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Your A-List: Best Place to Hear Local Bands
Sure, the Live Music Capital of the World features some amazing national and regional bands, but what major American city doesn’t? We’re not the live music capital because we have the most concerts listed on Pollstar or Ticketmaster, we’re the live music capital because of the local music. Because any night of the week you can head out to dozens of bars and catch bands you have seen for years, or maybe see some friends play, or accidentally catch someone you’ve never heard of and make a musical discovery. That, among hundreds of other things, is what makes Austin great. Among the best places to see the local bands of which I speak is the old South Austin stalwart, winner of the Your A-List poll for Best Place to Hear Local Bands play, the Saxon Pub.
The winner with 29 percent of the vote, the Saxon Pub adds this honor to its previous honors of best happy hour and best place to hear music on a weekday. And it’s that live, usually local, music that makes the old Austin haunt such a draw for Austinites. In a time where condos and ultra-clubs, or whatever those new swanky places are called, seem to be the flavor of the day, the dark, saloon-style Saxon Pub hearkens back to an earlier time when Austin still had a true renegade spirit and those on the frontlines had guitars slung over their shoulders.
The regulars are friendly, even if they don’t know you, and there’s really no such thing as a stranger at the Saxon. And with multiple bands playing seven days a week, you never have to worry about checking the calendar to see who’s playing. Every night you’re guaranteed to see some of the best singing and songwriting talents Austin has to offer, whether its a surprise jam of venerable local legends or a legend in the making.
The Saxon Pub [site]
1320 S. Lamar [map]
448.2552
Others receiving votes
- Antone’s, 19 percent
- Continental Club, 13 percent
- The Mohawk, 11 percent
- Emo’s, 7 percent
- The Parish, 6 percent
- Hole in the Wall, 4 percent
- Momo’s, 3 percent
- Red Eyed Fly, 3 percent
- Beerland, 1 percent
- Elephant Room, 1 percent
- Ego’s, < 1 percent
- Headhunters, < 1 percent
- Room 710, < 1 percent
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Comments
Austinites love to be heard, and we're giving you a bullhorn. We just ask that you keep things civil. Leave out the personal attacks. Do not use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs, or take shots at anyone's sexual orientation or religion. If you can't be nice, we reserve the right to remove your material and ban users who violate our Visitor's agreement. Click here to report comment abuse.
By Jeff Lofton
August 25, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this
Do you include Jazz, blues ,Reggae or R & B in you A list for Music?