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Tue-Sun. 9:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
I don't know what there is to say about Elysium here. It's a standard goth/industrial joint; falling apart inside, lots of fishnet stockings and leather biker jackets complimented by dying purple hair and spiky or eighties haircuts.
The whole place smells like clove cigarettes. Eighties night on Sundays is definitely worth going to - and one of the few really fun things to do late on a Sunday night - and the variety of music is surprisingly good. They'll take your requests, but they'll pretty much only play them if they want to.
So go on - order a rum and coke, light up your smoke (inside!), and dance a little. You'll have a great time, and so will your friends.
An excerpt from "A Complete Guide To Identifying and Cataloging Goths", some of the most common specimens you will see here on a Saturday night:
Wears fishnets, leather jackets, and vintage band shirts that have been cut-up or otherwise modified. May have teased and dyed hair. Listens to Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Smokes clove cigarettes, drinks rum and coke. Classification: Old School Goth.
Wears PVC, towering platform boots, and fuzzy leg warmers. Has dreadlocks, plastic bits, or tubular crin instead of hair. Probably has goggles strapped to their head, and may be carrying glowsticks. Listens to EMB and Synthpop. Drinks something called a Jaded Dragon, which looks a lot like antifreeze. Classification: Cybergoth.
Wears combat boots, military jackets, and tank tops. Has a shaved head or a mohawk. Accessorizes with spiked bracelets and collars. Listens to music with angry German lyrics and stuff that uses saws as instruments. Smokes like a chimney, drinks beer or whiskey, and will kick your face in if you bother them. Classification: Rivethead, aka Industrial Goth.
Wears Victorian-styled clothing and corsets. Does hair in a fancy updo, perhaps with a top hat. Listens to Voltaire while drinking a glass of red wine. Classification: Romantic Goth. (If majority wardrobe color is brown instead of black and they have more than one gear or watch part on their person, use Sub-classification: Steampunk instead.)
Wears t-shirt, jeans, and sensible shoes. May wear a baseball hat. Drinks PBR. Stares at everyone and looks really confused. Classification: Someone who thought it was Sunday 80's night.
Austin, you really aren't cool enough to be goth. You're a white 20-something computer programmer with dreadlocks and tevas and you listen to jam bands. You're just not very cool.
Luckily for me, you have Elysium, the only goth/80's/industrial/shoegaze in the city to my knowledge. The charming little place I can go where decent music is played, the bartenders are virtuosos (I love you, Mr. Asian Ponytail), there aren't bros everywhere trying to prove that bros can dance too (you can't. Can not.) Sure, there are some unfortunate looking regulars that seem like they have behavioral problems, the ever present lady-o'-the-day-glo on stage during 80's night gesturing wildly like some terrible showboating puppet master, but it's a small price to pay.
A tiny haven where you can be your petulant little self, play Addams Family pinball, have a stiff drink, have a fucking cigarette in peace, and hear stellar music downtown. Keep on playin' my heartstrings Elysium, I do love you so.
Everyone talks about Sunday night 80s night, and it's true ... super fun. Only thing really worth doing on Sunday nights.
Dance to "Radio Ga Ga" (instead of Lady Gaga), dance to Billy Idol (instead of Kanye West), dance to "Billie Jean" (instead of "Single Ladies") ... no hip hop where white girls in too-tight dresses try to do that booty-vibration thing, where it seems like they are trying to achieve perpetual motion with their ass. Easy to cut loose and just have a good time with music that actually doesn't suck.
Very friendly people come there too. After a year of coming off and on there's always someone there I know to chat with, and I always meet people, especially if I dress outlandishly enough. Be careful about getting TOO friendly, though, or you might get drawn into some goth-kid drama.
If I ever feel like leaving the house on a Sunday, this is always the place I want to go. It's hilarious and has one of the most diverse crowds ever.
And where else can you get together with someone you have NOTHING in common with and dance to 'Rock Lobster'? That's right, my friends. This place brings people together. And while some of those people don't know about showers, the drinks are good enough that you can just not care.
Ive been going here forever. Its been one of my favorite goth clubs ever. And especially since all my friends in Austin go here, it makes it even better. I like going on Saturday and Sunday night the most (Industrial and 80's night respectively.) 80s night is very popular. The live events are very good, and the special events such as Zombie Ball, are very fun. The drinks are kind of expensive though, and on 80s night they dont usually get around to your requests and play some of the same songs every week, which, being a regular at 80s night, can get kind of old. Other than that this place is awesome and I will continue to be a regular here for a very long time.
