Continental Club

The Review For Normal People:The Continental Club is one of the foundational venues of the Austin Music community.It has a status comparable to that of the Saxon Pub.Both the Continental Club and the Saxon Pub have an older age forty and up clientele. The run is to ex-hippies and tech people/arts people who never lost their cool.A visitor to Austin will almost never go wrong going to the Continental Club.You don't get the legendary bands of the Mohawk currently or Antone's in its prime.But you get an extremely solid cast of characters from a country-rock-folk-blues spectrum.You will almost never get a bad band (Unless John Dee Graham is playing cough cough cough cough cough.)If the Peterson Brothers are playing their blues, you will hear unforgettable music.The decoration is dive bar.The alcohol offerings are good enough for what you are trying to accomplish.I personally am a Mohawk kind of guy. Alt, Drone, Shoegaze, Noise, Dance songs written in 11/17 time, Anthemic moments ... That is what fires my spark plugs.For Continental Club's country-rock-folk-blues niche, I tend to go with Saxon Pub.The artists that they book are just a notch better.But for Keep-Austin-Not-So-Weird, the Continental Club has its place.A night at the Continental Club is almost always a good night.* * *The Review for Technophobes.I hate South Congress.There are some good establishments there.There are some overpriced rip-off-the-tourist establishments there.There are way too many tourists there.(Although I suppose they pay the bills for the Austin restaurant and club economy.)Parking on South Congress is a nightmare.The neighbors don't want their streets flooded with tourist cars.So there are signs everywhere saying in essence "If you don't live here, you can't park here."The spaces that exist have to be paid for with phone apps.This will not bother 98% of normal human beings.It will certainly not bother the 99.99999999999% of people who are Yelpers.Yelpers love their phones.I hate my cell phone.I am afraid of it.I don't know how to make anything work on it.I don't know how to read a QR code.I can't take pictures.I know how to make voice calls.I don't know how to text anyone.So I personally can't park anywhere on South Congress.If I plan ahead ... I can get to where I am going super-early ...Park at a distance and walk in.But I don't always plan ahead.On my most recent visit to the Continental Club, I couldn't find anyplace non-phone based to park.I took a space, sat in the Continental Club for about ten minutes,And the whole time all I can think about is that they are going to tow my car.The band was a perfectly lovely Americana-folk-rock group.The lyrics were probably excellent.But after my ten minutes of dread - I couldn't take it anymore.I left the Continental Club and moved my car to safety.Safety was C-Boy's one of my favorite clubs in the city.C-Boys has its own parking and the parking is free.They book a mix of funk, soul and blues with a heavy heavy orientation towards danceable.C-Boys too has an older clientele -But those babies dance up a storm.The dance floor at C-Boys is live.You know how this plays out.There was an amazing dance blues band playing. (The Moeller Brothers.)Various surprise legendary figures from Austin Music History showed up to sing a song or three.At one point, someone rode a full-size live mule through the club.It was a night to remember.My car was safe and sound and parked for free.I learned a life lesson that night.The Continental Club is famous.C-Boys is fun.

Stumbled on Continental Club while we were waiting for our reservation on South Congress. We stood in line for 30 minutes - hour, and once we got to the front they asked us for a $20 cover. I don't normally carry cash but luckily they have an ATM inside. While we were getting cash, the venue filled up and we didn't get a seat. There are not that many seats actually so I'd anticipate standing if you don't get there early. The band was epic and the drinks were strong. I loved my experience here. I felt like a true Austinite catching live music.

Absolute awesomeness. I never miss an opportunity to visit this landmark to enjoy a cold beer, whiskey, and the incredible live music. It never disappoints! The staff are always friendly even when overwhelmed by tourists. Can't wait to be back again!!

We saw live music all three nights we were in Austin recently but this place was by far the best! Easy to walk here from any number of nearby places and the sound quality/crowd/bar service was great. Would definitely drop in here next time we are in town.

