One-2-One Bar

In a salsa world that has so many genre’s of dancing, the Cuban dancing community has been pressed to find a venue that could rival that of Ruta Maya with the band Ritmo 3 (tr3s) on Sunday nights. It’s been a couple of years since then and many places have attempted to recreate the scene: cuban café, Pedros place etc. Places that, in their own right, keep the people who frequent these venues dancing. Although, Pedros place has become more of a second Dallas night club (closed) for Wednesday nights.
Other venues (Glorias, Oasis, etc) are catered toward being entertainment for those dining in (oasis) and somewhat an upscale nightclub (glorias).
I have heard that the Continental club on wednesday nights has a good band and very authentic spot to dance, but have yet to frequent the place to check out the band «Rey artega/​son y no son» I will review once I make it out there.
About the venue:
Timberos del Norte are an up and coming band that features old faces and sounds of Ritmo 3 with a new style and flare that will keep you dancing throughout the night. The band is quickly evolving and someday may be one of the premier bands that hopefully remain to play at venues that support Timba songs/​dancers. Authentic in their sound, you will find their music to be inspired by multiple sources.
The venue is spacious and seating is arranged so that the focal point is the band and the dancers. The bar is large, making it easier to grab a drink. There are venues that the bar area is so small, people lounge in front and keep others from getting a drink.
If you are looking for authentic music, dancers who are out to have fun and a friendly environment, this is your sunday spot!
Free introductory class by Austin Cuban Salsa’s Esther Weeks. Starting at 8pm.
Sunday: 8−11pm.
Cover: $ 7 (to support the band)
Dress code: Casual

Good times. Good acts. Nice size. Nice layout. One bartender a little rude but the others are nice.

Looks like a cool place however we were a bit too early to get to enjoy the band that was gonna preform @ 7pm & we had gotten there at 6… The cover was $ 15 to get in. Which was a good deal to see 2bands. But we didn’t want to wait so we went on over to the Saxon pub. But I do need to come back here again to check it out! The staff seemed friendly. That’s always a plus!!!

Since it’s move to s. Lamar, I’ve enjoyed continued visits to this fantastic club. One 2 One makes clear strides to insure that the live music you hear will ALWAYS be of high quality and broad appeal. This is one of my stares for out of town guests who want experience the live music about which they have heard for years.
Also, one a rare night they have a trained monkey who sits behind the mixer pretending to run sound. They call him Greg. He smells a little but is always a pleasant sight to see when he isn’t throwing his feces at the walls.

Wonderful music venue featuring all types of music! The staff are always polite and helpful and the owners are usually there as well and they are two of the nicest people ever! If you want great music I recommend One-​2-​One all the way!

Hands down the best live music venue in Austin. Friendly staff and owners who show amazing support for local musicians. Great drinks, great sound, perfect space. I highly recommend One-​2-​One.

Great place to relax and enjoy quality local music any night of the week! Saw Hedda Layne last night and she was fab along with her back-​up crew!

Finally made it here, so close to the crib and so Austin.
Came over like 6:30 on a whim, $ 5 cover charge per. Opening band not my cup of tea but very chill scene happening so we stayed in the blacked out day time bar.
Drinks were reasonable and we had a seat. Probably need to arrive by 7:30 — 8:00 for a seat, mostly standing room otherwise.
Hippy band was second and had a small following missed the name but 4 guitars and a tie dyed Following.
Ready to return on purpose and catch a blues band I may want to see. Great competition for Saxon Pub across the street.

I love the venue. It’s small enough to get in close and big enough to hold all my friends. This is a true Austin gem. Bring cash for the cover unless you wanna pay a $ 3.50 upcharge for cc’s.

Many of the comments here apply to their first location, not the new S Lamar location across from Barlata. Very good people, both the owner couple who sweated blood to open this location, and good bar staff such as Kelly. Good sound, well-​stocked bar, good pours, but the owners have made this bar about the music and musicians since day one.
Would be nice to have more (and more comfortable) seating but this is an Austin venue for Austin musicians and deserves support of the locals. Great people and setup, they’re trying and evolving to do it right.

I am a musician in the Austin, TX area. I have played at One 2 One numerous times and I cannot stress enough how fantastic the sound, stage, bar, employees, and owners are. Austin has hundreds of bars and thousands of musicians. what puts One 2 One above the rest is that the owners REALLY care about local music. They have spared no expense on a state of the art PA system and they also employ some of the best sound engineers in town. I love playing at One 2 One Bar, and I love checking out other bands at One 2 One. You don’t have to worry about the hassle of going downtown and you can park for free!

Awesome bar, awesome band (That Bandit is great), «best sound in Austin», cheap drinks, but I wish there was a rooftop deck per the pictures.

I would never have known this place existed if my friend hadn’t played a show here. Tucked away in a little strip center, this bar is a nice place to see music. The acoustics were good, the bartender poured strong drinks, and there was plenty of parking.
My only complaint would be that unless it’s dark out, every time the front door opens, it lights up the room. I’d recommend a curtain or some kind of divider to block the light, but I’m not quite sure how they could fix this problem.
Otherwise, decent venue.

