The Red River Cultural District, a few blocks east of the 6th Street entertainment strip, is Austin's most concentrated alternative and indie music zone — a cluster of smaller venues (Mohawk, Empire Control Room, Beerland, Barracuda) that book the artists and genres that don't fit the mainstream 6th Street programming. The crowd is younger, the music louder, and the bars cheaper than the nearby tourist corridor.
Stubb's Amphitheater anchors the south end of the district, and the stretch of Red River Street between 6th and 11th Streets covers most of the action. The district hosts its own music festival during South by Southwest and is where many of the most interesting SXSW showcases happen. Outside festival season it operates as Austin's most active live music corridor for rock, punk, metal, and experimental music.