The largest city in Western North Carolina, most known for being the world’s largest active archive of weather data, has a strong relationship with music industry.
Asheville has a rich live music portfolio, since the traditional street performance and outdoor music to festivals such as Bele Chere and the Lexington Avenue Arts & Fun Festival (LAAFF). There’s also the “Mountain Dance & Folk Festival” started in 1928 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford (that is said to be the first event ever labeled a “Folk Festival”) and “Downtown After 5” a monthly concert series held from 5 pm till 9 pm that hosts popular touring musicians as well as local acts.
But it’s the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam that brings many great rock bands to play alive, making the live music one of the most important economy elements of the region. Warren Haynes Christmas Jam is an annual charity event which raises money to Habitat For Humanity and attracts nationally touring acts like The Allman Brothers Band (Ashville natives) Dave Matthews Band, Ani Difranco and Widespread Panic.
Other big acts that happened in Asheville’s area in recent years are bands such as Dawes, Porcupine Tree, Broken Social Scene, Gillian Welch, Cat Power, Loretta Lynn,M. Warda and the Mountain Goats, to name only a few.
DJ music, as well as a small but active dance community are also components of the downtown musical landscape. The town is also home of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra and the Asheville Lyric Opera and there are several number of bluegrass, country, and traditional mountain musicians in the Asheville area.
One other essential event is the South Terrace of Biltmore which provides the stage for one of the most picturesque and unique outdoor music venues in the country. American rock band The Goo Goo Dolls (one of the most important alternative rock bands of the 90s) are the first performers to be announced for the 2017 concert season. Well, if you’re around North Carolina why don’t you look for yourself? There’s plenty of reasons (not only musical ones) to explore the area.
