All hail Texas, Northerner. Hot and dehydrated while looking for shade (A tree? A tent? The brim of a guy’s hat? Anything?) at your fourth daytime unofficial SXSW showcase with free Lone Stars and Red Bull, you’ve realized your weak Northern skin is no match for the blazing Southern sun, even though it’s March. You don’t care about being metaphorically cool anymore – you just want to be literally cool. Here’s where to head for shade, rest and a cold one before heading back into the madding crowd.
Your location: Red River
Your refuge: Cheer Up Charlie’s
This happy, bursting-with-color, gay-friendly dive bar is a mélange of dayglow madness, but serves as a perfect hideout during the day. A relocation of the old East Austin spot, which was an erstwhile host to the infamous mustache seesaw and lots of fun shows, you’ll feel right at home with the wall art full of kittens and unicorns, or in the backyard, sheltered from the cruel sun by their beloved parachute. When you’re done with your show at Swan Dive, Stubb’s or the Mohawk, mosey on over to this locally-loved bar to chill out with a kale lime gingerita or a Wunder-Pilz Kombucha (extra on the ice, please). When your friends ask you later where you disappeared to, just tell them that the exclusive basement speakeasy show you were at didn’t have cell reception.
Your location: Sixth Street, East Austin
Your refuge: Rio Rita
This dark, comforting hideaway is a coffeeshop by day and a dive bar by night, but best of all, it’s the land of cold drinks. From an iced coffee to a hibiscus vodka lemonade, this is the place to show your appreciation for your current favorite food: ice. Plop down on a funky vintage sofa, ignore your friends’ texts and read an anything-but-music magazine while you recover from one too many Shiner Bocks. And when you’re ready to refuel, Rita’s got its famous Bloody Marys (made with vodka they infuse with habaneros and jalapenos), salty margaritas, pineapple daiquiris and frozen palomas.
Your location: Downtown
Your refuge: Mugshots
Downtown is a mess during SXSW, but it’s often a necessary evil. This is your plain-Jane, dark-as-hell bar with the standard pool table, jukebox and photo booth. There’s a great happy hour, a plentiful beer selection including some crafters like Deschutes, Breckenridge and Alaskan, and the certainty that if you come during the day you might stay to get in trouble at night. Has SXSW housing stripped your wallet? Escape here for $4.50 pitchers of ice cold Lone Star beer on Thursdays and Fridays from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., and $2 cheeseburgers and $3 veggie burgers on Fridays during the same time. If you’re being healthy and detoxing from all those brisket tacos, pop into Juiceland instead for a watermelon juice.
Your location: The French Legation
Your refuge: Wright Bros. Brew & Brew