Antone’s

The new Antone’s is one of my new favorite places to see music in Austin. I’ve seen smaller (Wild Bill’s Hillbilly Happy Hour) and larger (Cat Power) shows here as well as some DJ sets, and I’ve enjoyed all of them. I like the new building better than the previous one on 5^th and Lavaca, because the old location was basically a large warehouse. Not bad, but not great.
The new Antone’s is a lot cozier than the new Emo’s next door, and it’s easier to see the stage from anywhere in the venue because there’s a higher level of standing room behind the general admission area. There’s also a large balcony on the second floor with its own bar and a good view of the stage. The layout is definitely sparse, but the sound quality is good and I like the intimacy of the venue.
Parking is a pain, so if you don’t immediately find parking in the Antone’s lot, try parking across the street or farther down a Riverside side street. Do NOT park in the adjacent shopping center parking lots because they will tow.
Also: don’t go here expecting blues. Try the Continental Club or maybe the Elephant Room instead.

Smaller than I thought.
That was Mr. Smidgens’s first thought. You see, I had been to the original Antone’s many a time. That was downtown and this new location is on East Riverside.
This is is at least until the end of the year since the owner Mr. Hendrix and his crew put the Austin Blues institution up for sale. It sold pretty fast and the new owners plan on moving this Austin gem back downtown.
I was attending a Wade Bowen concert the night I went with the lovely Robynn G.
We met up with a friend and her daughter. We had a few libations and were enjoying the show up until some cowboy who was about 6’4 decided he wanted to two step and show off his twirling skills with his girlfriend. He kept bumping and stepping on our friend’s daughter. She is of age but very petite. That being said, I switched spots with her after she kindly asked him to stop stepping on her and he blew her off.
The cowboy did not like that I was taking up dancing space that did not exist. Let me reiterate, the place is two stories, but very small space in front of the stage.
He turns to me and says, «I bet you have never even been to a a Wade Bowen concert!»
I say,“No, and you are ruining my first time. Now turn back around and enjoy the show like the rest of us.“
Well my friends, I would like to tell you that was the end of it and we all enjoyed the rest of our evening. This was not the case. Mr. Liquid Courage decided to turn to me and push me and take a swing. Now Mr. Smidgens has had his share of defending others and bringing the peace back from chaos. I had seen this coming and I had already promised the lovely Robynn that I would not hit him.
This is when Mr. Smidgens took the lead. I grabbed my partner, Mr. Cowboy and we danced our way through the crowd towards the front door. We were so good that Wade Bowen had to stop the show to admire my dancing skills. As my partner tried to take the lead with a twist and another throw, I countered with an arm grab and a single leg trip to the ground.
Once on the ground of the tiny front stage floor I told my unwilling partner to stop. I told him my promise I made and that if he did not do as I said I would not break my promise, but I would put him to sleep. He responded with a, «Please don’t.»
I helped him up and him and his little GF were escorted off the premises.
I apologized to Mr. Bowen and kindly asked him to proceed. We enjoyed the rest of the show.
All be it I was now sporting a ripped BootLeg t-​shirt from the Buzzmill. His little GF tried to help her drunken partner by pulling on me. Hehe… she was not expecting the lovely Robynn G’s Kung fu grip.
I will end with this. Much smaller than I expected. Did I have fun? Yuppers!
More than I could have asked for from a Wade Bowen concert. I can’t wait to see where they move to next year!
Until then my little buckaroos, be safe and keep your promises!

Did you want to see a show? Good luck with that. Parking lot is shared with Emo’s competing for space then there is NO other parking. Street parking — no parking signs. Apartment Buildings — no parking. Strip malls with other businesses — live security guards ready and waiting to tow you. I slipped the guy some cash and walked off crossing my fingers. But you know since it took me 30 minutes to even get that spot I missed the band I wanted to see anyways. So no parking and not exactly a hot bed for cabs/​pedicabs/​etc. What a terrible idea.

Like the old downtown location better. The interior has a really cool layout inside with the 2.5 levels. But on the downside it’s not in the downtown area by all the other clubs.
Saw Billy Jo Shaver on Thursday and Charlie Robison on Friday nite.
Billy Jo Shaver was amazingly great! Not only his performance but the accoustics were perfect. However, the sound for Charlie Robison was very poor. You could barely make out his vocals. Several people at the show mentioned it as well. Maybe it was because he had a lot of guitar going on nd it overwhelmed his vocals? But I’ve heard him at Gruene Hall and the old Antones and he was very good.
Antones needs to adjust better for bands like Charlie’s. They will probably work out the kinks as they have a great track record of hosting great artists.

Saw the Psychedelic Furs at Antone’s last night.
This is not the best music venue for larger shows or sold out shows.
Pillars and balconies create sight line issues for about 40% of the crowd when its packed.
The Sound is OK, and I will say the Furs put on a great show.
Drinks are expensive but its a destination and you are there for the show. kinda like a baseball game.
Overall its not to bad, has a decent feel and for up and coming bands or bands that will only fill the dance floor area. it would be fine. Full size shows you may want to consider the ticket price VS the struggle to see the band.
T

The venue has grown on me. Friendly staff that seems to appreciate patrons! My friends and I reserved a table for the band, What Made Milwaukee Famous. Easy and not much more money than general admission tickets.
Earlier in the summer, I saw the Psychedelic Furs. The venue was comfortable, even though the show was sold out. Not too hot inside or overly packed :) Parking was ample, and the staff was nice. There are some sight line issues with pillars and such, but it was easy to move around here. My friends and I will return.

I attended a June Carter’s birthday event this past Saturday night. My first time in Austin and first time at Antone’s. I had a great time and would love to go back.
The space itself is a midsized music venue with classic stage, floor and balcony areas. The drinks were moderately prices and it was a slow night.
The reason I give this 5 stars, is because this is how I dreamt a music place is when I wanted to travel across country when I was younger. This place has history, a good sound system and a set up that can make any evening a great one.

I’ve only been to Antone’s once, but it sure was a great time. I drove down from Dallas to see one of my favorite artists who was playing here. Our entire Austin trip was flawless from the get-​go, and the concert at Antone’s was no exception. Very friendly staff, the place was pretty big so there was plenty of space. I don’t think I had anything to drink so I can’t comment on their drink prices. There was a parking lot nearby that provided pretty cheap parking in a well lit lot. We walked from Sixth Street so it was a bit of a walk, but still doable.

Cool place in a hip and crowded part of town!
I can’t say too much about the normal atmosphere and operating hours because I was here only once during an extremely packed 1980’s party hosted by Nat Geo, but yea it was uncomfortably crowded, drinks spilled on me, elbowed a few times, upstairs area very tiny (even though I didn’t have the wrist band to go up there) I could see it was small and my sister said it was too.
The bars are also kinda tiny. It’s nice that they have more than 1, but yeah. Anyway, I heard this place has been around for a long time and some of the most famous musicians have played here…
Also heard the doors will be closing soon :-(
For how quickly Austin is growing, I can see how the capacity can be a problem.
The Nat Geo party was packed to capacity… I kind of thought they overstuffed the place and capacity max should be a bit lower than what it was…

Admittedly, I did not get to see much of Antone’s, seeing as how the place was beyond packed for the Allen Stone concert at SXSW. However, my view from directly in front of the stage was quite stellar.
This is a great concert venue — the sound, the lights, the intimacy of feeling the sweat from performers as they perform… le fab. The bar service was relatively quick, although I don’t recall much about the alcohol selection.
When the show was over, I was surprised at how many people were filtering out of the place, as it certainly didn’t FEEL as packed as I’m sure it was.
All in all, not bad. When I return to Austin, I’d definitely go see another show at Antone’s!

Music = good
Bar = meh
Overpriced PBR and long waits.

Went here to see Cowboy Mouth the week between Christmas and New Years. If you like nice smaller venues then you will like this. The bar serves a limited supply of beers and a full selection of mixed drinks. I really like smaller more personable venues for the bands I like to see.