I've only been once on a Sunday night for 80s night, but it was definitely a good time!
Compared to other bars on Sunday nights though, you ended up spending a bit too much here (-1 star). I think it was a $4 cover plus another $3-$5 per drink when I could go other places on 6th and pay no cover and get drinks for less than a dollar.
But, the dancing was entirely way too much fun. I'm normally not a huge dancer, but the fact that literally everyone was dancing and there weren't any creeper old guys trying to grind up on me, I felt comfortable and had a great time.
I missed a good chunk of dance time though when I had to wait in line at least 10-15 minutes for the bathroom. Seriously?! There were 3 stalls, 2 of which were working and a complete mess (-1 star). Yes, I realize it's a bar full of people, but that was pretty disgusting.
Anyway, check out 80s night if you're looking for a good night of dancing and fun people!
Being a product of the 80's I have soft spot for dank dark somber spaces. Being a product of the 80's I personally have serious problems with old tired music that has been played for far too long and want to see more changes within the Gothic/Industrial cultur.
But being an artist and somebody that likes to think ahead I highly encourage change and adaptations and contribute to the community on many levels... and I think Elysium is one of the best spaces to support underground subculture in Austin.
I know the owner well so I may be biased but I hold back no punches either as I always want the places I love to do better and to be successful.
If you are teeny bopper you will love Sunday nights - Retro 80's night. This is when you can hear all the crap we didn't like in the underground back in the 80's because it was on MTV and always on the radio. But you will get lucky and hear little jewels throughout the night - stuff from the B-sides, obscure hits, and music for the masses. If you still love Depeche Mode, the Go Go's and Toni Basil this is a night for you.
If you consider yourself a true Gothic/Industrial fan which is what the club is known for than Saturdays and Wednesdays are good night. They both have their place. Wednesday is more suiteed to the obscure the dark wave style of the mid 90's while Saturday is more suited to more modern releases - dark trance , synth pop, etc...
Fridays are the best nights to catch up and coming sub culture bands trying to make their mark and be the next Bauhaus or Trent Reznor... like me for example. I often perform with my collective - Hipnautica along side friends like subNatural, Chant, Death is Not a Joyride, etc... Many people wonder why I play there so often.
1) they have a green room for our ladies to get ready
2) they have a great stage
3) powerful sound system and Chuck is one of the best sound man
4) the owner always pays fairly based on real traffic
5) the patrons are open minded freaks like me
While the club as Austin's only dedicated Gothic club the space and the patrons are open to other genres... such as Rock, Metal, Experimental, Industrial, DubStep, Dark House, Dark Trance, Goa, Dark World Electronic, Post Apocalyptic as well as many other sub cultures off shots.
Life is too short to be closed minded - open your eyes and you will see the world is a beautiful place to be.
As for the bar - great drink prices, if you are a regular they will take care of you, I hear that the staff can takes a little while to warm up to you - unless you are really cool to them, tip well and/or very hot. Be friendly, take your time at the bar, tip well, and take it all in stride. this ain't sixth street or the warehouse district - don't be a pansy or expect to be baby sat.
~sky
Are we human or are we dancers??? Um, it certainly doesn't seem to be human at Elysium (especially on Saturdays - goth night). Sundays? I love Elysium on Sundays because it REALLY is for us dancers. I abstain completely from all drugs and alcohol so I go out to socialize and dance,dance,dance, dance. Also, as a woman, I feel completely comfortable going solo to Elysium. There are plenty of regulars that come by themselves and if you are new and solo, just get on the dance floor and shake it. You will blend in perfectly and soon you will be up on the stage doing Thriller with Sean. The bartenders are PERFECT at Elysium and I NEVER get any weird vibes when I order ice water. In fact, as soon as I walk up to the bar, the bartenders have an ice water on the bar for me. Elysium is also one of the safest clubs downtown in my opinion. If anyone bothers you or if you already told some creepy-unwanted-touchy-feely person on the dance floor to back off and they haven't, let any one of the Elysium staff know immediately and that sh*t will be taken care of 100% times 2. I think everybody should give Elysium a try on Sunday, 80s night. Go for it. No really. Do it.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not much of a club-goer. I'm far too much of a mild-mannered homebody for that. I'd much rather spend my night curled up on the couch playing video games or reading math books that go out to a club or bar. Regardless, I agreed to accompany a friend to Elysium for their 2009 Steampunk Ball because it sounded somewhat interesting. After all, how often do I have occasion to wear a corset?