I’ve waited a long time to make this review.
I am a local Austin Musician. I am a Freelance Musician FULL TIME! I do not work another job. I make and play music for a living. This bar and it’s owners care so much about the local Austin Music scene, that they should be getting award after award.
They «keep Austin weird» and support local businesses. They also have some of the nicest bar staff that really do work for you (treat them like humans and you will get some amazing service! It’s a bar! Be patient and show some respect… just like any other place!). They hire some of the best local Austin music you could every dream about.
I try to tell anyone about this place because they are promoting some amazing talent in this city that really deserve to be heard. These aren’t a bunch of mindless covers or thrown together garage bands that you can find on dirty 6^th. These acts are professional and amazing 7 days a week!
I’ve been an audience member. I’ve been on the stage. I’ve seen how the owners really care about their business, about Austin music, and about the quality of entertainment that you deserve to hear.
I can say this:
–don’t come to talk way too loud over a band that is actually playing with dynamics. If it’s a quieter «jazzy» type of a band, pay attention and get your end of the deal after you paid a simple and small cover that goes directly to the band.
–this is a music venue first. Yes they have a killing bar and bar staff. However, respect the fact that you are hearing some of the best local musicians played for you. The bar doesn’t touch the door cover or any of the bands’ money they make at One2One. Tip the band, support live music, and support what this bar does!!! You might not know but a ton of the musicians on stage or even right next to you at the bar might have toured or is touring with someone big;)
–Also, don’t take my word for it. Ask the bartenders about some of the regulars and what those people like about the bar! There are too many reasons to list why this place is great. Come see it for yourself and ask questions! The owners are more than willing to talk to people. Gregg and Destinee are amazing and beautiful people!!!
One2One has a heritage that will be around this city no matter what happens. My advise to you is to come down and experience this place every night of the week and enjoy what it has to offer.

This is a live music venue with a bar in the back, and it’s a great space, though not a place you’d want to come to each and every night. Why? Well, the sound is overdriven in a concrete room, which means earplugs are an absolute must for anyone wanting to avoid tinnitus. Seriously, your ears will bleed if the band is loud. And that’s the only drawback, but it’s a serious one for music lovers. And if you’re a dancer, be forewarned that the floor is concrete and uneven. Not always a dealbreaker, but it can definitely be an issue. Yup, three stars.
The bar is generally pretty good, though I don’t drink much there. I pay the $ 5 cover without complaint. The bands I like most are the Matchmakers and the Night Owls, so you may infer that I usually only go there Monday nights. There’s plenty of hangout space, though the music is pretty loud, so conversing is an issue.
If they’d put in a wooden floor, and most importantly, stop the excessive volume, I’d love this place. I think Karl Morgan used to play here, and I’m sad I didn’t get to catch more of him before he went back to Australia.

A fantastic venue with a large stage and great sound system that features live soul, jazz and funk. I have danced to Extreme Heat since the 80s and ventured in with Hubby and friends to hear them recently. They have never been better and simply blew me away with their fine funk and acoustical style. We have also heard Duck Soup here. Anyone remember them? A fantastic cover band also from the 80s.
One-​2-​One has moved to South Lamar across from Saxon Pub. Lots of parking and the cover for such outstanding music is typically $ 5 to $ 10. Décor features memorabilia and art from the Austin Music Scene and bathrooms are fairly clean. The crowd is 20 year olds to 90 year olds. So if you are still living and can walk, it’s your kind of place.
They have a full bar but no service to tables. Aw, you know how to get a drink! It gets crowded with dancing and groovin’ going on so don’t be shy grab your own drinks and find a floor space because tables are gone by 7:00 p.m.

One-​2-​One is a great live music venue that is more about the music than most Austin venues. This review is from the perspective of both a musician who plays the room and stops in to see music there regularly.
First of all, this is a club where 90% you either see Gregg or Destiny (the owners) in the club working. They handle the booking themselves and Gregg runs sound at least a third of the time. In this world where most downtown bars are owned by the same few investors, I can get over the fact that it’s in a strip mall, because it’s a grassroots, hands on business. i chuckled at the Bluebird in Nashville the first time I walked in (due to the strip mall vibe), but nobody complains about the inside…
The stage is spacious. The monitors sound fantastic. They have and generally prefer that you use drum and bass backline. The sound system is great and the lights are really good, but they don’t really ever change scene or anything like that, so video there can appear kind of flat. They give nice drink discounts to the musicians. Entire staff is super cool and friendly. Bathrooms always clean.
The room feels much bigger than the old 5^th St location downtown. The stage there felt really intimate in a musical way. They have some good craft beers on draft and in bottles. One thing a bit negative for me is that there really isn’t anywhere else to be but in the main room seeing the show. If you have to take a phone call or something you’ll most likely be standing outside with the smokers and Domino’s delivery folks coming in and out. I just need a bit more space sometimes. I have the same problem at the Cactus Café. This is why no 5 stars.
You won’t see a bad band there ever. No BS cowboy wannabes or whatever. Real musicians playing real music. You will see a lot of musicians hanging there drinking when they’re not playing. You will see some empty room shows, though, and the room is not particularly comfortable in a lightly attended show. I would not recommend booking a date there unless you can get at least 50 folks in there. Downtown clubs always have more walk in traffic at good shows. Don’t expect any walk in customers at your show. Promote heavily.
The room is pretty well dialed in for party dance bands, in that the system sounds really good and there is nice sized dance floor. Sometimes they put seating in there for more «listening room» type shows, but I think that they’re still kind of growing into that vibe and kind of show.
All in all, a great spot on S Lamar. On the real, one of the best spots to stop in for a quick drink and show in Austin. Parking is not an issue.

