The Social East on a Friday evening, doors at 5:30. Early start means you could catch this and still have your whole night ahead of you, or just post up there for the long haul. Tunnel Road location means you skip the downtown parking nightmare and land straight at free off-street spots, which matters when you're hauling gear or just want to grab wings and catch a band without circling blocks. The Shorts have run this East Asheville spot since 2014, and it pulls a local crowd that knows the difference between a neighborhood hang and a tourist trap.