When you were at UT, What were the top clubs/bars?

Discussion in 'Cactus Cafe' started by Creek, Jul 8, 2019.

  1. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    or where did you like to go or where did everyone go to.
    Just curious to see how hot spots change over the years.
     
  2. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    Tolouse
    Maggie Mae's
    6th Street Country Club
    RPM
    Club Kaos

    And on 5th Street when everything closed at 2am on 6th it was The World where everyone went on whatever drug they were on usually shrooms or X. That's where I saw my first DeLorean in 1989. For the record I was usually there on my Ninja and couldn't afford nor didn't participate in said drugs. :smokin:

    This was actually during my wife's time at UT and I was dating her while in the Army.
     
  3. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Good thread! Damn you offseason!

    Club Iguana
    Toulouse
    Maggie Mae’s
    Wylies
    Continental Club
    Antone’s
    Enzo’s (6th St dance club)
    Liberty Lunch
     
  4. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!


    Ahh, Liberty Lunch! How did I miss that? I remember the burning trash can in the middle and being really cold. Also I joined the mosh pit and it quickly cleared. Being 6'3" and 230lbs at the time I wasn't usually welcomed.

    Anyone remember kicker corner where the country dudes hung out? I think that was on 5th street as well. Even on my bike I hung out with everyone. Also down where the post office is on 6th was a parking lot where the cool cars and bikes hung out.
     
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  5. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    Yes Liberty Lunch, I had a friend who played in a new wave band there and would go see her.
    I was at Texas for a lot of the 80's.
    When I got there I loved The Silver Dollar, Abels and Valentines.
    then transitioned to Tricky Mickeys and 606.
    I got into my first and only bar room brawl at Wylies.
    Somehow we would find ourselves at Dallas nightclub sometimes.

    I worked "security" at Papers ( which was a big hangout with the football team and where the old Renegade was). Probably the #2 club for UT students at the time. There was 1 bar on 6th everyone went to-Hydes maybe or maybe it was Toulouse?? Say 1984ish.
     
  6. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    I worked at Wylies for a little while, summer of ’88 I think it was. Had a few parties in the owner’s office upstairs.

    Wasn’t Paradise Bar & Grill across the street from Wylies?

    I remember seeing 10,000 Maniacs at LL. There were other acts I saw there that I don’t remember... :confused2:
     
  7. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    In 88 I lived in Chicago, when I left in Summer of 86, after the football team spiraled out of control. Those were some crappy years to go to Texas.
    Yes Paradise was. It was a big hangout with girls because of some drink they had that I recall.
    Was Hydes or Sfuzzi around then?
     
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  8. Phil Elliott

    Phil Elliott 2,500+ Posts

    Graduated in 86.

    Hyde's on 5th
    Renegade/Trickey Mickey's
    Maggie Mae's/Toulouse
    606 aka Bob's
     
  9. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    Those were (mostly) crappy years for the football team, but it was the tail end of the great, cheap, non-corporate, independent, hippyish, non-Californicated, Austin era. There was live music all over town, no or low cover charges, moderate traffic, and all with that free-spirited, unique feel-good Austin vibe, etc. Good times were to be had outdoors in not-too-crowded Barton Springs and other spring fed pools. IMHO, it may not have been Austin's 1970s heyday, but things were still very good in Austin in the late 80s and early 90s.

    And $500 per semester tuition for a full 15 hour courseload!

    Alas, I guess it was all too good to last...
     
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  10. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts


    I hit the same bars. Although never did Toulouse much. I think it was too dark as I recall. As Chop mentioned the 80's were pretty amazing to live in Austin. BTW-Renegade ( urban cowboy big popular) was replaced with Papers (Pop and New Wave) in 83. We used to think we were the 2nd most popular bar behind Hydes. Everybody went to Hydes and had the classier Girls, but we had the funnest girls and had the best music and sound system.
    I remember going to 606 for scotch and oysters.
     
  11. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Texas Showdown on the Drag was another one, near 24th or so? Cheap pitcher beer, foosball, darts.
     