Pros:
1) Friendly people
2) Decent music (not the kind of stuff you'd find on my ipod, but danceable)
3) Free soda -- not sure if the bartender just thought I was nice/cute or if they regularly give free drinks to designated drivers, but who am I to complain either way?
4) Inexpensive cover ($3 the night we went)
Cons:
There is only one and it's a biggie. The smoking. OMFG, the smoking! Now my Libertarian sensibilities won't allow me to be offended by this flagrant violation of city law because I don't think that the government has any business telling private business owners that their patrons can't do something otherwise legal on their premises, but I digress...
On a personal level, however, I find smoking inside to be disgusting and disrespectful to non-smokers. If it were mostly confined to a particular area of the club, I wouldn't mind, but folks were smoking by the bar, by the pool tables, even out of the dance floor (seriously? wtf?). All this with a nice patio outside to go smoke & drink and watch other Austinites walk by. By the middle of the night, I was literally sick to my stomach due to the smoke inhalation. On that basis alone, I probably won't be back, despite an otherwise pleasant experience.
Sorry, Elysium. Smoking FTL.
Goth night here was a good time and the drinks were decent and cheap enough. So, why am I only giving them three stars? SMOKING. There's a huge patio and people were still smoking inside. Ick. I smoke too, but I have no desire to inhale your assy clove smoke while I"m dancing. Foul. Now I smell like a vampire ashtray. Thanks, jerks.
I don't know this place well. I went here as part of a sketch group who draw burlesque models. The experience was okay. We were the only ones in the bar, so I can't really evaluate the place on a normal night: 80s night and Goth night sound interesting. I'll have to go back.
But all I can say is ... what's with the $1 service charge on top of the already over-priced $6 Guinness pints. This did NOT make me happy.
I gotta say, I'm a fan.
Maybe not "Yay! I'm a fan", because all those goth kids from Elysium might get the wrong idea about me.
Not that they don't already. I mean, I have some black clothes. Sure, I like to be dark and gothic sometimes. But when I go here on any kind of regular basis, I end up wearing things that I know will make people in there do a double take. That usually means wearing bright colors or any of my Glamor-Hippie gear. That really creeps them out.
Plus, my GF likes to go there a lot for 80s night. That's usually when I go too. She dances to all the dark and goth/industrial stuff. I dance to all the happy-go-lucky fun music. Perfect. I can drool over her dancing and she can laugh at mine!
And, btw, John the owner is a great guy too. A little intense for some people, but I like him. He's helped us out with some great shows at Elysium, and is always eager to help out.
One thing...
No clowns.
They are not allowed.
Just so you're warned.
Yeah, I'm the freak out there dancing to almost everything a couple of Sunday nights!
A shout out goes to DJ Pumpkin Spice for a great solid effort. An older woman DJ. Unheard of! Good for her. But, you can almost set your watch to what she's going to play. I'm an 80s (new wave) child. So, when I go out to dance at a new wave/retro DANCE club, I'm not going there to listen to Motley Crue, "Girls, Girls, Girls" or other heavy metal tunes.
I did enjoy the Billy Idol look alike, his gal friend middle aged Goth Chic and the whole crew in the furry jackets. By the way, just say no, if they try to sell you acid and/or X. They take rejection okay.
However, always Austin, love you for being laid back. Everyone was out there just to have fun and dance! No one was a jerk at all! Really enjoy visiting it once a semester!
We walked into Elysium Sunday night for 80s night and walked into a maelstrom of counter-cultures. The list of party goers included (but was not limited to) punks, lesbians, sorority chicks, goths, yuppies, frat boys, metal heads, gay boys, hipsters, and 80s freaks. I have never seen so much eyeliner applied in so many different ways. Wet 'N' Wild should really expand their marketing....
The highlight of the evening was when a Billy Idol look alike (you know who you are!) hopped on stage and mashed with a sorority chick, grunge dude, and goth queen in a bustier.
