The six blocks of East 6th Street between Congress Avenue and Interstate 35 have been Austin's main nightlife strip since the 1970s, and they remain the most concentrated stretch of live music venues in the city. On weekend nights the street is closed to traffic and becomes a walking circuit of bars with bands playing simultaneously — rock, country, blues, R&B, and everything in between, often with no cover charge.
The strip has its detractors among long-time Austinites who prefer the smaller venues on the Rainey Street corridor or the east side, and 6th Street is undeniably tourist-oriented. But the sheer density of live music is unmatched anywhere in the country: you can stand on the sidewalk and hear three different bands from three different bars at the same time. The classic Austin experience is to start at one end and work your way down, stopping wherever a sound catches you.