HOLE IN THE WALL

Hole in the Wall has been open since 1974 on the Drag, just across Guadalupe from the UT campus. That makes it one of the longest-running live music venues in the city, and it wears those years well. The place is exactly what the name suggests: a narrow, no-frills bar with a small stage in the back that has hosted an absurd amount of talent over the decades. Spoon played early shows here. Gary Clark Jr. cut his teeth on this stage. Alejandro Escovedo, Butthole Surfers, and countless other Austin acts passed through when they were still unknowns. The room holds maybe a hundred and fifty people on a packed night, which means you are always close to the music. The sound is better than it has any right to be for a room that size. On any given week the calendar includes rock, country, singer-songwriter, and whatever else the bookers feel like putting on. There is also a solid jukebox and pool tables when no one is on stage. The crowd is a mix of UT students discovering live music for the first time and lifers who have been coming here for decades. Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders, and zero attitude at the door. Hole in the Wall is the kind of place that every city wishes it had and most cities have already lost. The fact that it is still here, still booking music, and still packed on a Wednesday says everything you need to know.