• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

The Orange Peel is one of the country's premier music venues.   (Photo: Courtesy of The Orange Peel)

Find out who’s playing next at The Orange Peel (recent acts have included Cut Copy and Wye Oak), named by Rolling Stone as one of the country’s top five rock clubs, which hosts top acts during the annual electronic-music festival Moogfest, named after music pioneer and longtime Asheville resident Bob Moog. If you prefer a calmer concert-going experience, pay $2 for a yearlong membership at downstairs club PULP, which holds no more than 75 and broadcasts a live feed of all concerts on a high-definition TV.

Meander around the River Arts District and its galleries before hitting a show at The Grey Eagle, a 600-person venue that draws a diverse lineup, from jam bands to indie rockers to hip-hop acts (upcoming acts include Annuals and School of Seven Bells). On Mondays, line up for the weekly contra dances ($6), a kind of American folk dancing, where old-time pros and hipsters promenade and do-si-do alongside each other.

Sip Green Man Brewing’s handcrafted English ales or one of the many regional beers on tap at Celtic-style pub Jack of the Wood, where acoustic and bluegrass bands jam into the night, and members of the crowd, from alt-country fans to Appalachian-ballad enthusiasts, are invited to join in the singing. Weekly events include “Old Time” mountain music night on Wednesdays, bluegrass nights on Thursdays, or Irish night on Sunday, all of which draw musicians from all over the region.

Published on Feb 10, 2012 as a web exclusive.