What can I say about One-​2-​One Bar? Well last night, as I was standing outside Barlata looking across the street, I said, «Oh, that’s where One-​2-​One Bar is.» When happy hour was winding down, but my companion and I were not, I said «Let’s go across the street.» He said, «I hope there’s not a cover» but we both paid our $ 5 cover when asked though I hate this practice. I think music venues should not charge cover for local bands and just give the bands a cut of the bar instead, because we are not going there to drink, just to listen to bands. The club was mostly empty but they were doing brisk business at the bar and we stayed for the first band and drank a couple drinks, then left after two songs of the second band. So my method would have worked perfectly in this situation, more of our bar tab would gone to the band that we liked versus the other band and we would not have been annoyed to pay $ 5 for one band we liked and another, not so much.
The first band was Hail Marley, a pitch perfect Bob Marley cover band. Seriously, squint just a little, and it’s like you’re listening to the man himself. Sound was excellent, because, of course a music venue in a strip center would have better sound than over half the preeminent music venues in the Live Music Capital of the World.
The drink specials were irie: $ 5 rum punch and $ 3 Red Stripe tall boys. Look out for the overly generous pour of grenadine on the rum punch though: diabetes in a glass. The club was sparely decorated with some guitars on the wall and weird mirror cut outs of Lennon, Willie, and of course, Stevie. Above the beer coolers, a few funny signs like, «Better to have love and lost than to live with a psycho for the rest of your life» and «Free beer (tomorrow).» There was also a HUGE, overly optimistic tip jar on the bar. Gotta love someone with a sense of humor.
I am not sure if I would seek One-​2-​One in the future, but in the context of more and more things being available south, and this specific corridor having one of the best new tapas places in town, the soon to be new Odd Duck restaurant, and the beloved Saxon Pub and Gibson, as well as close proximity to Barley Swine, Henri’s, Olivia, Horeshoe Lounge, Lick, Corner Bar, Opa, Mercury Pizza, and Black Sheep Lodge, I’m happy it’s here. Viva SoLa!

If you’re wondering where all the good live music clubs have gone in the Live Music Capital of the World, here’s a hint: they’ve left 6^th Street for lower rents, more space, and better parking. One-​2-​One on S. Lamar carries on the tradition of now (sadly) defunct clubs such as Steamboat and The Black Cat, nurturing and showcasing some of the best Austin bands in a comfortable venue with great sound, lighting, and ambience. And seats! One-​2-​One not only has seats, it has room in front of the raised stage to dance.
Monday nights are all about Motown, with a couple of really fun bands on a regular rotation. The dance floor is packed with young couples doing a jitterbug-​swing dance that looks like a resuscitated trend. I knew they were serious when I saw a retro car with license plates «LindyHop» in the parking lot on my way out.
Other nights have a variety of original rock bands, jazz, singer-​songwriters, blues artists. One-​2-​One takes care of its bands by paying them the money from the door, so they can get and keep the best local artists. So when you’re paying that cover charge (usually $ 10 or less), you know it’s going to fund your entertainment for the evening. Parking is free in the lot outside. A rare commodity in Austin these days.
The bar is well equipped and the staff (several of whom are the club’s owners) are super friendly and professional. They’re well known in the Austin music scene, and on any given night, you might look over to see a well-​known musician who has dropped in to say hello or to check out a friend playing onstage. This is the Austin music scene we’ve been missing, people. Get down there and check it out.

Everyone needs to have a place they can go to, where everyone knows their name. 121 bar on Fifth street was that place for me.
After the place closed, the owners worked feverishly to rebuild their reputation as a fun bar to go listen to live music at. And a few months ago they did it.
Reopened on South Lamar, the One-​2-​One bar retained its name yet completely revamped its image as a Walk off the Street bar into a place someone drives to specifically to see a band or two.
Greg and Destiny, the owners, have brought their feel good, awesome vibe to this otherwise low key shopping strip, and have opened what I think is one of the best places to hear music on south Lamar.
The night I visited, it was a packed house in anticipation of Mingo FishTrap, am awesome NOLA style Country Funk band.
With Greg at the Board, and Destiny by his side, I see the overall increase in their happiness.
Mike Q and Jess G behind the bar pouring drinks and taking names, are two of the best bartenders in Austin.
If you are from out of town and looking for a place off the main drag of bars downtown, head down South Lamar and look for the sign at 1509 S. Lamar. They always have some local band playing its tunes, plenty of parking, and lots to drink.
There are plenty of food options nearby for those who are looking for food.
Great Job G and D… keep it up!!!