FLAMINGO CANTINA

Flamingo Cantina has been holding down its spot on East 6th Street since 1991, making it one of the longest-running venues on the strip. The club carved out a niche early on as Austin's home for reggae, ska, Latin, and world beat music, genres that do not always get dedicated stage time in a city dominated by rock, country, and blues. Over the years the booking has expanded to include hip-hop, alternative, rock, and whatever else fits under the broad umbrella of good vibes music. The room is on the second floor, which gives it a slightly removed feeling from the chaos of 6th Street below. The stage is solid, the sound is good for the size of the room, and the crowd tends to be there because they actually want to hear the music rather than just drink in a loud place. Flamingo Cantina has always been a people's venue, the kind of spot that builds community around the music rather than around bottle service and VIP sections. It is a SXSW venue during festival season and a reliable stop for touring reggae and ska acts the rest of the year. In a city where venues come and go with alarming regularity, thirty-plus years on the same block is a statement. Flamingo Cantina endures because it serves a community that no one else is really serving.