Is there reliable public transit in Austin, TX?

Yup, we’ve got Capital Metro, which is our bus system. They go pretty much everywhere in the city and have several places where you can park your car and catch a bus.

A light rail system also finally got approved, and opens the first line in a few months.

Depends on reliable though, where you are comparing it to. The light rail mentioned above is really a commuter line to the burbs – there will probably only be some infrequent commuter trains. There is pretty decent local service around downtown, and if you are in the right areas you can rely on buses, but I would stick to the center city if you intend to do this. This can be augmented with biking if you are so inclined. There are still discussions of streetcars and light rail in the future, but since light rail was voted down previously, and only the limited commuter line has been approved, it will likely be a while.

Is there a “blue bike” system in place? Music is my motive, and I’m staying downtown. Can the existing transit system access other interesting places in the greater Metro area?
Is a car a necessary evil given my week’s stay?
Thanks

The bikes are yellow here (Yellow Bike Project) but I think it’s the same deal.

I don’t think you’ll have a problem getting around downtown and the campus area (University of Texas) which are where most of the music scene is. If you want to check out the hill country or go to the lake (there are a couple venues out there) then obviously a car wouldn’t be a bad idea. The bus system isn’t especially fast, but if you’re not in a hurry it’s pretty easy to get around for cheap.

Worst case scenario you might end up taking a cab to South Congress ($10??) or something, but if you’re staying in that area a car would be a waste of cash that could be spent on burritos.

Greater metro area – I’d say no. Probably some commute buses, but I’d doubt very convenient for a visit. As funkdaddy stated, much of the music scene is accessible downtown, though there are some attractions and venues further out, that would be best to have a car. Maybe rent a car for the couple of days you would want to venture out.

Back from Austin. Stayed at the downtown Hilton, so I was close to the “music.” Also, it is an easy walk to S. Congress for very reasonable bus fare.

Forgot the laptop, and curiously, not many internet cafe’s. Good thing for public libraries. The Hilton had a UPS place that charged almost a buck/minute. Convenient, but I routed my funds for some great food. Thanks to all for your help.