Cover: $4
Lone Star: $4
Memories of Elysium: Priceless
If there's any club in Austin I'm qualified to review, it's got to be Elysium. For years I whiled away virtually every Sunday evening boogin' down to the left-of-center eighties at Atomic Cafe. When the club was sold, I was thrilled to find that the new owners were regulars John Wickham and his lovely wife Sarah. They've kept the spirit of the previous club intact--goth and virtually every "alternative lifestyle"-friendly--while making improvements and giving the place their own spin.
As always, Sundays are the flagship nights. Goths, punks, and indie kids mingle with thirty-somethings (like myself) reliving their youths. Definitely a party atmosphere, Sundays have a reputation in some quarters as a bit of a meat market, earning the club the nickname "Sleazium." At any rate, Sunday night music is a mixed bag, in my estimation. While I prefer the darker side of the decade--your Smiths, Joy Division, Thrill Kill Kult, et al.--these compete for turntable time with more mainstream fare, like Michael Jackson and Toni Basil.
This is why, when I'd really like to shake my money-maker, I opt for Wednesdays. Driven mostly by requests and ably helmed by DJ Pumpkin Spice (i.e., Sarah Wickham), Wednesdays have a smaller, but clearly devoted, following. Not exactly a goth night (see Saturday for that), one can dance relatively unfettered by butts and elbows in your business without being conspicuously alone on the floor.
That said, it's Sunday night as I write this. Guess where I'm off to next? See ya there...
My two experiences at Elysium.
1. Goth night. (almost every night but especially Saturdays)
When we were shaking off a night dancing on 6th street my friend turns to me, face gleaming and says...Hey, I have a place I really want to go. So we arrive at Elysium on Red River. We go in. She immediately opens her purse, where she has stored for this occasion with a necklace with studs and a pair of black gloves. This, ladies and gents, was a Goth night. Everyone in the bar was dressed in black. Black lipstick, silver studs, piercings and tattoos. Several people danced alone on the dance floor to loud heavy metal, and she grinned and went to join the small crowd. Looking down at my tank top and jeans I realized I couldn't be more out of place if I tried and after the polite hour of hanging, decided to call it a night. I vowed I would never go to Elysium again.
( 3 months later)
2. 80's night (Sundays)
"Just try it one more time," says my friend. You know, the one of the black gloves fame. "Its 80's night, it's like totally different." So I did. This time instead of the black and spikes people were dressed in bright crazy colors. The music was a little obscure for 80's but once and again they played something I knew. In the beginning individuals danced alone on the dance floor ( Ten bucks says at least half of them were on something illegal) and by 12 the club was a huge dancing slip and slide, packed so tightly you could barely breathe and didn't want to. The hard core dancers shook it on the slightly elevated stage. The less hardcore ones played pool in the back. This was a really great party. I went back many many times. But only on Sundays.
"Under Pressure"'s cathartic climax still ringing in my ears, I stumbled out of Elysium's 80s Night in a blissful haze, drenched in sweat. I even convinced myself that the DJ hadn't tried to followup that perfect, end-of-the-night song with "Ice, Ice, Baby".
I could only think one thing: every night should be '80's Night at Elysiums.
I returned the next Sunday. A little later, a little less appropriately dressed, and a lot less buzzed. It was 1am, the home stretch. Time to bring in the good music, and pack the floor.
But no, half an hour passed and is was still mediocre, indistinguishable 80s music. I left, wondering if the week before had just been one of those rare alignments of fate.
I hope I am wrong, and base my rating primarily on the week before.
Elysium's known for being a lesbian bar, but that's not all you'll find here... any aberration of society's got a place. There's a night for pretty much any kink one might be into.
I usually only go for 80's night, which is a pretty rockin' party if you're in the mood for dancing. The dance floor is always totally packed and everyone gets dressed up, but not in a pretentious way. The music is "good 80's" as opposed to "cheesy 80's", if there is such a thing. If you're a straight dude whose girlfriend dragged you out for 80's night and you're not really into it, you can always mope and play pool.
Plenty of illegal activities going on in the bathrooms.
Smoking allowed inside.
I love to hate this place.
I used to DJ here regularly for "Downtemple" thursday nights a few years ago so I spent a fair amount of time there after the "re-opening" as Elysium.
