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Continental Club

The Houston outpost of the Austin music-and-dance club had a rocking opening in 2000, and the tin-ceilinged joint hasn't quieted down since. Expect to see local and touring bands that are as good as those that play the Austin location, which enjoys a coast-to-coast reputation. It's as beloved for its rusty-dusty look—the Main Street storefront, with vintage neon light fixtures overhead, was originally a 1920's general store—as for the rock and blues acts it presents, including Houston's Molly and the Ringwalds and Austin's Spoiled Royals. The Continental draws a laid-back, retro-dressed crowd that has been described as "Austintatious," and the club anchors a block of Midtown that's like a little blast of Austin, populated by the campy record shop Sig's Lagoon, a taco joint, and a hip little bistro.