The Continental Club has anchored South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas since 1955, when original owner Morin Scott opened it as an upscale private supper club featuring nationally touring big bands like Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. It was reportedly the first venue in Travis County licensed to sell liquor by the drink, and over the following decades it cycled through eras as a burlesque hall and a neighborhood tavern before finding its identity as a live music room.
Steve Wertheimer took over the lease in 1987 and restored the club’s original 1950s look, including its European street-scene murals, while steering it toward the roots rock, rockabilly, blues, and traditional country bookings it is known for today. The venue helped launch Stevie Ray Vaughan’s career in the late 1970s and early 1980s and later hosted acts ranging from Junior Brown to Robert Plant. Now recognized as a City of Austin historic landmark, it remains one of the city’s oldest continuously operating music clubs, with a sister location that opened in Houston in 2000.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 1315 South Congress Ave, Austin, Texas
- Type: Live music club / listening room
- Opened: 1955
- Capacity: About 200
- Famous for: Launching Stevie Ray Vaughan’s career and decades-long roots-rock residencies
- Genres: Roots rock, rockabilly, blues, country, swing
- Status: City of Austin historic landmark
A South Congress Institution
When it opened in 1955, the Continental Club was a swanky supper club where patrons could catch nationally touring big bands in an upscale setting. The building later shifted into Austin’s first burlesque venue in the early 1960s, then became a working-class neighborhood tavern by the late 1960s under new management, reflecting the changing character of South Congress itself over the decades.
The club’s most consequential transformation came in the late 1970s, when new lease holders began booking a wave of local talent including a young Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, alongside Joe Ely, Kinky Friedman, and the Butthole Surfers. That era cemented the Continental Club’s reputation as a proving ground for Austin’s homegrown music scene.
Restoration and Legacy
Steve Wertheimer’s 1987 renovation restored the club’s original 1950s murals and decor, giving the room the intimate, retro atmosphere it still carries today. Since then, the Continental Club has built an international reputation for showcasing roots, rockabilly, country, and swing acts, and it hosts annual birthday tribute shows for Elvis Presley, Buck Owens, and Wanda Jackson.
The venue’s staying power is rare for a small club: it has operated continuously on South Congress for around seven decades and expanded with a sister club in Houston in 2000. Its recognition as an Austin historic landmark reflects both its architectural character and its outsized role in the city’s live music identity.
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Continental Club FAQs
When did the Continental Club open?
It opened in 1955 at 1315 South Congress Avenue in Austin as an upscale private supper club founded by Morin Scott.
What kind of music does the Continental Club feature?
The club is known for roots rock, rockabilly, blues, traditional country, and swing, and it helped launch Stevie Ray Vaughan’s career in the late 1970s.
Is the Continental Club still open today?
Yes, it remains an active live music venue and a designated City of Austin historic landmark, with a sister club that opened in Houston in 2000.
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Photo by Gabriel Tovar on Pexels.