop as independent record stores go, making it an inviting place to browse.
145. Musicmania
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 451-3361
Description: East of the Interstate in the Fiesta grocery store center, this East Austin record store has a reputation for one of the best R&B and rap music collections in the country. In addition to CDs, the store has a large collection of vinyl records, posters, magazines, and music-related merchandise.
146. Turntable Records
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 462-2568
Address: 1903 South First St.
Description: For a small space, this South Austin shop has a nice collection of breakbeat, retro, disco, Top 40, and other sounds, including both domestic and imported albums and singles.
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife