Light Bar

Ever since they remodeled, this place has been a great venue for the EDM scene here in Austin. The upgraded soundsystem makes for great music to listen to, provided a

I’d say most of the negative reviews are from reviewers trying to review this place as a bar instead of a lounge…
Here’s how to do this place properly: Come here for first and last drinks. If you’re stressed or just trying to get your mood going this is a great place to start. Grab a stiff cocktail, put the waterfall against your back, and chill out with a little conversation while listening to music /​water.
If it’s a nice night you can head upstairs for one of the better city skyline views any downtown bar /​lounge offers. Then move on to your main event for the evening.

I stopped by last night for the first time, the place was pretty dead. Apparently its 18 and up also? Kind of crappy for a 4^th street bar to have a buncha kids running around.

You light up my life… not… Gawd are we old. After leaving Fado, we felt somewhat adventurous on our way to the car, and walked into the Light Bar. It is times like these that Suz and I realize that although we think we are still 20 something, we really are 30 yrs older. The interior was quite interesting with different nooks and cranny’s. We headed upstairs to the deck area, where there was a DJ. I think that’s what they are called… Just someone putting music together. However, they were playing music from our generation! So, I actually danced, at least that is what I call it, although from the looks I was getting, perhaps it wasn’t… I guess if you are not humping on someones leg or butt, it’s not considered dancing. And there was a lot of humping going on downstairs and upstairs. And that is what felt weird. It seemed somewhat seedy. ok. it was seedy, and that is perhaps what bar/​lounge/​dance halls are nowadays all about.
Service was mehh. the bartender upstairs was so thin, I wanted to buy her a loaf of bread to nosh on. but she would probably just puke it up later. she seemed to be confused, and getting a beer became an adventure and they weren’t that busy.
We certainly do miss Polyesters…

The bar that was made of fail. Fail and poo. They should rename it to Fail Bar. At least your expectations wouldn’t get let down when you realized 1) the music sucks, 2) the service sucks, and 3) the selection sucks.

Seizing upon the SXSW-​bred opportunity to happen into bars I don’t usually frequent, I popped in here for an event the other day. It’s interesting. Others have commented on the distinct lack of Austin flare here, and I can see why: the wall waterfall, the massage chairs in the hidden back bar, the sort of neon-​blue the place is bathed in… Light Bar comes off (at least on this day) as a little plastic.
That said, agreed that the staff was perfectly nice, the upstairs patio seemed cool (at least what I could make out of it what with hundreds of bodies sardined up there), and I do love the idea of the bar in back hidden behind the stage. I’m sure these guys have regulars, so that bar wouldn’t be very hidden to those folks, but on the off chance that maybe it is, it’d be where I’d head if I came back here. And who knows, maybe I might. But it likely won’t be my first choice.

Great rooftop view, decent drink prices, talented bartenders. Nice décor. Most overlooked bar in Austin, I think, for those into the trendy scene.

Went there on a Wednesday night. They had a DJ playing house-​ish music on the roof — it was amazing. It was a really small crowd, but there’s the bonus of being able to smoke because it’s outside. The nice thing was that the small crowd that was there was into the music. Everyone just dancing freely.
If you’re into smaller places and you just want to dance, smoke, drink with your friends, this is a great place, but go when there’s a DJ!

It’s definitely true, most nights seem to be pretty dead here, though I’ve never had to deal with a cover, and the bar tenders have always been top notch in my opinion.
Personally, I love the frost bank tower. I like the fact that the rooftop stage’s backdrop is said frost bank tower. It would make for some awesome shots/​video. Plus the stage is like four feet off the ground which is pretty cool =P

It’s lame. Way to far from 6^th and not nearly enough people. It’s just lame. The upstairs outdoor patio is the only reason it gets one star.

As others have mentioned, this place tends to be dead. It does have a pretty nice atmosphere inside.
Someday, maybe the management will realize that if they want to attract a crowd, they’re going to need some better music than the same Top40 crap thats being blasted all the way down 6^th street.
Salsa night is always tempting, but it seems so dead, especially compared to Copa. Last time I went, it was a bunch of very white people attempting salsa, and hardly any Latinos. Hmmm.
I want to like this place, but I just can’t — yet.

HILARIOUS.
Massage chairs!
A «Wall of Water» as a visual opposite the bar!
A tiny velvet-​roped VIP section!
…I walk by this exclusive, elevated booth in hushed whispers, and try not to get all star-​fucker-​Stare Master at the A-lister…oh, wait, those are just a bunch of stupid redneck college girls and their T-​bird boyfriends who must know the bouncer or something… never mind.
Gimme a break!
(I sure deserve it).

This place is too big for its own good. It’s kind of lacking in Austin personality. I guess if you want a kind of generic, mega-​bar in the middle of downtown Austin, it’s a good place to go, but for the most part it falls short in my book.
The night I went there they ran out of carbonated soda in their bar and were only able to serve hard liquor mixed with sours and other various bottled mixers. It was a bit of a bummer.
The ambiance itself is rather lifeless, kind of trendy and reminds me of a casino club in Las Vegas. Peppy trance-​pop mixes are played non-​stop.
The only redeeming quality of Light is that they have a fantastic bathroom.
Maybe because no one ever goes in there to trash it. I don’t know…

I have mixed feelings about this place. Located in the middle of the warehouse district, this club is an interesting phenomenon. First of all it has won all of these crazy awards from big name magazines, although I’m not sure why. Most nights its pretty dead inside. Lately though, they have added more activities. They have an American Idol Esque performance night on Wednesdays, live salsa music on Thursdays, and some seeeeriously awesome massage chairs, ya’ll! When I first started going to the warehouse district I would stop in to the Light Bar for a cherry vodka sour and ten minutes in the free massage chairs. The club is dimly lit, with several smaller rooms, a bar area, and an upstairs deck with a seperate bar and a stage for any band/​performance. All in all, check it out for yourself and see if its worthy of all the acclaim it has been recieving. Or just work out some knots in your back before continuing on your way…