It simply doesn’t compare to Austin, that’s for sure. I’ve never seen Nashville.

That said, it’s certainly better than Houston or San Antonio – so if you’re looking for a big city with some sense of a music scene, Dallas is a good choice. (At least, in Texas)

I’m trying to find words to effectively express why Austin would be a better choice, but it’s simply that they have a special culture about them that Dallas simply doesn’t have.

It kind of like comparing New Orleans to Baton Rouge for food. Sure, Baton Rouge has some pretty good food joints; but it they just don’t have the culture and the style of New Orleans.

I lived in Dallas most of my life and would agree with GeauxTigers. I have a few friends that are able to make their living as professional musicians, but the music scene is nothing compared to Austin or Nashville.

At the risk of sounding like an old guy, it was pretty good when I was in high school. The Toadies and Tripping Daisy immediately come to mind. Oh and Vanilla Ice. You can’t forget about Vanilla Ice.

There aren’t really many places in the south that can be compared to Austin (coming from a musician from California that has toured Texas multiple times).

www.dallasobserver.com

Browse the live music listings. Should give you a feel.

I think Dallas is shifting more to the shiny, “exclusive” club nightlife scene while the music scene seems to be dwindling. There are a handful of good bands (the pAper chAse, Mom) but most of the stuff propogated by the Dallas Observer is more of the same cookie-cutter “indie” rock stuff. Other cities do that far, far better than anyone here.

I agree, the Dallas music scene is slightly washed out…the demise of deep ellum is probably the main reason. I was hoping for a little more out of the house of blues, but its better than nothing. It depends what kinda of music your looking for..but Dallas is mos def not on par of other major cities (SF, NYC, Chi, DC) in terms of music scene.

Dallas used to be really hot for clubbing, but it has been on the decline for a while. There are some huge clubbing districts that don’t have crowds anymore. Dallas is not know for a great live music scene, but it’s not bad. You can find a good show at least once a week.