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  12. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    I wasn't a frequent customer, but Dessau Hall, a little ways out of town, was a popular country bar and just a bit rough around the edges back then.
     
  13. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    The only time I went to Dessau I felt like my head almost touched the ceiling. Made me feel a little weird so I never went back. Now it's a Tejano bar.
     
  14. Horn87

    Horn87 1,000+ Posts

    graduated in '87, Boardwalk was another bar we'd go watch NBA playoffs---remember when the Twin Towers knocked out the Lakers in '85 I think...then Hyde's after everyone else closed down
     
  15. Phil Elliott

    Phil Elliott 2,500+ Posts

    I remember Papers replacing Rent-a-date but I would say it was more like 85. My first year at UT was 83 and it was for sure Renegade then.
     
  16. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    Ah yes, the Lizard Lounge. Was usually lively and packed. (there's also one in Dallas).
     
  17. Hideo Gump Jr.

    Hideo Gump Jr. Summer Soldier and Sunshine Patriot

    Threadgill’s for the music.
    Raoul’s for people watching.
     
  18. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    Raouls was the punk club on Guad?
    Speaking of people watching....Club Foot? and yes I logged 2 trips to Numbers. But went with a group of girls. It was really odd.
    Papers opened in 1984. Both lines used to go there and back then there were no fat linemen-just ripped. They never caused trouble thank God, but they never had to pay cover or wait in line.
     
  19. Hideo Gump Jr.

    Hideo Gump Jr. Summer Soldier and Sunshine Patriot

    That’s an affirmative. Saw the Skunks and the Explosives there. The place lost part of it’s “charm” when they fixed the bathrooms. The toilets/urinals actually flushing was a toss up at one point. Reminiscent of the hole in the wall separating the men’s and women’s facilities at the Armadillo. I’m guessing that would not be an issue in today’s society. Gender-neutral restrooms in the late 70’s. They were ahead of their time.
     
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  20. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    I hate that Showdown closed. It's probably been nearly a decade by now. I graduated in 2007 and discovered it actually about that time and hung out with friends for burgers and darts there quite a lot over the next few years.
     
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  21. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    There was a place on east Riverside that used to showcase some upcoming bands, I wish I could remember the name. I saw The Call there around 86-87 timeframe.
     
  22. Phil Elliott

    Phil Elliott 2,500+ Posts

    RoxZ?
     
  23. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    The Back Room?
     
  24. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Bingo, McWhataCastle :fire:
     
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  25. uisge beatha

    uisge beatha 1,000+ Posts

    IIRC, RoxZ was more of a dance club whereas the Back room was more of a rock/punk bar. I remember seeing X at the Back Room circa 1987.

    The Hole in the Wall, Liberty Lunch, and Continental Club for live music. Posse East, Showdown, and Dog and Duck when just hanging out.

    Maggie Mae's was where I had my first Guiness maybe about 2 weeks after moving to Austin.

    Edit: And how could I forget La Zona Rosa?
     
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    Last edited: Jul 19, 2019
  26. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    Dog and Duck? Where was that?

    In early 80's---I did spend a fair share of time at Dry Creek Saloon. Anybody remember Valentines or the Greenhouse? They were dance clubs where the ladies went.
     
  27. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    On Red River? Maybe I’m thinking of Crown & Anchor. There was a something & something on Red River, I know because I drank there.
     
  28. BevoJoe

    BevoJoe 10,000+ Posts

    Smilies
    Louie’s
    The Blue Parrot
    Casablanca
    The Silver Dollar
    The Broken Spoke
    The Armadillo

    I was at UT in the mid-70s
     
  29. uisge beatha

    uisge beatha 1,000+ Posts

    Drank enough to not remember the name :smile1:. I seem to have the same issue.

    Dog & Duck was on Lavaca around 9th st? I think on Red River was Crown and Anchor - I'd forgotten about it too.

    Also, there was the Draught Horse/House on Medical Parkway which opened sometime around '90. I lived a block west of it for a few years after i returned to school.
     
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  30. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    Uncle Nasty's later called Nasty's. Everclear Ritas. Just closed sadly a year ago or 2.
     
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