A Music Lover’s Tour of Asheville—A Local’s Perspective

Asheville’s known for a great many things. For the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For the historic Biltmore Estate. For dining and for local craft beer.

But above all, I’ve always seen Asheville as a great place for music. Whether you’re stopping by a rooftop bar or South Slope brewery, or even just taking a walk downtown, the nearest live music is never too far away. It's a great town for music-lovers, and if that fits your description, or you know somebody with a tune in their heart, then read on, and discover some of the best things to do in Asheville for the musically-inclined.

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1: See a Show at The Orange Peel

Getting the obvious out of the way, The Orange Peel is one of Asheville’s greatest arguments for its status as a music-lover’s paradise. Maybe it's not Madison Square Garden, but it is an iconic downtown landmark, regularly attracting great acts, and thriving crowds.

So for your first stop on your tour, I recommend grabbing some tickets. Most of their acts play something in the rock/blues/folk arena, but you never know when they may mix it up with a 2000s dance party, a comedy show, or Taylor Swift night.

If you can’t find tickets, be sure to check out one of Asheville’s other awesome music venues, namely The Grey Eagle, The Asheville Music Hall, or west Asheville’s AyurPrana Listening Room.

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2: Listen in at Eulogy

If you’re looking for a smaller-scale venue, head on down to Eulogy on the South Slope. With brews straight from Burial Beer, one of the best breweries in Asheville, this relative newcomer to the local music scene specializes in underground and experimental acts, promising regular performances of the unusual and up-and-coming.

Street parking can be found all up and down the Slope, or at a garage at the western end of Buxton Avenue. Visit their website for tickets, and keep an eye out for their free events.

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3: Listen to Buskers Downtown

Some of the best live music you can hear in Asheville won’t cost you a cent. Busking is baked into downtown’s DNA, as much part of the city’s identity as the Grove Arcade or Pack Square. On any visit downtown, you’re bound to hear a few buskers while you’re going about your business (weather permitting). But next time you’re downtown, I recommend you stay a while and listen. 

Top spots to find these elusive performers include the corner of Pack Square, out front of The Noodle Shop, and at the Flat Iron Statue, on the intersection of Battery Park and Wall Street.

For the best touring experience, I recommend parking at the Pack Square garage, hitting the square first, and then hoofing west to Battery and Wall Street. From there, you’ll be strategically positioned to find a spot to eat, either in the Grove Arcade, or on Patton Avenue, just a couple blocks further on.

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4: Pay a Visit to Acoustic Croner

Now that you’re bound to have your live music fix, the next logical choice is to pick up some instrumentation yourself. And if you’re in the market, or just an appreciator of quality craftsmanship, then it's well worth making a little pilgrimage out east to Black Mountain’s Acoustic Corner.

Black Mountain’s long been one of my favorite small towns near Asheville, full of charming cafes, idyllic lake-side strolls, and even White Horse Black Mountain, a proven music-venue unto itself. Essentially, it's a little microcosm of Asheville.

Back to Acoustic Corner. They specialize in strings: guitars, banjos, mandolins, and violins. All instruments essential to the folk-music styles of WNC. They have a wide range of stock, including used and vintage pieces, with the oldest one I’ve seen dating back to the 1860s. If that doesn’t impress you music-lovers out there, I don’t know what will.

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5: Grab a Record from Citizen Vinyl

And finally, to conclude your tour of the Asheville music-scene, head on back to downtown for a stop at Citizen Vinyl, across from the Grove Arcade. Now you might have been to a vinyl store before. If you’re really into music, I expect you have. But here at Citizen Vinyl, they actually press their own LPs on-site, and offer ticketed tours of the facility.

On top of all that, they also sport Session café, serving coffee and laid-back sandwiches, perfect for a lazy brunch accompanied by classic records. 

Businesses Mentioned

The Orange Peel

(828)-398-1837

101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Eulogy

10 Buxton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Acoustic Corner

(828)-669-5162

105 F, Montreat Rd, Black Mountain, NC 28711

Citizen Vinyl

(828)-515-3090

14 O'Henry Ave, Asheville, NC 28801