Its somewhat famous for it's 80s night if yer into that sort of thing. Goth friendly
Pros:
- Pinball (Addams Family and Dracula - I think)
Cons:
- Smoking is allowed/tolerated inside - regarless of the smoking ban
Elysium...... what can one say about this place but be forewarned at what you'll come across. I've never been here on any other night other than Sundays (80's night) so I can't comment other than Sundays. Here's the soup, this is NOT a place to see "pretty people" (sorry, no offense to the 80's patrons of this place), if that's your bag go to W. 6th where that seems to be the ONLY thing W 6th is good for as they offer little in good music & even less in dancing. I like Elysium because it's the only place where one can go & actually dance, holy dance floor batman, would you believe it, a dance floor where people actually dance & not just stand around & "try" to look cool (another reference to W 6th, ie, Union Park). Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to dis Union Park & it's not like I myself don't partake into "that" crowd myself but every now & then it's nice to actually be able to go find a dance floor & a DJ who caters to those who "actually" want to dance & not just stand around, ya know? Anyhow, I will agree, the drink rates could be better it being Sunday n'all but then those who go here on 80's night don't go to drink or be seen (at least i don't), they go here as it's one of the last places who still play 80's music & offer the floor so you can break a sweat....... gigiddy!!!
A great time especially Saturday nights for the goth kids and Sunday for the 80's enthusiasts. They also have great local and touring bands!
My best friend (fellow Yelper Jen C., for interested parties) and I have been friends since 1994. That said, we are also big people watchers. Tie our long history with a trip to Elysium, and really, the fun was instant.
We went on a Sunday night for 80s, and music-wise, it was terrible compared to Rock the Casbah, but the people are so outrageous, I had way more fun. There was a very muscular dude wearing daisy duke denim shorts and a bandanna around his neck: Cowboy. There was the shirtless crew- a dozen dudes that were heavily tattooed, mostly with little bellies hanging over their jeans, constantly rubbing each other's chests and taking photos. There were some kids outside who kept asking us stuff about "Degrassi High" and wanting us to add them to their MySpace. A girl wearing a cupless bra outside of her white oxford- seriously, it goes on and on. This is the most diverse mix of people I've ever seen in Austin, and it was cool to go to a "whatever" club- not straight, not frat, not inked, not hipster, not shoegazer, not lesbian, not strange exhibitionists that wear cowboy hats and like to stand on a stage to dance- just Everybody was welcome, for once, and it was really fun to be a part of it!
With said diversity, I felt that surely no one was looking at me, which I think is how the inhibitions of the whole place just go out the window. I was jumping around dancing like a lunatic, til Jen C. and I had to stop to catch our breath sometimes from simultaneously laughing so hard and dancing so hard. It was such a great night.
Bartenders are okay- I got my drinks from a guy who I think was named Lowell? He seemed to really cozy up to the regulars and not care about the new people, but I guess that's just good strategy on his part. Drink prices were average but Lowell was decently quick with service. I want to go back the next time I have a random Sunday night available for 2 am dancing.
I really liked Elysium when Frap worked there. He had a way of making people feel special and he could make everyone at his bar feel that way all at the same time. Awesome guy. I have no idea where he's working now, nor do I know who is working at the bottom bar there. Since he left I've gone a few times for 80s night, but it's just not the same without Frap. Drinks are a little over priced too.
You have to put these five stars into context. It's not the prettiest, largest, best-sounding club in the land, but it never pretended to be. It's shooting for a certain somewhat grungy aesthetic, and it hits the bullseye, and there's plenty of people who love it precisely because of it. But if that ain't your thing, don't bother going there, or, if you do, just soak it in but don't hold it against the place. It never promised to be the next great ballroom or techno haven. Thank god. But it's got prompt service (within reason - they can be pretty packed), friendly staff, good security, a patio for you smokers, and owners who are extremely responsive. Sundays are obviously the night to go (80s night, with a laid-back vibe), and are the most popular and most fun. But it also offers a wide array of bands, events, and special offerings that you simply wouldn't get out of any other club in town. It doesn't just feed off the community, it feeds into it, and that right there earns it five stars, all on its own.
As a regular of this joint for the last 2 years or so, I have to give props to John the owner for an awesome place to just chill.
I usually go on Sundays for a great dance night filled with 80's and 90's music that I thought was long gone!
Drinks are reasonably priced, the bartenders a hoot, and a friendly group of regulars.
club kids, but good and the best of a good austin legend
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Dance Clubs
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