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Your A-List: Best Outdoor Music Venue
Like Barton Springs and Waterloo Records, Stubb’s seems to be one of those places that visitors to the city always mention as one of their favorite spots. Even if not by name, they will at least tell you, “this cool barbecue restaurant that has an amphitheater behind it.”
The venue that visitors remember so fondly is also a beloved by locals and won 36 percent of the vote in this week’s poll.
Stubb’s, which has played host to artists ranging from Metallica to the Indigo Girls, has been planning expansion for some time and also been named in discussions regarding the city’s sound ordinances.
The following comes from an April 17 blog by the Statesman’s Michael Corcoran:
Stubb’s co-owner Jeff Waughtal says his lawyer has been in the process of getting the 2,100-capacity Waller Creek Ampitheater classified as a music venue as part of renovation plans. “It never was an issue before,” said Waughtal, who said he was under the impression that because a greater percentage of Stubb’s business is as a music venue, rather than a restaurant, the decibel limit would remain at 85 dB. But to make sure, he said “we’re in the process of addressing that.” As for the $5 million expansion of Stubb’s into a 4,000-capacity outdoor venue, with a companion new 1,400- capacity indoor venue, Waughtal said he and his architects are still working on a site plan to present to the city. The expansion plans were first announced more than two years ago. Waughtal went before the city planning commission April 14 seeking city approval to not only build a 35,753 square foot indoor venue on the corner of 9th and Red River Streets, but to add 6,445 square feet to the outdoor venue and 4,295 square feet to the existing barbecue restaurant. The commission recommended approving the plan, which the City Council is expected to hear on Thursday. The eastern part of the property along Waller Creek, which was formerly a dairy, is currently in a flood plain, which has made the process much more difficult, Waughtal said. “If the Waller Creek tunnel project goes ahead, we won’t have to worry about a lot of these things in six years.” But the bigger Stubb’s won’t wait that long. Waughtal said the first stage of construction will be the new 1,400-cap. venue. The earliest work on that would start is at least 18 months from now, he said.
Others receiving votes
- Zilker Park, 13 percent
- The Mohawk, 11 percent
- Auditorium Shores, 10 percent
- Threadgill’s, 10 percent
- Tim’s Porch at The Backyard, 5 percent
- Cedar Street Courtyard, 3 percent
- Scoot Inn, 3 percent
- Club de Ville, 3 percent
- Emo’s, 2 percent
- The Belmont, 2 percent
- Kenny Dorham’s Backyard, 1 percent
- Austin City Hall, < 1 percent
- Creekside Lounge, < 1 percent
- Light Bar, < 1 percent
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