Bands & Musicians in Texas

Texas music runs through Houston, where Lightnin' Hopkins and T-Bone Walker shaped electric blues, and through Bob Wills' western swing. Austin became an outlaw country stronghold when Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings settled there, later anchoring an indie scene along Sixth Street. Houston built its own hip-hop identity through DJ Screw and the Geto Boys, while the Rio Grande Valley kept conjunto and Tejano central through Selena.

Austin's circuit centers on the Continental Club, Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Antone's blues room, and the Moody Theater, home of Austin City Limits Live. Fort Worth packs honky-tonks into the Stockyards, including Billy Bob's Texas, and historic Gruene Hall still hosts country and Americana. Dallas leans on the Bomb Factory and Granada Theater, while Houston's White Oak Music Hall anchors its rooms.

Texas artists span every era: Buddy Holly from Lubbock, Janis Joplin from Port Arthur, Stevie Ray Vaughan from Dallas, and Willie Nelson from Abbott. Houston produced Beyoncé and ZZ Top, Corpus Christi gave the world Selena, and George Strait and Kacey Musgraves keep the country lineage current.

Austin is the default base for indie, country, and roots players, while Denton, a college town north of Dallas, offers a deep music-school scene. Houston suits hip-hop and R&B players, and Dallas-Fort Worth covers cover bands and metal. Newcomers can work open mics along Sixth Street and Red River, or browse musicians across Texas on BandMate.