While I don't get a chance to come here as much as in the past, the musicians and the staff have taken it back where it should have been all along.Got a rare chance tonight to see Casper on a free Thursday - he does not disappoint (and the staff are great too)

While traveling for our annual work conference, we decided we wanted to go somewhere with live music. We weren't really sure what to expect and upon arrival thought "what have we gotten ourselves into?!". There was a $20 cover per person (which being from a small town, we weren't used to), but when in Austin, right? We were all blown away! The bands were amazing, drinks were great (how can one go wrong with a Jack & Coke) and the service, despite how many people were inside. If I ever come back to Austin, I plan to make it a priority to come here and see whatever band is playing. This place is incredible and I understand why it's so loved by Austin.

My family and I were visiting Austin and wanted to see some live music so we stopped by the CC on Sunday, June 16th. Our experience mirrors some of the other patrons' experience with toxic staff--in particular a short, bald man who we found out does not even work there; apparently he just "volunteers his time." My step-brother sat in a wheelchair that was placed in the back room area. The room is eclectic and full of random furniture so we all thought it was just that--a random item that anyone could use. (There was no one in it!) The short, bald guy came up and asked, "Is that your wheel chair?" (Obviously knowing it wasn't.) When my step-brother jumped up and responded, "No, so sorry! I didn't realize it belonged to anyone!" the volunteer responded, "Then get the hell out of it!" Later, my step brother went up to him and apologized again. The volunteer did not accept the apology and was very rude in his response. Later, some of us were playing pool in the back. We were told by a woman (not sure if she's a volunteer or not) that we had to stop playing our game and go pay the new cover charge--even though the next band wasn't coming on for almost 40 minutes. (We paid an original cover to enter, but they charge a new cover each time--just FYI.) We would have paid the new cover and stayed, but she was so rude in her delivery that it simply made us want to leave. (We only had a few shots left in the game.) We couldn't understand why we couldn't just finish the game first--especially since the new band wasn't playing for quite some time. The actual employed bartenders were nice, but these two individuals completely ruined our experience. Instead of staying for the second show as we had originally planned, we left--annoyed and let down. We were a group of nine (9) people and had money to burn. But the unprofessional and rude staff proved to be too much. We would not return.

This place is trash and will never come visit again, they couldn't take card for their cover charge and forced us to their atm that didn't work. After that they tried to send my upstairs to a tattoo shop upstairs Nextdoor just to pay to get in. Screw them and the high horse they rode in on and I hope no one ever goes this is trash

Was there on Saturday at 3:30 for music and dancing. Bar staff were friendly and very attentive. The music was amazing place was busy nice size dance floor.

I'm grateful to say I don't remember a more rude or racist door encounter in 25 years of playing and presenting music. That the door man--white, male, potentially drunk, apparently racist--may have mistaken me for an unhoused person neither absolves the mistreatment nor justifies its logic. I often use the ATM in the main room before heading to C Boys or up to the gallery to scout talent and remind myself just how virtuosic and plentiful Austin's music scene continues to be. I've never heard more than an obligatory mumble from the front of house team when I explain that I'm using the atm. But this time I was stopped. "You're not bringing that in here", referring to the water I was holding. I explained it was just water. I was wearing a black hoody to protect my locs, not unconscious of Trayvon Martin's recent birthday, whose murder had inspired me to grow them, free form, a decade ago...an exercise in witnessing what happens when you leave the black body, alone and at peace, to simply become, to enjoy one's embodiment.It was a layered encounter. I asked how I was supposed to leave my water outside. In an absurd show of force, the man grabbed my water from my hand, and began to walk out of the club. this escalation was histrionic to a level and degree that indicated in him a willingness or tendency to engage in actual violence. I'm not interested to know whether my appearance or subdued comportment triggered the intensity of his behavior. (I was laying low, just gonna listen to three hours of music as an artist). Now, I have to consider under which circumstance I could feel safe returning to that place. It was not a busy night. No need to treat any one on the street with such disdain and disrespect. Something emboldened this behavior, beyond a vigilant duty to keep items not purchased on site out of the club. It was honestly shameful. Austin, in order to grow into a mature arts town, will need to grow in its sense and value of diversity and the work of welcoming strangers that has shaped every great American city, which is at the heart of civility itself.