Gruene Hall has two-stepped its way to No. 38 on the list.
Gruene Hall/ Facebook
The people have spoken: When it comes to concert venues, Texas has some of the best.
Yelp has compiled a list of the top 50 small and midsize music venues across the U.S., based on number of reviews and overall star rating on its site, and the Lone Star State scores big with six.
Unfortunately no San Antonio spots make the cut, but we can rest easy knowing a beloved neighbor has received the recognition it deserves. "Texas' oldest dance hall," Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, is No. 38. It makes a major impression for its history (originally built in 1878 and largely unchanged since), lack of air conditioning (the side walls open up), and cash-only bar (history, y'all).
The No. 1 spot overall goes to Skylark Lounge in Austin. Concert-goers praise the old-school music club's dark and dingy "dive vibe," along with its pretty decent pizza.
Also in Austin? The Cactus Cafe, the intimate listening room on the University of Texas campus, comes in at No. 27, and The Little Longhorn Saloon, everyone's favorite place for Chicken Shit Bingo, squeaks in at No. 50.
Two Dallas venues round out the Texas representation. Oak Cliff's Kessler Theater, once owned by country star Gene Autry, is No. 11. The Granada Theater, in Lower Greenville, lands at No. 42. Next-door neighbor Sundown at Granada is a huge plus for those looking for a nosh before or after the show.
Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026
Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.
His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o'-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.
However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.
Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.
With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.
The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.
Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.
