The Hills are Alive
The Blue Ridge has been a hotbed for cultivating progressive music because the early nineteenth century, performing as a melting pot for cross-cultural pollinations that introduced beforehand unthinkable sonic combos like conventional Scottish fiddle tunes spliced with African rhythms, German Alpine folks, and Lutheran-style chorale harmonies.
At this time that spirit stays alive and effectively, embodied by a variety of genre-defying artists taking part in the whole lot from progressive bluegrass to genuine Americana to eclectic indie rock. And thankfully regional musicians have some nice levels to discover these sounds. Listed below are seven must-visit music venues within the mountains.
WEST VIRGINIA
Harpers Ferry Brewing Firm, Harpers Ferry
Technically situated in Purcellville, Virginia, this gem of a brewery sits simply three miles from historic downtown Harpers Ferry atop a give-or-take 1,000-foot mountain that backs onto a sheer escarpment with panoramic views of the Potomac River, city, and surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
High regional acts just like the Virginia Rum Runners carry out on weekends on an indoor stage or midsized out of doors bandstand on the periphery of a sprawling grass seating space populated by an array of picnic tables, stone terraces, firepits, decks and gazebos. Seize scrumptious tacos or nacho baskets from an out of doors meals truck and bar space or bask in a gourmand wood-fired pizza from the indoor meals counter. Pair your eats with samples from a seasonally altering menu of 20 home brews and ciders on faucet, and a choice of native wines. Harpersferrybrewing.com
Tradition Middle Theater, Charleston
The much-loved, two-hour Nationwide Public Radio present “Mountain Stage” doubles as an open-to-the-public reside live performance collection that’s virtually completely recorded in Charleston’s Tradition Middle Theater. The superbly renovated 468-seat theater and state museum sits adjoining to the capitol constructing in a historic district simply two blocks from the Kanawha River and its eponymous 9.1-mile riverside greenway.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting based the near-weekly present and collection in 1983 in an effort to drive tourism and enhance public entry to a various vary of elite-level musical acts. Alumni performers span a formidable spectrum of types and genres, starting from bluegrass legends like Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys to chart-topping pop stars like Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones. mountainstage.org
VIRGINIA
The Foundry, Waynesboro
You’ll discover this new state-of-the-art venue within the japanese nook of a massively overhauled 35,000-square-foot, turn-of-the-century brass and bronze foundry on the outskirts of historic downtown Waynesboro, and fewer than a mile from entrances to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah Nationwide Park. Anticipate a musical lineup of distinguished regional bands interspersed with nationwide acts just like the North Mississippi Allstars, Yonder Mountain String Band, Larry Keel Expertise, and Jon Stickley Trio.
The 850-person dancefloor, stage and bar space features a balcony and raised deck VIP seating, and connects to father or mother firm, Fundamental Metropolis Beer Co., through a large, window-lined indoor hall that’s additionally residence to Italian-inspired eatery, Patina. The counter-style restaurant dishes up portably packaged, pub-friendly takes on staples like risotto and paninis. Subsequent comes a taproom and seating space that provides wood-fired pizzas, regional wines, ciders, and a dozen house-made brews on faucet. Two recreation rooms crammed with classic pinball machines, arcade video games, foosball, pool, and air hockey tables spherical out the package deal. thefoundrysound.com
Shenandoah Valley Music Pageant, Orkney Springs
Uncover one of many nation’s longest operating multi-genre, out of doors live performance collection within the excessive Alleghany Mountains, about half-hour west of Harrisonburg and fewer than 5 miles from Bryce Resort. The pageant launched on the Massanutten Navy Academy as a two-day classical music showcase in 1963, however shortly advanced right into a four-weekend collection supposed to “have a good time the musical roots and cultural range of the Shenandoah Valley,” says fest founder and government director, Dennis Lynch.
Live shows at the moment are held on Saturdays and Sundays from late July by means of September 1 on the grounds of the attractive, 1,100-acre Shrine Mont retreat middle and historic Orkney Springs Lodge, which dates to 1853. Soak up tunes from all-star headliners like Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Steve Earle, and Mavis Staples at a 600-person pavilion and garden space surrounded by mature hardwoods and evergreens.
“There’s one thing extremely magical about this place,” says Lynch. “We’re on the market on this historic mountain property surrounded by nationwide forest lands, and I feel that setting conjures up each the artists and listeners to deal with the music in a means that’s very laborious to copy.” musicfest.org
NORTH CAROLINA
Beech Mountain Resort, Beech Mountain
Beech Mountain’s annual out of doors summer time live performance collection pairs resort facilities with tunes from nationally acclaimed performers, surrounded by beautiful views in North Carolina’s Excessive Nation.
Comply with a day of mountaineering on close by trails or thrashing within the lift-served mountain biking park with performances from high teams like Sylvan Esso, The Wooden Brothers, String Cheese Incident, and Dispatch. Artists throw down the jams on an outside stage located on the foot of a gently sloping, pure grass amphitheater within the resort’s basecamp space. A meals truck village affords numerous and delectable native eats, craft beer, wine, and cider. Walkable lodging choices abound. beechmountainresort.com
Brevard Music Middle, Brevard
This famend music schooling institute affords year-round occasions programming centered round world-class jazz, classical, and bluegrass musicians and singers simply 1.5 miles from downtown Brevard on a superbly landscaped 180-acre, 145-building campus that dates to 1936 and backs as much as Pisgah Nationwide Forest. Its 16-show summer time live performance collection is held in an 1,800-seat auditorium with open sides that sits on Brushy Creek and opens onto a small lake.
This 12 months’s marquee acts embrace Grammy winners like legendary jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, acoustic guitar hero Bryan Sutton, and iconic folks singer-songwriter Judy Collins. Everlasting seating within the auditorium flows right into a deck space and two grassy terraces with garden seating and concessions tents. brevardmusic.org
TENNESSEE
The Caverns, Pelham
An hour’s drive northwest from Chattanooga brings you to the Caverns, one of many nation’s most novel reside music venues. Move beneath a large, pure stone arch right into a close to two-mile-long cave system that options an expansive, 1,200-person dancefloor and stage space replete with all of the facilities you’d count on from a primo amphitheater, together with cutting-edge lights and sound.
That is the brand new residence of the hit PBS music present and live performance collection “The Caverns Classes” (previously often called “Bluegrass Underground”). Weekly reveals convey an eclectic selection that spans from bluegrass hall-of-famers just like the Del McCoury Band to cosmic nation axeman Daniel Donato and crossover rock-shred grasp Buckethead. Larger reveals occur right here, too. Not removed from the doorway is a 6,000-person sister amphitheater surrounded by expanses of rural mountain forests and a campground with luxurious yurts, spots for RVs, and greater than 1,000 primitive websites. thecaverns.com
Cowl picture: The Out of doors Amphitheater on the Caverns in Tennessee. Photograph by Matt Morrison.