Exploring Asheville’s Lively Music Scene

Asheville is a city where music fuels local culture, seamlessly integrated into every aspect of community life. Nestled in western North Carolina and surrounded by the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, the city boasts nearly 30 music venues that cater to its artsy community. Here, you can encounter music in the most unexpected places, from concert venues built in junkyards to recording studios set within churches.

One memorable evening, I found live music aboard a vibrant purple bus cruising through the streets of Asheville. This unique experience was part of the LaZoom Band & Beer Bus Tour, which stops at several local breweries while featuring a live band onboard. The bus was spacious enough to accommodate a full four-piece band, complete with a keyboard and drum set. This night, local favorite Lyric played an energetic set filled with funky covers and original songs that had everyone vibing.

Jessica Tomasin, studio manager at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Recording, emphasizes the pervasiveness of music in the city: “Music is everywhere. For a town as small as we are, the amount of talent and resources we have here is pretty incredible. People come here for music.” Echo Mountain is a renowned recording studio located inside a repurposed 1926 Methodist church and has hosted notable artists such as The Avett Brothers and Widespread Panic.

Asheville: A Music City on the Rise

In recent years, Asheville’s music scene has evolved beyond its traditional folk and mountain music roots, embracing a broad spectrum of genres including rock, soul, pop, hip-hop, and classical. This growth has led many to draw parallels between Asheville and other significant American music cities like Nashville and Austin. “So many people involved in music are moving here all the time,” says Tomasin, indicating that the city’s music scene will only continue to flourish.

While Nashville is celebrated for its country music scene and Austin for its South By Southwest festival, Tomasin highlights Asheville’s uniqueness through its diverse music offerings. “If you come here and you’re a fan of any type of music, you’ll find it,” she claims.

The number of quality live performances over a single weekend in Asheville is astounding. You can catch renowned acts like Toro y Moi and Atmosphere at The Orange Peel, one of America’s top venues according to Rolling Stone, or enjoy local punk bands rocking out at The Odditorium, an eclectic venue located in the funky West Asheville neighborhood. It often feels like a festival atmosphere, but it’s merely another weekend in Asheville.

Busking in the Heart of Asheville

Even outside the clubs, music resonates throughout Asheville. The city offers unique venues featuring bands during brunch, music shops hosting sound healing baths, and a long-standing downtown drum circle. An iconic element of this music scene is its thriving busking community, recognized as one of the most vibrant in the nation. This is where many local musicians begin their journeys.

An organized group, the Asheville Buskers Collective, collaborates with local government to uphold Asheville’s reputation as a welcoming hub for street performers. On any given day, a wide range of free performances can be enjoyed across numerous downtown streets in this compact, pedestrian-friendly city. For many visitors, street performances are a quintessential part of Asheville’s charm.

For many street performers, this lively scene is the heart and soul of their work in Asheville. Abby the Spoon Lady, one of the most recognized street performers in the area, transitioned from traveling across the U.S. on freight trains to thriving as a full-time spoon-playing artist in Asheville. She moved to the city in 2013 after performing in Nashville for a couple of years. What does she find unique about Asheville’s scene?

“In Asheville, street performance is viewed as community rather than a commodity,” Abby explains. “The city has cultivated a permit-free street performance atmosphere.” Another defining feature of the local busking culture is the informal “two-hour rule,” where performers limit themselves to two hours at a venue, allowing others to share the space. This approach contrasts with many cities, where buskers may monopolize a location all day until compelled to leave by authorities.

Recently, a viral video featured Abby playing the spoons on the porch of her trailer with fellow performer Chris Rodrigues, garnering over 10 million views on YouTube. This attention led to a profile on the duo in the cover story of The Washington Post Magazine. Additionally, Abby hosts a weekly show titled ‘Busker Broadcast’ on local community radio station Asheville FM, focusing on issues pertinent to street performers.

Diverse Talents: From Newcomers to Legends

Asheville is home to a wide range of musical talent: from legendary artists like Gladys Knight to emerging indie stars like Angel Olsen and the folk greats Steep Canyon Rangers. Notably, the city inspired the recent Broadway musical Bright Star, co-created by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, as well as the acclaimed street performance documentary Buskin’ Blues.

The city embraces music festivals year-round, showcasing various genres. Notable events include the classical Asheville Amadeus Festival, the African/Caribbean-infused Asheville Goombay Festival, and the rock-centric LEAF festival. In addition, the annual Biltmore Concert Series in the grand environment of the esteemed Biltmore Estate attracts significant attention. Asheville’s annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival proudly holds the title of the longest continuously running music festival in America. Additionally, since 2018, the Connect Beyond Festival has become popular, delving into how music and art can drive social change.

Asheville’s Impact on Electronic Music

Asheville also plays a crucial role in the electronic music landscape, being the home of the Moog Factory. Robert Moog, a long-time resident, created the first commercial synthesizer in 1964 and contributed significantly to the global evolution of electronic music. The downtown facility offers free tours, allowing you to witness the meticulous handcrafting of these intricate instruments.

Venturing beyond downtown, you can discover several music venues in Asheville’s burgeoning River Arts District, including a charming wooden venue named The Bywater, where bands perform nightly, and the expansive Salvage Station, located in a former junkyard. Salvage Station hosts both indoor and outdoor concerts while offering a variety of local craft beers, further emphasizing Asheville’s reputation as one of America’s top craft beer destinations.

With its vibrant music scene, craft beer culture, beautiful mountains, and welcoming atmosphere, Asheville is a city that is hard not to fall in love with. The governor of North Carolina even declared 2019 as ‘The Year of Music’, making it a perfect time for music enthusiasts to explore everything Asheville has to offer. As Jessica Tomasin notes about the artists that collaborate in her studio, “They come as clients and leave as friends.” This sentiment extends to all visitors experiencing the magic of this enchanting mountain community.

Jay Gentile traveled to Asheville with assistance from Explore Asheville. iBestTravel contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.