Friday night at The Orange Peel with Maria Bamford. The room's got that standing-room energy that works for a weekend show, and it's big enough that you won't feel packed in but still feels like an event.

The Peel pulls the touring acts that are too big for the clubs but want to keep things tight, 950 people on a standing floor with zero barriers between you and the stage. Sound system hits hard enough to matter, and the room stays open late when the show calls for it, right there on Biltmore Ave where parking is always a gamble.

The Orange Peel is a live music venue and concert hall at 101 Biltmore Ave in downtown Asheville, open since 2002 and booking national touring acts across rock, hip-hop, indie, electronic and more. The room holds about 1,050, so you stay close to the stage even at a sold-out show, and the wooden dance floor has some spring to it. Downstairs, Pulp is a 21-and-up bourbon bar and lounge with its own smaller shows.

Locals say the sound at The Orange Peel is exceptional for a room this size, so you can hear every instrument even on a packed Saturday night. It's a room worth showing up early for, from sold-out indie nights to hip-hop headliners.

The Orange Peel

Looking for live music in Asheville tonight? Find venues and show schedules downtown, on the South Slope, in West Asheville and the River Arts District. Almost all post shows as Scoops on Dig Local, so check a profile before you go. Downtown, The Orange Peel on Biltmore Avenue and Asheville Music Hall on Patton Avenue book touring bands, Jack of the Wood has hosted Celtic and bluegrass nights since 1997, and Hotel Eve does live jazz on Lexington Avenue. The South Slope has Eulogy on Buxton Avenue, Revival on Asheland Avenue and outdoor concerts at Asheville Yards on Coxe Avenue. Along Haywood Road in West Asheville, catch a set at The Odd, Fleetwood's or The Double Crown, or a quieter show at AyurPrana Listening Room and Story Parlor. The River Arts District has The Grey Eagle on Clingman Avenue and full album sides on vinyl at Joyful Noise. Hellbender by The Orange Peel puts outdoor shows on the Swannanoa River. Head east to Black Mountain for White Horse, Town Pump Tavern and Pisgah Brewing's outdoor stage, or north to JuneBug Retro Resort in Weaverville. For theater and orchestra, see the Wortham Center, the Asheville Symphony and free Shakespeare from Montford Park Players.

Live Music in Asheville, NC: Venues, Shows and Events

Looking for the best bars in Asheville? Find cocktail lounges, dive bars, rooftops and live music spots downtown, on the South Slope and in West Asheville. Downtown, Little Jumbo pours cocktails in an old grocery on Broadway, The Crow and Quill stocks more than 800 whiskeys behind an easy-to-miss door on Lexington Avenue, and The Workshop Lounge has jazz inside The Foundry Hotel. Capella on 9 serves drinks with mountain views atop the AC Hotel, District 42 sits on Pack Square, and Cork & Keg pours wine inside The Weinhaus on Patton Avenue. 5 Walnut Wine Bar has live jazz and acoustic sets most nights, and Fitz and the Wolfe runs three rooms on Battery Park Avenue. On the South Slope, Banks Ave. hosts drag shows and DJ nights, and Sovereign Kava pours kava on Biltmore Avenue. Haywood Road in West Asheville has The Low Down under The Hop, wine and vinyl at Potential New Boyfriend, and late shows at The Odd and Fleetwood's. Out east, The Social is a neighborhood pub on Tunnel Road, and Town Pump Tavern and White Horse anchor downtown Black Mountain. When the night's over, call AVL Ride for the trip home.

Maria Bamford

The Scoop