I want to love Antone’s. I really do, with every ounce of music-​loving soul I have. And it’s not that there’s not a soft-​spot in my heart for the legend that is Austin’s Home of the Blues and that misses seeing Pinetop at his table or that would sort of miss the hit and miss… well, everything but there’s so much room for improvement.
Let’s start with the lack of seating, which as many other Unilocalers have noted is stark. I know that for some shows they used to put out a nice grouping of chairs but I haven’t seen that for a good year. It’s all the VIP tables, or the weird ‘super VIP’ tables upstairs. Either way, it’s expensive to have the privilege of sitting in a smaller blues club.
Then there’s the layout… With the stage parallel to Lavava, there’s a huge waste of space on either side where the sound is questionable (more on sound later) and the view is terrible if not outright obstructed. And it’s next to impossible to move around in even a lightly packed show. Gotta hit the facilities? Tough. Want a drink? Good luck. Being able to move laterally to the bar and then using that as a pathway to the loo would make a huge difference.
Plus, attaching the backstage area to the actual stage makes for a way better entrance. Let’s face it, there are no surprise guests at Antone’s because you see them side-​stage waiting for their cue.
Anyhow, there’s still problems… The lighting and sound are great some nights, terrible others and all too frequently just so-​so. And it’s loud. Usually louder than necessary and sometimes to the point that it detracts from the experience.
Oh, and the ticket pricing and the absolutely non-​sensical advance vs. door prices. Advance tickets are cheaper on the website, and then higher by a few dollars at the door. There’s lots of reasons for doing it this way, but let’s face it… most of the shows at Antone’s really just need a door charge. People just don’t buy in advance and especially when buying in advance tacks on so many service fees that it’s more than the «at-​the-​door» cost. And they hassle bands sometimes if they offer advance tickets and not enough people buy them (even when the band has a known following of less than perfect planners but will still pack out the joint at the end of the day).

I visited for a Jimmie Vaughn show. I was surprised that the only seating was the 250 VIP seating for 4 people. I was embarrassed that I took my mother who is 70 years old and loves Jimmie Vaughn and there wasn’t any seating. I tried to purchase seating for me and mom for a reduced price but that wasn’t a option.
I only wish there was more seating available at least in stool form… somewhere. I see lots of room in the corners.

I’ve been to Antone’s quite a few times over the years, starting back when it was down on Guadalupe. People were happy when it moved back to 6^th. When Clifford Antone was still alive, he would come out & introduce the bands himself. When Bob Schneider was not as popular, he would play here every Tuesday night, and you could grab a table & chair at the back of the room & get up & dance when you felt like it. Blues greats would pack the place out on occasion. There were tables & chairs. Like most good venues in Austin, it didn’t used to be so crowded, but neither did Austin. So things have changed a little.
A few nights ago, a friend & I saw a sold-​out show here, and I got a taste of the «new» Antone’s vibe. You can buy tix online through their site, sometimes for each show of the evening, depending on who is playing. Due to this being such a tourist hot-​spot, shows will fill up last minute & you may be SOL if you don’t pre-​purchase. Parking is on your own, and there are several garages within a few blocks that range from $ 7 – 15.
We got there a half hour before the doors opened, and there was a line of people patiently waiting. Luckily, we had pre-​purchased our tix, because the sell-​out had happened just that night. An employee was cruising the line, carding folks as necessary & attaching a wristband for ticket holders to speed up the check-​in process. It was an all-​ages show, but I didn’t see any minors.
Once inside, we searched hopefully for a table, and there were none – and I mean they don’t HAVE any – so we got some drinks at the bar & moved up front with the rest of the crowd. Some people here have complained about the service, but the bartenders were super friendly that night.
Be prepared to stand for hours if you are seeing a show with an opening act. The advertised start time was not the real start time… it was an hour later! So yeah, we stood there for an hour and a half before any music at all started, and then an additional hour before the band we wanted to see took the stage. Standing time: 4−½ hours! People around us were grumbling & some began drinking heavily. Is that the plan, Antone’s? Oh, well. It made for a gross, sweaty, lean & shove-​fest when the music started, and made it impossible to leave for a drink or potty break without losing our spot. Mosh pits were interesting in the ‘80s. So last-​century. WHY NO TABLES & CHAIRS ANYWHERE? SERIOUSLY!
It’s a more sane experience from closer to the back, and if you have a ticket, wouldn’t require getting there so early to stand around. If you want to sit, your only choice is a crow’s nest type of peek-​a-​boo box way up against the side wall, called the VIP tables. A table of four usually sells for $ 200 – 250, and it looks like there are only 5. The view is from on high & far away, not to mention from side-​stage, so it definitely removes you from the experience. Which could be good or bad, depending on your point of view.
The sound system is great in this place. The stage is fitted with sub-​sonic speakers, so you can feel the music if you’re on the floor. The mix was great the night we were there. The stage is elevated, but it’s about waist-​high, so you’re close to the band.
There is a spot for the band’s merch table to the right of the stage, and next to it is the Antone’s merch table. Lots of T-​shirts & posters & some other memorabilia are on sale throughout the night. So are earplugs ($ 2), which you may need.
Like a lot of Austin, Antone’s isn’t like it used to be, but it still rocks, and still gets some really interesting acts. And a cool dude named Sugar Bear introduced the band that night, so they’re attempting to keep with tradition, even 35 years after they began. I’ll keep going, but it’s kind of an endurance run now for popular acts, so I’ll choose my shows carefully.

Antone’s is one of our fave spots in Austin for live music. We’re typically there to see our local guitar god Gary Clark Jr. and have never had a bad experience there. They have tons of room in front of the stage with no bad view point, and reasonable beer prices. It also just has that good old school blues feel to it that puts you in the mood to hear some of their always awesome musicians.
Love, love, love Antone’s!

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Antones is a legend, ask any Austinite about Antones and a million different memories will spill out about different folks who played there who they saw, who they were with, etc.
Antone’s is a fantastic venue to see live music, the stage is low and you can practically touch whoever is playing. I love intimate venues like this because you can actually SEE and HEAR who you came to see and hear, dig it? Because it is such a legend it also gets great talent of all kinds you can hear country one night, rock the next, and list goes on. I have never seen a bad show here.
I also like the bar set up, it is long and amply staffed and they give me my cold frosty beers in a hurry.
Speaking of a Antones memory here is mine: I met my husband here @ SXSW. I was tackled by a stage diver (not on purpose) and my future hubby came to my rescue and took care of me. Just another reason to love you Antone’s!

I went to see Cory Morrow and the party was delivered. No need to draw it out – this place has:
1. a ton of space
2. lots of places to grab bevvies
3. easy check-​in (if you bought tix ahead of time)
4. a great vantage point from nearly every spot in the joint
5. fantastic lineups
This place is a gem!

Been here a few times now, most recently for Robert Randolph. Phenomenal. Of course, much of that is the talent in the room. But, the sound quality is great, tall boys reasonable, and bathroom line moves quick. What more can you ask for?
It’s totally worth it to get there early and stake out a spot. One person in your group must remain there at all times. You may have to get agressive, because the Johnny come Latelys will try and shove their way up there every so often during the show. Once you make it known, you should be fne and you will see a show like no other. I was two feet from Randolph’s pedal steel guitar. Friggin incredible. I’ve been up in Carolyn Wonderland’s business, been splashed with sweat from Kenny Wayne Shepard, and been uncomfortably close to Bob Schneider. (and, all on the cheap, considering what you’d typically have to pay for front row seats.)
This is a fantastic venue.
I might have given it 3 or 4 originally, but now that I’ve been there and know the drill, I dig it.
(Oh, one more tip: go to the beer trough gal by the restrooms. Cash only but quick)

First let me just say I would never be caught dead seeing a concert at the Erwin center, well at least never again. Austin is the live music capital of the world, so of course they have some of the greatest venues. And for someone like me who is a complete music snob, I just totally dig my smaller concert venues. I have been to Stubb’s one too many times and I hate going there. So here is why I love Antone’s oh so much and why it is my favorite concert venue in Austin.
The venue is smack in the middle of downtown. Its history is beyond bragworthy. Its small enough to still feel that closeness with the band who is performing. Its VERY possible to meet whoever you’re there seeing because it is such a small venue. With that being said I am about to go a little off topic about my recent experience at Antone’s and why it holds a special place in my heart.
The other night I went to see a band I have been a longtime fan. Since 1997 to be exact. I had seen them 2 times before at La Zona Rosa and was so happy they came to the legendary Antone’s. About halfway through the concert, as luck would have it my friends and I got VIP wristbands (won’t go into details because its just too damn awesome) and we got to stand up in the VIP booth off to the side. Did I have any clue that my band (most down to earth guys ever) would come up there after they were done playing their show? Nope. Did I have any idea prior to this that I would be meeting them, taking pictures with them and hanging out with them for an incredible half hour? Nope. Can you say BEST NIGHT EVER?
!!!
Back on topic, the best venues are the small ones. Standing or sitting extremely far away makes you almost feel like you aren’t even there. And even if we hadn’t gotten up to the little VIP booth we still had rockin spots watching the concert without having to get there ridiculously early. Tickets are never crazy expensive, and for the most part they mostly have great local bands with the occasional grammy nominated artists such as my band I went to see :]
Antone’s, you hold a special place in my heart.